Editor:

I did something I rarely do — I read the entire “Drake’s Take” column in your paper. After reading the first two paragraphs of the Aug. 17 column titled “Guns in the classrooms won’t keep schools safer,” I thought my head would explode. Since I am a glutton for punishment, I finished reading the rest of Mr. Drake’s lunacy.

I won’t go through a point-by-point rebuttal, as I think anyone with any common sense can see through the mindless drivel. Those with no common sense are still too offended by the University of Wyoming’s new slogan to try to convince otherwise.

Back to paragraph two: In the last sentence of the paragraph, Mr. Drake states “... the already impotent commission called for by Pres. Trump in response to the outrage over school shootings will not consider the defining element of school shootings — guns.”

Really? That is the defining element?

As one who was not offended by the slogan “The world needs more cowboys,” let me point out some defining elements of every school shooting.

• Every school shooting has some deranged monster holding the gun used in the shooting.

• Every school shooting has occurred in a gun free zone.

• Every school shooting occurs where no armed teacher, administrator, coach or other armed security personnel are allowed.

• Most school shootings are committed by someone who teachers or parents know are dangerous, but existing laws won’t allow for them to be kept off the streets.

As usual Mr. Drake’s points are shortsighted and misleading — but in this case, he is dead wrong. Guns in the proper hands in the classrooms will keep schools safer.

Jim Jackson

Evanston