02/01/2013 -

The NRA released a video yesterday related to its  National School Shield program, headed by former Congressman Asa Hutchinson, who discussed the program at a press conference last month. Hutchinson says they hope to complete the project by April 1.

The video commends President Barack Obama on his recent steps toput more money into school safety and for recognizing the importance of school resource officers, despite some of the NRA’s Second Amendment concerns.

“I’m concerned that some of his proposals do not meet the standards of the Second Amendment and I am confident that those are going to be rejected, by Congress,” Hutchinson said.

The basic concept pushed by the NRA of arming security officers in schools is not new, but as theNew York Times reported: "While some superintendents and parents interviewed after the N.R.A.’s briefing said they might support an increased police presence on school campuses as part of a broader safety strategy, many educators, politicians, and crime experts described it as foolhardy and potentially dangerous. Law enforcement officials said putting armed officers in the nation’s 99,000 schools was unrealistic because of the enormous cost and manpower needed."

Other critics, like Washington writer Bonnie Goldstein, whose piece appears in The Washington Post, call the NRA approach amove to "weaponize" the schools.

The Times article also notes that Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA), who has pushed for a ban on assault weapons, reiterated the point that armed school officers in Columbine could not stop those shooters.

photo byAlex Grant/flickr