BY SHARON MARTIN

For the same reason that some legislators refuse to do what is necessary to adequately fund public education, it was once illegal to teach a slave to read.

Those who seek power and their own interests fear educated citizens. They want pawns, not critical thinkers. Critical literacy is necessary for a free society.

Without an education system that includes everyone, justice is impossible.

Justice for some is not justice.

Economic security for some is not economic security.

A healthcare system that leaves people out is neither just nor economically viable.

Incarceration as a means to shape society is a travesty. So are for-profit prisons.

Critical thinkers understand these things. They question legislators and administrations that seek to curtail our right to question them. They demand the right to speak out against corruption. They insist on every citizen’s right to vote.

Facts are essential. Good research skills are absolutely essential. So is the ability to tell truths from lies.

This makes the push to arm teachers even more troubling.

Parents with critical thinking skills don’t want weapons in the classroom. If teachers are armed, thinking parents who can afford to do so will take their kids out of public schools. Those who aren’t homeschooled will be enrolled in private schools where weapons are not allowed. This will be another blow to public education funding.

It’s time to think, folks. Don’t let gun manufacturers think for you. A good shotgun will keep the varmints away. A hunting rifle, most as lethal as any military weapon, will keep your family fed.

A pistol by your bedside may or may not keep your family safe. It’s a fact that more gun deaths occur in homes that have guns. Duh!

Let’s change laws to protect people from shoot-first law enforcement. Let’s change laws to stop manufacturers from selling military weapons to the general public.

Arming teachers is not the solution. Militarizing the police force is not the solution.

Arming students with critical thinking skills is.

Let’s make sure public schools stay open. Let’s improve access to mental health treatment. Tell your legislators to pass sensible regulations.

Your Second Amendment rights are safe. We must make sure the rest of our Constitution and our children are, too.

— Sharon Martin lives in Oilton, OK and is a regular contributor to The Oklahoma Observer. Her latest book, Not A Prodigal, is available through Barnes and Noble. Her recent children’s book, Froggy Bottom Blues, can be purchased in hardcover or paperback from Doodle and Peck Publishing and in paperback from Amazon.