The Utah State Schools Commission on school safety is to be congratulated on the three tiers of suggested steps to protect students. All are good suggestions, but the commission fell short in failing to address the core of the problem: assault rifles and bump stock-equipped hunting rifles.
Since the ban on assault rifles was lifted in 2004, there is a proliferation of these weapons around the country. Congress should reinstate the ban and the federal government should offer to buy back these rifles from citizens and turn them over to the military where they belong. Also altering rifles by bump stock should be outlawed and a stiff penalty assessed to anyone guilty of doing this.
With this, an extended background check on people purchasing guns is in order; every Tom, Dick and Harry should not be able to walk in and purchase these deadly weapons at will.
The students from Parkland High School will be in Utah this month, and the members of the commission would do well to sit down and listen to them.
Walt Borla, Sandy