Dear Editor:

While living in a time and country where "government" policy strips us of our freedoms and prosperity, I am encouraged by a January 9th Times News article entitled "Guns in schools?" which has renewed my faith in America. The Tamaqua school board didn't get swept up in the emotion over the Sandy Hook shootings and didn't vote to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on new security systems and prison like front doors for their schools while tapping an already over taxed populace. Nor did they pass new laws to enact gun free zones that leave law abiding citizens unable to defend themselves and the children in their care. (Note: Obama's daughters attend a school with 11 armed guards on hand.)They did what every American community should do by suggesting that a few anonymous and responsible members of their school's staff be armed and given special training to counteract a bad person with a gun who is intent on preying on vulnerable children.This decision is especially important to me after watching eyewitness reports and a video of police detaining a man behind the Sandy Hook Elementary immediately following the shooting who just so happened to be wearing the exact same outfit as the alleged and then deceased shooter Adam Lanza. With a myriad of inconsistencies in the "official" story and threats of federal and state prosecution from the Connecticut state police to any independent media reporter who posts information on social media outlets from "other sources" other than the "state" police and "corporate" media (a.k.a. anyone who questions the "official" story) something stinks to high heaven. And isn't that a violation of our first amendment freedom of the press? Are we only to believe what the authorities tell us? And for those who wouldn't believe our "government" would conspire to create an event to strip us of our ability to defend ourselves research the criminal "Fast and Furious" program.I believe other school districts in the area should follow Tamaqua's lead to strengthen our communities and not weaken them by depleting our civil liberties. And, isn't this a great lesson for our children? To stand up for oneself? It is hard to say exactly what happened in Sandy Hook Elementary School but it is refreshing to see the Tamaqua school board respond in a way consistent with our constitution and national history. And to see a school board look for common sense ways to solve a problem and not just throw large amounts of other people's cash at an issue while also depending on outside sources to handle the crisis of the day.I would say about 60 percentof the country believes everything the "government" tells them and just wants this same entity to keep them safe while about 40% of the country understands our heritage and understands what Ben Franklin meant when he said, "People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both."Gene DuffyJim Thorpe