Ninos Malek

A scholar-columnist who writes that more guns can correlate with safer schools is the CCRKBA Gun Rights Defender of the Month.
In nominating Ninos Malek for the Award, John M. Snyder, CCRKBA Public Affairs Director, said that, “among the several facets of gun grabber attacks on the right to keep and bear arms these days is the argument that public policy should so restrict or even prohibit firearms in the hands of teachers and administrators in schools that they are not able to defend themselves or others from perpetrators of criminal violence.  The gun grabbers offer the erroneous opinion that fewer or no guns in schools will result in a reduction in acts of violence in schools.  Ninos Malek, however, has demonstrated the falsity of this approach, and even offers the opposite opinion as a postulate.  He is right in the thick of this argument regarding Second Amendment rights.  He articulately presents cogent argument in support of these rights and is, therefore, most deserving of this Award.”
“Should teachers and administrators legally be allowed to carry guns in school,” he asks.  “This must be seriously discussed in the United States.  It seems like the tragedy that struck Columbine High School in 1999 has become more common since then.”
Noting the recent White House summit on school safety called by President George W. Bush, Malek observed that “the reason these events make the news is because they are in actuality not that common once you consider how many shootings have taken place relative to the number of schools there are in this country.
“For example, in 2006 there have been only four incidents with guns at school.  Basically, schools are safe places for children; they are more likely to die violent deaths at other locations.  So, while I agree that we don’t want to have a knee-jerk reaction to certain events, the real issue that must be addressed is why schools are not allowed to protect themselves from psychotic or evil people.”
In an article published by The Ludwig von Mises Institute, Malek points out that “Israel and Thailand have been cited as examples of how guns in schools can save lives.  In fact, State Rep. Frank Lasee of Wisconsin plans to introduce legislation to allow teachers and administrators to carry guns…
“If providing education is supposedly a government duty and teachers at public schools are agents of the government, why can’t they be trained to carry a gun to protect the children the state has placed under them?  The question here is whether or not properly trained teachers and administrators should have the freedom to bring a weapon to campus – to act as extensions of law enforcement on school campuses.”
In reality, Malek notes, “the law currently prevents this from happening.  The Gun Free School Zones Act of 1990 made it unlawful for any individual to knowingly possess a firearm in a school zone, even a police officer when not on official duty or a teacher who might also be a police reserve officer!
“The term ‘school zone’ means in, or on the grounds of, a public, parochial or private school; or within a distance of 1,000 feet from a school.  However, the United States Supreme Court overturned this in 1995 (United States v. Lopez) because it violated the limits of the Commerce Clause in the Constitution.  Legislation still makes it illegal to have a gun within 1,000 feet of a school.”
Malek has a B.A. in Economics and an M.A. in Applied Economics from San Jose State University, and currently is pursuing a doctorate in Economics at George Mason University.  He believes that, “if we had a free market in education and the Second Amendment was respected, those parents who did not trust teachers with guns would send their children to gun free schools and those who felt that a school with armed teachers provided a safer environment would reward schools who provided that service with their dollars.  The training and evaluation of teachers could be done by private sector institutions…
“Unfortunately, because the government has monopolized the educational system and the Second Amendment has lost its true meaning, schools will probably not be able to protect themselves more effectively against those who are mad at the world or have unresolved ‘issues.’  We hear about the stories of children and teens being killed with guns – maybe it should be time to hear about how children and teens were saved because of guns.”