Op-ed: How to stop gun violence in our schools

My name is Stanley Esposito. I am 70 years old. Like my father before me, I am a target shooter and a hunter. I started shooting when I was 5 years old under my father’s supervision. My brother and I were brought up with firearms in our home. We learned to have a healthy respect for them at an early age. After my father passed away, my mom had us take a firearms safety course conducted by the NRA. The high school I attended had a rifle club. I was a member of it.

Currently, I’m a volunteer instructor for the State of Connecticut Hunter Safety Program. In 65 years of shooting, I have never had an accident with a firearm. I hold a Master’s and Sixth Year Degree in Elementary School Administration and Supervision. I am a member of the NRA. I served as mayor of the City of Stamford. I believe that according to the Second Amendment, the people have a right to keep and bear arms.

All of the above notwithstanding, I believe that this country needs to adopt a commonsense approach to stop gun