Several states are posting armed guards in front of Army recruiting offices as a result of the Chattanooga shootings. Does this send a good and reassuring message to future enlistees?

My thinking is that posting police and armed guards to protect military recruitment offices is not sending a positive and welcoming message to potential enlistees. Yes, the kids are volunteering to join a military service where they will learn to use weapons. But having an armed guard outside a military recruitment office sends (to me) a message of fear and defensiveness, not one of power.

The secondary question – is posting such an armed guard ‘closing the barn door after the sheep have escaped’? Seems like we are proactively planning for last week’s attack.

Are there armed guards at all movie theaters these days?