Discuss

MrsRahl

Why does everyone assume that if you are pro-gun that you aren't equally as pro-mental health reform?  I think you'd find that most gun owners would completely agree that there need to be background checks and mental health evaluations of some kind done before handing someone a gun.  I also find it hilarious that so many people are so scared of guns yet if you knew how close you are to a concealed weapon at any given time, you'd probably want to crap your pants. The fact remains that we will never "get rid of all the guns" like I've seen in the GTKY: Controversy post suggestions. Once something is introduced into society as legal or even as knowledge to create, taking it away is never going to work/help.  So what really is not arming a school really going to solve? You realize what you are saying is, "Let's not arm the school, but when a crisis occurs, call people who are armed to defend us, and it take way longer to get there."  That logic is completely ludicrous to me. If you are arguing you want more training, I can understand that. Some of you say fire arms aren't the answer yet I bet you will be the FIRST to call someone with a firearm to protect you in an emergency.  Sounds extremely hypocritical to me. 

snowpants

@MrsRahl, I'm sure some people do assume that and it's too bad.  I know plenty of people who own guns and are very pro gun rights AND pro mental-health.  However, and I know this is purely antidotal, but I'd estimate less than half the gun owners I know feel that way.  Many are very against background checks and mental health evaluations and I know this from having conversations about it with them, not just from assumptions.  Seems weird and I hope they are the minority.

Anyway, I absolutely would call the police...yup, the ARMED police...in an emergency because that's what they are there for and are trained for.  It's their job.  I find nothing about that hypocritical.  80 hours of training still doesn't seem like enough to me.  I'm guessing that a whole group of trained cops or SWAT team members (who are fully armed and have body armor) coming on the scene 10 minutes later than the one or two armed staff members with a handgun and a lot less training are going to get better results most of the time.  Just an assumption and I admit I could be wrong.  But again, I'd love to see any actual study showing more armed and trained staff has ever made a school safer because everything I've heard is the opposite.  I'm pro safety.  If studies show that adding armed people to the schools does actually make them safer then I want to know. 

ElTrain5

@snowpants, you keep taking the words right out of my mouth! And yes, I absolutely call the police when protection is needed. We have police departments for a reason. If not, then we would have an armed trained militia. We do not need both. Puttingn handguns in schools would make some people FEEL better, that's it. Mrs. Smith, even if put in the "perfect" set of circumstances to confront an attacker, is not going to win against someone with body armor and automatic weapons 99% of the time. Which means that if there is even a 2% chance that Mrs. Smith's handgun could be stolen and used in an unsafe manner, then you've just created more danger than you've prevented.

MrsRahl

@snowpants, I will never understand why anyone wouldn't want to have background checks on gun owners, but I know their argument is once you give up a little control, the government tends to take it too far. But assuming that wouldn't happen, I think background checks are a great idea.

As far as the training goes, yes I don't think they should just hand out guns to teachers even with 80 hours of training. I am a teacher, and I wouldn't trust half the staff with a gun lol.  Too many airheads. However I fully support an armed staff like a police officer (preferably a few) around the school.  We had that at my schools growing up in the city, I never felt unsafe, and in fact I felt way safer because I knew some of the crazy kids that did bring guns to school that thankfully never went off the deep end.  We had to scan into school with ID cards, had metal detectors, and book bag checks, all of which I felt very comfortable with.  I guess I just get angry with people like my SIL that says, "Well I'm not sending me kid to a jail as a school." Yet she NEVER questions airport security and frequently flies to Europe many times a year. Like you, I'm on the side of safety, which I think we are all really, and if metal detectors, and buzzers, and ID's and armed security is the answer, I'd gladly send me kid there.  I think the issue with the original post is not knowing who is carrying. I see their point there in that district so that person can't be targeted, but I think fear of the unknown is the issue too. Yet, if I knew the math teacher down the hall from me had a gun I would be scared lol.  She's nutso.

ElTrain5

btw, for those that keep making Sandy Hook references saying that it could have saved lives to have random armed teachers, here is the timeline for that incident:
9:34 a.m.: The first gunshots are heard

9:39 a.m.: Newtown police officer arrives behind school

9:40 a.m.: Final gunshot isheard, believed to be Lanza's final suicide shot

So...no, the Mrs. Smith half way across the school with her handgun would not have made any difference at all, expect for possible getting Mrs. Smith herself killed. The teachers did everything right and saved as many lives as they could (which were a LOT of lives). It's incredibly sad, and incredibly scary, but throwing more guns at it will not make it any safer. edit: formatting

snowpants

MrsRahl said:

@snowpants, I will never understand why anyone wouldn't want to have background checks on gun owners, but I know their argument is once you give up a little control, the government tends to take it too far. But assuming that wouldn't happen, I think background checks are a great idea.

As far as the training goes, yes I don't think they should just hand out guns to teachers even with 80 hours of training. I am a teacher, and I wouldn't trust half the staff with a gun lol.  Too many airheads. However I fully support an armed staff like a police officer (preferably a few) around the school.  We had that at my schools growing up in the city, I never felt unsafe, and in fact I felt way safer because I knew some of the crazy kids that did bring guns to school that thankfully never went off the deep end.  We had to scan into school with ID cards, had metal detectors, and book bag checks, all of which I felt very comfortable with.  I guess I just get angry with people like my SIL that says, "Well I'm not sending me kid to a jail as a school." Yet she NEVER questions airport security and frequently flies to Europe many times a year. Like you, I'm on the side of safety, which I think we are all really, and if metal detectors, and buzzers, and ID's and armed security is the answer, I'd gladly send me kid there.  I think the issue with the original post is not knowing who is carrying. I see their point there in that district so that person can't be targeted, but I think fear of the unknown is the issue too. Yet, if I knew the math teacher down the hall from me had a gun I would be scared lol.  She's nutso.

The bolded above is exactly their argument and it's frustrating!

Honestly @MrsRahl, I think you and I aren't too far apart in our thinking and by that I I mean we're probably on slightly different sides of the middle.    I think either extreme viewpoint has some pretty huge faults.

And I appreciate everything that everyone has said on the subject, especially since the post seemed to be respectful, because it's interesting to look at something like this from different viewpoints.

MrsRahl

ElTrain5 said:

@snowpants, you keep taking the words right out of my mouth! And yes, I absolutely call the police when protection is needed. We have police departments for a reason. If not, then we would have an armed trained militia. We do not need both. Puttingn handguns in schools would make some people FEEL better, that's it. Mrs. Smith, even if put in the "perfect" set of circumstances to confront an attacker, is not going to win against someone with body armor and automatic weapons 99% of the time. Which means that if there is even a 2% chance that Mrs. Smith's handgun could be stolen and used in an unsafe manner, then you've just created more danger than you've prevented.

So if you would call the police, why wouldn't you feel comfortable having armed police in the school to begin with?  I can understand why you wouldn't want all teachers armed, but that wasn't what the OP said.

FAWKES81

I would support this 110%.

MrsRahl

Can someone also explain to me how this gets stolen from me??

snowpants

BTW, did @MrsCase ever post an opinion?  I'm wondering what your thoughts are since this is happening by you and since you posted the thread.  Please share (if you want to)! 

snowpants

MrsRahl said:

Can someone also explain to me how this gets stolen from me??

Well when you're getting hot 'n' heavy in the janitor closet with Mr. Jones, the sexy PhyEd teacher who is actually an undercover terrorist, and he's feeling up your boobs you let your guard down and he grabs the gun and runs off with it AND your shirt so you can't even leave the closet to warn anyone.

Duh.

MrsRahl

@snowpants hahahahaha

ElTrain5

MrsRahl said:

ElTrain5 said:

@snowpants, you keep taking the words right out of my mouth! And yes, I absolutely call the police when protection is needed. We have police departments for a reason. If not, then we would have an armed trained militia. We do not need both. Puttingn handguns in schools would make some people FEEL better, that's it. Mrs. Smith, even if put in the "perfect" set of circumstances to confront an attacker, is not going to win against someone with body armor and automatic weapons 99% of the time. Which means that if there is even a 2% chance that Mrs. Smith's handgun could be stolen and used in an unsafe manner, then you've just created more danger than you've prevented.

So if you would call the police, why wouldn't you feel comfortable having armed police in the school to begin with?  I can understand why you wouldn't want all teachers armed, but that wasn't what the OP said.

I never said I wouldn't be comfortable having armed police in the schools, or anywhere for that matter. The only reason this normally is not an option is a matter of 1) Communities not having the resources to provide full time officers to schools and 2) Schools not having the resources to pay of-duty officers to provide security. But I never said anything at all about not wanted police in schools, they could put the station in the school for all I care. Police officers and armed citizens (trained or not) have NOTHING to do with each other. They are not similar in any way. Police officers are trained to protect others with their lives and go through the police academy and rigorous training. The comparison simply can't be made.

ElTrain5

MrsRahl said:

Can someone also explain to me how this gets stolen from me??

Really? maybe because a 200 lb man might easily overtake a 110 woman (or man for that matter) and take a gun no matter where it's hidden on her person? Maybe because someone walked into your classroom pointing an automatic rifle at you and told you to give it them or else they'd kill you and then start on your students? That gun could be nestled in your nether regions and it wouldn't really matter. Edit: To add, the better question to ask is "How would someone know this gun is on my person?"

cristykaye

I want someone to be able to protect my kids!!! I carry a gun everywhere I go. It's not like they are arming the 75 year old secretary with an AR 15. These people are being trained and are passing tests to carry just like a police officer. Most police in small rural towns have no more training that this anyways. Not all, but most. They don't go to academy. They get cleet certifie to carry a gun in the open and read a book! I would def feel comfortable with my child being looked after by someone who was capable of taking out a bad guy!!!

snowpants

FAWKES81 said:

I would support this 110%.

Is this the same as being 110% sure you're NOT the baby's father? 

ElTrain5

For the record, I have no problem with people owning and carrying guns. I grew up in a law enforcement family and most of my relatives carry concealed weapons. My problem is with the logic of "more guns=more safety" which has never been proven to be true. What HAS been proven to be true is "guns, even when owned by responsible people, can, and do, fall into the wrong hands sometimes". When you combine those two pieces of logic, that's where I come up with the opinion that giving guns to teachers/staff members is not going to make your school safer.
Oh, and I also take issue with people equating police officers to non police officers in terms of being able to handle a weapon in a scenario where they are taking down an armed gunman.

MrsRahl

Ok, so assuming the question is "how would anyone know I was carrying..." isn't that the point on concealed carry?  And like PP @cristykaye said, you should really research the training your armed forces go through, especially in your area. I take it you've never personally been through any kind of firearm training (and of course that is an assumption) but I would highly suggest you'd at least research some.  Training with a simple handgun for more than 80 hrs really is a LOT, but I can respect you wanting more training. On another note, you are assuming that all gunman are these huge burly men with machine guns coming in and spraying a school.  Most of these shootings have been by kids, boys in fact, so no, there is a very extremely small possibility of a teenage boy, even man getting close enough to me to get my gun before I shoot his ass.  You are assuming I don't have extensive firearm training just because I am a teacher and I can promise you, that I have extensive training compared to that kid or even that burly 300 lb man you may be picturing. But in the end, if you want to wait for the police to show up that is your call.  My middle school and high school did have a police unit built right off of the school, so this is the norm in my area.

ElTrain5

Ok, so assuming the question is "how would anyone know I was carrying..." isn't that the point on concealed carry?
It is. Which is why I said that is the better question. If no one knows you have a gun, than your question of “how does someone take this from me” becomes moot
And like PP @cristykaye said, you should really research the training your armed forces go through, especially in your area. I take it you've never personally been through any kind of firearm training (and of course that is an assumption) but I would highly suggest you'd at least research some. Training with a simple handgun for more than 80 hrs really is a LOT, but I can respect you wanting more training.
First, “armed forces”, to me at least, means the military. If you are speaking about the police force, I live in Chicago. You better believe those people are trained. As to your assumption that I’ve never been trained to use a firearm, you are incorrect, I have been through training. Since I was younger. As I said, I come from a law enforcement family, it’s pretty standard for me. Also, I think you are mixing me up with other posters. I never said anything about 80 hours of training not being a lot.
On another note, you are assuming that all gunman are these huge burly men with machine guns coming in and spraying a school. Most of these shootings have been by kids, boys in fact, so no, there is a very extremely small possibility of a teenage boy, even man getting close enough to me to get my gun before I shoot his ass.
Again, I’m not sure where you are getting this from, I never said anything about “all gunmen being these huge burly men”. You posed the question as to how someone could possibly get a gun out of your bra-holster, and I gave you two valid scenarios. As for most school shooters having automatic weapons, that one is spot on, at least in the examples that are being discussed most frequently in this thread.
You are assuming I don't have extensive firearm training just because I am a teacher and I can promise you, that I have extensive training compared to that kid or even that burly 300 lb man you may be picturing.
Again…never assumed anything about you, teachers, or anyone else for that matter, so please stop putting words in my mouth. Also, I’m not sure how this “burly man” went from 200 lbs to 300 lbs so quickly. He should probably see a physician.
But in the end, if you want to wait for the police to show up that is your call. My middle school and high school did have a police unit built right off of the school, so this is the norm in my area.
If your schools have police units built in…why would you need MORE armed people? That doesn’t smack of overkill just a little?

iris427

MrsRahl said:

Why does everyone assume that if you are pro-gun that you aren't equally as pro-mental health reform?  I think you'd find that most gun owners would completely agree that there need to be background checks and mental health evaluations of some kind done before handing someone a gun.  I also find it hilarious that so many people are so scared of guns yet if you knew how close you are to a concealed weapon at any given time, you'd probably want to crap your pants. The fact remains that we will never "get rid of all the guns" like I've seen in the GTKY: Controversy post suggestions. Once something is introduced into society as legal or even as knowledge to create, taking it away is never going to work/help.  So what really is not arming a school really going to solve? You realize what you are saying is, "Let's not arm the school, but when a crisis occurs, call people who are armed to defend us, and it take way longer to get there."  That logic is completely ludicrous to me. If you are arguing you want more training, I can understand that. Some of you say fire arms aren't the answer yet I bet you will be the FIRST to call someone with a firearm to protect you in an emergency.  Sounds extremely hypocritical to me. 

And how many of those pro-gun people who supposedly support better mental health care support the ACA? How many of them vote for politicians that campaign on opposing or limiting programs like the ACA, Medicaid, SCHIP, and even Medicare, that provide more people with access to health care? Am I supposed to believe the pro-gun contingency in the US is suddenly going to support some kind of universal mental health care when they won't even support the more limited health care policies we currently have? Because I don't.

MrsCase1

@snowpants sorry for the delayed response! I posted, then went to dinner, then got home late. Today I had a MOPs meeting followed by work all afternoon. Didn't mean to stir the pot then run!

I am part of a family that exercises their rights responsibly with training, and most importantly, locking up their weapons securely to prevent theft or tragedy. So, all that said, I am not opposed to this small town arming certain members of their faculty. When you have a town with limited resources (and in the case of some small towns here in TX, no police department of their own, etc.) someone needs to step up and protect the people who live there. I am not so naive as to think living in a small town exempts you from tragedy. I do not know if Argyle has a police force, but I know when we moved to a small town, a big "selling point" according to the realtor, was that our town did have its own police. The realtor said in towns without their own force, you are at the mercy of emergency responders rented from locations that are not necessarily close. So, props to the police who can get to a scene in under five minutes but that is not always possible depending on location of small town. Larger cities like Dallas, have uniformed officers in schools (as far as I understand it.) So, to me, there is relevancy in those two distinctions.

I was always taught that you do not shoot to harm, you shoot to kill. Therefore, not just anyone is going to be given a firearm just because they work at the school. According to the story on the news, there was a selection process and people had to be comfortable with the task at hand. Nobody is being forced to carry against their will, and the people who will be armed understand the ramifications of such.

Several other people have posted about important topics, such as the weapon falling into the wrong hands, being overpowered, etc. As far as I am concerned, I cannot live in hypotheticals. The only thing I know is that I want my child to have every chance of survival in an emergency. So, if that means they have a well-trained staff member at school who is armed or a uniformed officer, so be it.

In regards to mental health, during the GTKY regarding "hot topics" and in another thread, I have stated that our mental health care system is broken (I blame Reagan, LOL.) As a responsible gun owner, I think mental health care is important. As a former social worker, I find it vital, and as a mother I consider it imperative. Someone else posted something along the lines that people who are gun owners, don't vote in favor of mental heatlh care. I believe the implication is that Republicans are douchebags. I am not a Republican so that doesn't bother me but I am gravely incensed over the comparison to not voting for the ACA having anything to do with not wanting to fund other mental health programs. The ACA was not solely a mental health care reformation. If it were, I might support it. But it isn't. The ACA was designed to cover many topics. My original question was not in regards to politics, but more how we would all feel, as moms, to know staff members at our children's schools were armed. So, I guess part of me is bitter towards myself for even dignifying that commentary with a response, but I respect that everyone is entitled to their opinions. So, I guess my formal opinion is that I don't want to discuss apples in my conversation about oranges.

kbellizio3

I'm a gun owner who would love to see better mental healthcare. My father is bi-polar and was misdiagnosed, put on the wrong meds and therefore it led to even worse episodes. My mom switched insurances, which had amazing mental health benefits, he got the proper diagnosis and proper medication and help and I can't remember the last time he seriously went off. Mental health is something my family takes very seriously.

As far as i know the ACA isn't really much of a mental healthcare law. I really think we need more for people with mental illnesses and I will not hesitate to support one that I agree with when it comes along. @Mrs Case said it better than I did. But the implication that gun owners don't support mental health reforms is a generalization.

MrsCase1

Merie412 said:

Not sure if I was the one that people are thinking said (I don't see an actual post that says it specifically) that about gun owners and mental health, but I just want to be clear that I was in no way implying that gun owners/supporters are against mental healthcare. Simply giving an opinion on a topic that was brought up within this topic. Didn't mean to hijack the thread with apples in a discussion about oranges. 

@Merie412 Not it!

ElTrain5

It's ok Merle, I hijacked the thread for a solid couple of hours today

EmbracingChange

I would want my children to be protected should something occur. I don't necessarily agree with training teachers to provide firepower protection although if they has a concealed carry license, I would support them carrying in school provided that they had a secure way to keep it away from students. 

I lived on a Marine Corps base and trust me when I tell you that they are under utilized. A lot of them spend many days picking up trash and doing chores in between trainings and deployments. I see no reason, since our tax dollars are already paying them,  not to put one in each school in civilian attire and have them provide security for the school. They are trained to respond to emergency situations, think critically, and take down targets without unnecessary casualties. It's what they do. 

MrsCase1

EmbracingChange said:

I would want my children to be protected should something occur. I don't necessarily agree with training teachers to provide firepower protection although if they has a concealed carry license, I would support them carrying in school provided that they had a secure way to keep it away from students. 

I lived on a Marine Corps base and trust me when I tell you that they are under utilized. A lot of them spend many days picking up trash and doing chores in between trainings and deployments. I see no reason, since our tax dollars are already paying them,  not to put one in each school in civilian attire and have them provide security for the school. They are trained to respond to emergency situations, think critically, and take down targets without unnecessary casualties. It's what they do. 

Terrific suggestion for those close to  a military base!

MrsCase1

ElTrain5 said:

It's ok Merle, I hijacked the thread for a solid couple of hours today

@ElTrain5 Heyyyyyy! I have no problem whatsoever if the conversation veers. That is the natural progression of discussion. I was just saying that for me, *I* didn't want to discuss politics because when I see a really, really ignorant comment, it is all I can do to not respond out of fury, LOL. I simply don't like who I am when I get all fired up like that. All this to say, I would never dream of censoring anyone else's conversation.

Edit: Forgot to tag and add a sentence.

lefriday

Every time it hear about a school shooting I freeze. The situation is only getting worse and our wee ones aren't even born. I would support this at schools and hope for more protection. I actually wouldn't mind this at my work.

ElTrain5

@embracingchange Good suggestion! It'd be awesome to have an active member of the military in each school. They could be a great role model for the kids as well, and a great recruiting tool!

EmbracingChange

Mrs Case said:

EmbracingChange said:

I would want my children to be protected should something occur. I don't necessarily agree with training teachers to provide firepower protection although if they has a concealed carry license, I would support them carrying in school provided that they had a secure way to keep it away from students. 

I lived on a Marine Corps base and trust me when I tell you that they are under utilized. A lot of them spend many days picking up trash and doing chores in between trainings and deployments. I see no reason, since our tax dollars are already paying them,  not to put one in each school in civilian attire and have them provide security for the school. They are trained to respond to emergency situations, think critically, and take down targets without unnecessary casualties. It's what they do. 

Terrific suggestion for those close to  a military base!

There is an armory within an hour or two of every school. It doesn't have to only be Marines. The National Guard opens up select positions for their members who are struggling to find jobs yet can't go active duty Army. They work an hourly job on a base and are paid like civilians, yet wear uniforms. Of course you have to apply for them like a regular job. I live in Central Missouri, 3 hours from Ft. Leanord Wood. I have three armories in a 40 mile radius of me. One is two blocks from the preschool where I work. Check in would be easy. 

kbellizio3

Would I be ok with military personnel protecting my children at school? Hell yea I would! That's an awesome idea. I'm sure a lot of them would be more than happy to do it too.

ElTrain5

Mrs Case said:

ElTrain5 said:

It's ok Merle, I hijacked the thread for a solid couple of hours today

@ElTrain5 Heyyyyyy! I have no problem whatsoever if the conversation veers. That is the natural progression of discussion. I was just saying that for me, *I* didn't want to discuss politics because when I see a really, really ignorant comment, it is all I can do to not respond out of fury, LOL. I simply don't like who I am when I get all fired up like that. All this to say, I would never dream of censoring anyone else's conversation.

Edit: Forgot to tag and add a sentence.


Oh no worries! I just got all hot ' bothered today for some reason. I think I'm a special kind of preggo that gets more hormonal in second tri I really like this conversation

EmbracingChange

A problem is see with teachers also is that law enforcement has to go through trainings that few teachers would want to. If they carry a taser, rest assured that they were tasered in their training. If they carry pepper spray, they got sprayed in the face during training. It's a requirement or at least it was when DH left the military and the only job he could find was at the Sheriff's Department. 

If military members were in schools then they should be given the tools to do their jobs. A raging parent who becomes aggressive and assaults the Principal could be MCMAP'd into submission. No problem. A person with a gun should be met with a gun. Equal force. Of course this would require safety measures, but Marines/Soldiers are trained how to secure and properly store weaponry. I myself have a biometric safe. It is programmed to my or DH's finger print and we also have a code. It is bolted to the bed so it cannot be stolen. 

Neuron79

Agreed. Imagine your 1st grader walking down the hall, surrounded by adults with guns every single day. What picture does that paint? Not the answer.

cristykaye

MrsRahl said:

Ok, so assuming the question is "how would anyone know I was carrying..." isn't that the point on concealed carry?  And like PP @cristykaye said, you should really research the training your armed forces go through, especially in your area. I take it you've never personally been through any kind of firearm training (and of course that is an assumption) but I would highly suggest you'd at least research some.  Training with a simple handgun for more than 80 hrs really is a LOT, but I can respect you wanting more training. On another note, you are assuming that all gunman are these huge burly men with machine guns coming in and spraying a school.  Most of these shootings have been by kids, boys in fact, so no, there is a very extremely small possibility of a teenage boy, even man getting close enough to me to get my gun before I shoot his ass.  You are assuming I don't have extensive firearm training just because I am a teacher and I can promise you, that I have extensive training compared to that kid or even that burly 300 lb man you may be picturing. But in the end, if you want to wait for the police to show up that is your call.  My middle school and high school did have a police unit built right off of the school, so this is the norm in my area.

Totally thought you were thinking I said this all for a min, until I read it like 5 times.
Well said. I think it's awesome you have extensive training. I feel like maybe people portray teachers as weak because they are taking care of children, (a woman's job way way back in the day) and don't understand that teachers come from all walks of the earth. I know of about 4 of my teachers in HS who were ex military and I seriously wouldn't have put it past them to have been carrying guns at some points if not most of the time.

Sareynoo

That's great! I would feel much better sending my kids to a school that protects them when they're there. They can't protect themselves after all. I don't want my kids being some nut-job's target practice. I find nothing wrong with having staff properly trained with weapons and carrying concealed. Awesome!!

ElTrain5

cristykaye said:

MrsRahl said:

Ok, so assuming the question is "how would anyone know I was carrying..." isn't that the point on concealed carry?  And like PP @cristykaye said, you should really research the training your armed forces go through, especially in your area. I take it you've never personally been through any kind of firearm training (and of course that is an assumption) but I would highly suggest you'd at least research some.  Training with a simple handgun for more than 80 hrs really is a LOT, but I can respect you wanting more training. On another note, you are assuming that all gunman are these huge burly men with machine guns coming in and spraying a school.  Most of these shootings have been by kids, boys in fact, so no, there is a very extremely small possibility of a teenage boy, even man getting close enough to me to get my gun before I shoot his ass.  You are assuming I don't have extensive firearm training just because I am a teacher and I can promise you, that I have extensive training compared to that kid or even that burly 300 lb man you may be picturing. But in the end, if you want to wait for the police to show up that is your call.  My middle school and high school did have a police unit built right off of the school, so this is the norm in my area.

Totally thought you were thinking I said this all for a min, until I read it like 5 times.
Well said. I think it's awesome you have extensive training. I feel like maybe people portray teachers as weak because they are taking care of children, (a woman's job way way back in the day) and don't understand that teachers come from all walks of the earth. I know of about 4 of my teachers in HS who were ex military and I seriously wouldn't have put it past them to have been carrying guns at some points if not most of the time.

The problem with that quote was that the person she thought said that stuff didn't say it either. Ah well.

EmbracingChange

The problem with guns is that you "don't need them" until you need them. Right now you worry that your child would be afraid of those sent to protect them, that it would leave a bad impression, or that it would bring us one step closer to having a police state. But when a crazy asshole comes into a school and shoots 26 unarmed people, one has to wonder if even one of those lives would have been spared had he not been the sole person in the building with a gun.

My opinion may not be that popular, but afterall, I am the mother who bought my six year old a .22 Remington youth rifle for Christmas....

ncbelle

That is just asshattery and a recipe for disaster.  No way would I send my kids to a school with random armed people.  Sheesh!

Nor would I teach in such a school.

There are plenty of studies that show people carrying concealed weapons do not actually stop violent crime.  But you know what does - gun control.

cristykaye

ncbelle said:

That is just asshattery and a recipe for disaster.  No way would I send my kids to a school with random armed people.  Sheesh!

Nor would I teach in such a school.

There are plenty of studies that show people carrying concealed weapons do not actually stop violent crime.  But you know what does - gun control.

Asshattery? Do you think that those kids that got ahold of guns did it legally?? No. Gun control will only stop people from getting them legally. You will still have the criminals that get guns no matter what. Let the good people keep them so they may be able to defend themselves from the asshats!