Arm the Teachers, yeah right.

[Philosoraptor]

frank lasee, Wisconson state house representative?.. suggesting arming teachers to keep kids safe on cnn.

I'm gonna go lay in the corner an make weird noises for a while.

http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm02/asm02.html

[eleny]

1. What a nut job

I just saw that, too. Teachers as law enforcement officers? I don't think so. Confronting someone with a gun in a classroom full of kids - forget it.

[Epiphany4z]

2. my mother just called me about this

hey I know what will work lets not make the guys carry there own gun into the building anymore lets just have one waiting for them...eye roll.

[slackmaster]

19. I had a chemistry teacher who kept a baseball bat by his desk

He'd brandish it in a humorous manner and hit a table with it to get our attention when we were unruly.

[dolo amber]

3. Another link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2546399&mesg_id=2546399

[Philosoraptor]

9. thanks dolo

[MrCoffee]

4. what a great idea...let's arm my bus driver too, just to be safe.

and the grocery store checkout person, and the movie theater ticket taker, and the mailman, and the guy who refils the vending machine, and and and.

[niyad]

5. several people on another board are saying the same thing,

that none of this would be happening if the teachers were armed.

[rurallib]

6. And then some parents will have their kids carry guns for

self-protection. Should make for a good learning atmosphere.
Teacher asks student to quiet down, brandishing a weapon for emphasis. Student then taken to principal's office at gunpoint.
I am sure the NRA would love it.

[KyndCulture]

7. sweet jesus.

that's stupid.

[spanone]

8. I just saw that on CNN. Rational thought is a thing of the past.

At a time when we ought to contemplate how to reduce gun violence, this moran gets nationwide coverage on an idea that wouldn't fly on Saturday Night Live. Fucking idiots.

on edit. why don't we just arm all the students. Then they can turn, blow the shit out of the perpetrator, and then go back to the ABC's.

[MrCoffee]

12. True, but SNL sucks these days

[Bozita]

10. Marksman to teach AP Chemistry and beginning band wanted

coming soon

[sakabatou]

11. I think a starter pistol is fine

Anything else is a bit much

[Rex]

13. Stupid people running things, bad idea.

That won't work, but when has a bad idea ever stopped them?

[Wilber_Stool]

14. SIT DOWN JONNY!!!

MOVE!!

[Philosoraptor]

15. as a mad gunman, I take Mrs. Fenwick out FIRST.

when she's writing on the blackboard

[slackmaster]

16. Having them NOT armed hasn't done a whole lot of good

:argh:

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. I am stunned that so few on this thread seem to

understand what the actual solution to school violence is. Yes, it can be stopped. No, it isn't that hard to solve this problem.

On edit - no, arming teachers is NOT the answer.

[slackmaster]

26. Please don't leave us hanging like that

What's the solution?

[proud2BlibKansan]

28. What is the one thing that would have prevented that man

in PA from killing those little girls? And the kids at Columbine could have been saved too.

MENTAL HEALTH CARE.

Teachers in CO knew that those 2 boys were troubled and had known that for years. But there is no system of affordable and accessible mental health care in this country, not even in an upper middle class neighborhood like Columbine. The man in PA was tormented by inner demons and also needed help. But where was he supposed to go?

Like so many other less serious problems facing schools today, this one could be solved with community resources that we don't have. If we believed in taking care of people and protecting kids in this country, we would have mental health programs in place. But under the rightwing 'every man for himself' style of govt we have, taking care of people is just not a priority.

[slackmaster]

34. Thanks, I'd really like to know what made the guy snap

And whether he gave some warning signs that got ignored.

I completely agree that better access to mental health care would reduce violent crime. My employer provides access to counseling and therapy as a benefit. Every American should be able to get help when they need it.

[Sinti]

17. I'm all for the Second Amendment (sans assault rifles), but holy smokes

I remember my teachers. A lot of them were very stressed out folks with no idea of how to keep young persons in line. I can see it now, teachers snapping like that spree of postal workers all over America. That's asking for a hell of a lot of trouble.

I wonder if anybody has considered that a great deal of the problem here is how little we seem to value life in America. The children have little value, the old have little to no value, the poor have no value, we throw away folks like disposable lighters - it's a form of social insanity. You could see children killing children stuff coming from a mile away back in Reagan's time.

[slackmaster]

18. Teachers with no idea of how to keep kids in line?

Sounds like people who shouldn't have been teaching.

I can see it now, teachers snapping like that spree of postal workers all over America.

Again, anyone who is actually close to becoming violent with students should find another career.

[Sinti]

20. I agree with you completely and often wondered why the hell these

people were teaching in the first place. I saw many of the same kind of teacher when my son was in school. I couldn't figure out why they would punish themselves like that, it's not like teachers make the bank, you know.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

21. As a teacher I don't know whether to laugh or cry

but then I wonder if I were wearing holster if I'd have better classroom control?

LOL

No way. I will never shoot a gun. If they want cops, they need to hire them.

[spin]

22. Pearl Mississippi shooting

An assistant principal stopped a student on a killing rampage with a gun he retrieved from his car. The incident happened in 1997 in Pearl Mississippi.

http://www.courttv.com/archive/trials/woodham/

I would be very hesitant to arm schoolteachers. If my teachers had been armed, I'm sure some of them would have an urge to shoot me. At the very least, I was a pain in the ass.

However, schools are targets because of the current no weapon policy. If you plant a sign in your front yard that says "GUN FREE ZONE", which house in your neighborhood will be the most likely to be robbed?

Well trained, competent individuals similar to air marshals could help solve this problem. Not every aircraft has air marshals on board, but the program seems to have decreased hijackings.

[slackmaster]

23. You're absolutely right that current policy makes schools targets

Especially the Amish one, where there wasn't even a phone with which to call 911.

I would be very hesitant to arm schoolteachers. If my teachers had been armed, I'm sure some of them would have an urge to shoot me. At the very least, I was a pain in the ass.

I understand your remark is facetious, but I have to take issue with the the misleading language that this is a proposal to "arm schoolteachers". Really the idea is to give to schoolteachers who are qualified and willing to take on the responsibility of being armed, to arm themselves at work.

[spin]

32. well trained school teachers

Some of my school teachers used to call many of my remarks facetious. At least when they were being polite.

The concept of arming qualified and willing schoolteachers sounds good, but in an environment of a school surrounded by children, they need to be VERY qualified. I've watched people on the range qualify for their concealed carry permit, security guards qualifying for their yearly license renewal, and police and federal officers practicing. Any teacher who wants to carry should at least go through the training a police officer does, both in firearms training and in hand to hand combat. Not to say that police are fantastic shooters, but on average they are better than most CCW permit holders and security guards. Also any teachers who want to carry in the school should have to pass a psychological test. We don't need to see teachers going "postal".

Two countries, Israel and Thailand, have allowed their teachers to be armed. This effort has helped to successfully prevent terrorist attacks.

http://www.nationalreview.com/kopel/kopel200409022215.asp

One advantage of having an armed individual inside a school under attack is that he will perceive himself and his students to be victims. His reaction will be far different from the police officers who arrive on the scene and view themselves as responders.

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. Thank god I don't teach in Wisconsin

and thank god I will be retiring soon.

I just knew this was coming. Last year, when the terrorists invaded that school in Russia, our administrators went into hyper security mode. We had drill after drill after drill. When anyone questioned this continual diversion from academics, we were told "Don't you think those teachers in Russia wish they were prepared for what happened at their school?"

Newsflash: those Russian terrorists had automatic weapons. Unless the teachers had weapons, there was nothing they could have done to prevent that tragedy. Not a thing.

And the day they make me tote a weapon into my classroom is the day I quit.

Another problem with this idea of arming teachers is that there is currently a federal law banning weapons from all public schools. Not that I would put ignoring this law past the current idiots in charge of our country, but it is a pesky fact a lot of people are not aware of.

[DaveJ]

27. Is he so stupid he doesn't remember metal detectors exist?

Correct me if I'm wrong but I am sure that the vast majority, if not all, the school shootings we know about happened in schools without metal detectors. If metal detectors don't work, then think up other insane ideas, but I can't imagine arming teachers before even trying a more normal and sane solution. This guy is nuts.

I do not like metal detectors but they are an unfortunate necessity in an unpredictable group of people. In addition to the obvious use, metal detectors also serve as a constant reminder to everyone to be vigilant.

[Coexist]

29. my first thought: some troubled teen

accessing his teacher's "concealed weapon".

Guns in the school mean children have access to weapons 8 hours every day. That scares me.

[Giant Robot]

30. Saw on "The View" earlier this week

and please don't yell at me for watching it. It hurts my head too but Mrs. Giant Robot watches it sometimes and I am in the room with her.

Anyway the RW one, Elizabeth was arguing a pro-gun position with Rosie. She speculated things would have been much different if the teachers were armed in the Amish school shootings. That made my head explode and a big mess for Mrs. Giant Robot to clean up. Yes Elizabeth it would have made a great difference. Then there would have been a lot of dead children who were caught in the cross fire as teachers and gunman shot it out at the OK Coral. Fucking twit.

[jazzjunkysue]

31. I'm a teacher. Sure, I want a loaded gun in my bottom desk drawer.

Now there's a wonderful idea.

"Teachers don't kill students; students who steal the teacher's gun kill students."

[proud2BlibKansan]

35. LOL

I smell a new bumper sticker.

[gatorboy]

33. Where's ED-209 when you need it? n/t

[aikoaiko]

36. if someone were shooting people at my school, I'd try to stop them

...and I gun would be useful for that purpose.

So yes, I'd like to be able to concealed carry my gun on campus. Am I the only one?