schools, teachers and guns

According to UPI, a Michigan lawmaker has proposed arming teachers with handguns so they can defend their students against attack by students or terrorists.

Here's a link to the story if you want to read more.

Apparently Representative David Agema (R), said that he believes the measure would save lives. The measure has gained the support of 15 other House members which I find more than a little scary. Fortunately school officials said they are horrified by the suggestion that carrying a weapon is necessary to work with children but I suspect the bill will go forward anyway. We live in strange times, very strange times.

Agema’s bill would not require teachers to carry a handgun, but it would give school administrators the option of allowing employees to carry a concealed weapon. My concern is that how do you know these teachers are stable? Everyone has bad days and I've had more than a few teachers that were, quite frankly, off their rockers. I'd not want a gun in the hands of a good many of the teachers I've dealt with. And even if the teacher(s) in question are fine--how sure can you be that no students will be able to get a hold of the gun? If the guns are quite secure--in firearm safes, for example--then how much good would they do against violent attacks?

The whole thing reeks of political grandstanding to me. What do y'all think?

Comments

SassyAssy said…
Thankfully, I have no children in school...but this sure makes me worry about my nieces!
What a frighteningly terrible idea! We certainly do live in strange strange times...! Guns for teachers! Sounds absolutely crazy to me.
I remember getting ready for a school play in a classroom behind the auditorium, and peeking in the drawer of one of the teachers. I was shocked to see a huge knife, which had obviously (based on the frosting stains) been used to cut a cake. I was like, "A kid gets a hold of this, they could really hurt people." And so, yeah, I don't think we need guns in teachers' drawers.

Thanks for visiting. Did you know Sissy Spacek started out as a singer? She was also on two episodes of The Waltons.
Unknown said…
Someone was recently marketing a bookbag containing kevlar, that could be used as protection from armed teachers as well as crazed gunpersons.
Anonymous said…
This is an absolutely terrible idea, and I agree that we are living in strange times!

The only people who should have guns to defend against the criminals with guns are the police! I'm tired of the argument that police take time to respond and more victims can get killed. I don't like this any more than anyone else, but we've got to be willing to accept this if we are to call ourselves civilized. Shooting back, even in defense of self or others, is not civilized, I don't care who says otherwise.

Also, doesn't anyone think about the trauma to a child if they were to witness their teacher shooting someone, even if it's someone trying to kill them??? Students would be mentally scarred for life, and mental scars are far worse than any physical scars a bad person could inflict. Physical scars heal; mental ones don't!

The only other major thing I don't like about this is that it would make a teacher judge, jury, and executioner. Someone shooting at them or their kids is a very terrible situation, I agree, but how do they know the person isn't in their right mind and not responsible for their actions? I'm not excusing anyone, but we must have compassion for the mentally ill. That's another hallmark of a civilized society.

I'm sorry, but no! . . . No matter how noble gun nuts try to make it out to be, an armed teacher stopping an active shooter just has too many problems I can think of.
rosemary said…
My son is a teacher in a very poor district in Calif. He has had his car vandalized, money stolen from his locked desk and been called some pretty bad names. I doubt my son would ever think of carrying a gun to school.
Anonymous said…
the idea is absurd!!!!!!! I have 3 kids in school. No way in hell I want a teacher having a gun in their classroom..Teachers are not immune to mental problems or other issues. Teachers abuse kids all the time. We dont like to think it but teachers are predators too.. Sad but true. And 30 kids in a classroom with 1 adult.. A bunch of kids can over power an adult.. Its not a good idea.. Its dangerous on many levels.. How about beefing up security first!
Stella Dean said…
Wow. This scares me. While I think being a teacher these days is a scary and dangerous career choice, I do not think guns in class is the answer. Can't we all just get along?
Smug said…
Makes me think that the whole home schooling thing might actually BE the better option!
Anonymous said…
Oh.My.God. if that happened where I live I would pull my kids out of school.

I can't even believe it is being contemplated. Well, I can because we have idiots in government.
Into the Light said…
I'm not a gun person. I don't want one and don't want to be around them. But having grown up in what once was considered a rural area, gun possession was common and most people knew how and when to use them. However, that's not the case nowadays. Weapons in a place you expect to be safe is never a good thing IMO. I'm with Nancy... my kids wouldn't be enrolled -- I wouldn't consider it a "safer" alternative.

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