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?
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
Thanks for visiting. Did you know Sissy Spacek started out as a singer? She was also on two episodes of The Waltons.
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.
I can't even believe it is being contemplated. Well, I can because we have idiots in government.