Posted on 12/27/2012 12:32:13 PM PST by Ron C.
Arizona's Attorney General has proposed a program to train one person at each school in the state to use a firearm in an effort to minimize the risk of a repetition of the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.
Tom Horne introduced a proposal Wednesday that would allow a school principal or designated staff member to have access to a secured firearm on school grounds and receive training in the use of firearms and emergency management.
The attorney general said in a press release that at least three Arizona sheriffs have endorsed the proposal and other sheriffs are considering participating in the program.
Horne said the state's budget constraints resulted in the legislature reducing funding for school resource officers assigned to schools throughout the state. The ideal situation, he said, would be to have an armed officer in each school.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
From the article, it appears that only Utah has it right... arm school teachers, and any other school employee that wants to be able to defend themselves and their students.
Last paragraph of the article:
Currently, only Utah and Kansas allow people with concealed weapons permits to carry guns in schools. In the wake of the Connecticut shootings, more than 200 teachers in Utah signed up for free concealed-weapons training being offered Thursday by the Utah Shooting Sports Council.
I agree RonC. The emphasis should be on ‘those who want to carry’. Some folks aren’t up to it, and I think we should allow for that.
IMO, if even five to ten teachers sign on to carry per school, a warning at the front door goes a hell of a long way. And what’s more, I wouldn’t need compensation to get me to do this. I would think of it as my duty.
“Our staff is armed, trained, and determined to use lethal force in defense of our students!”
“If you walk into our school armed with intent to cause harm or mayhem, you will not walk out, and we will possess your gun when you are scraped up and carried off.”
Makes perfect sense. If they have no problem arming commercial pilots to protect the plane, they should be greatful to those willing to be armed to protect the school.
I disagree as well. Call forth the militia! There are thousands of veterans trained to arms and regulated to the degree they could be called upon today. Thousands of retired veterans of foreign wars with a strong desire to contribute by volunteering their time to the continued well being of their nation and its’ people. Retired police officers who would be more than willing to play a active role in securing all manner of facilities. There only remains the effort necessary to establish the watch lists and remove the bureaucrats and liberals from barring the way.
But this effort on the Attorney General’s part is as ‘a foot in the door’ to begin the dialogue and in that respect I agree with him.
There are a lot of unhinged teachers at the local high schools. I am not sure I would want some of them armed. Really. But I am ok with there being armed personnel as long as they have a thorough background check including psychological screening.
I agree, as long as they are trained not to get into a cross-fire themselves.
IMHO trained School Marshalls or special Sheriff deputies are the only answer...
Agree with that! Those who want to will be willing to spend time perfecting their skills with a gun.
Several of my teachers 'carried' and two taught marksmanship at the local gun range - both of those guys were VERY good.
Sounds good to me.
I would even include long term members of a community, that were agreeable to take the courses to qualify for conceal carry.
This being said, I do think the folks making up the conceal carry team on a given school property, should meet regularly, and be able to vet their members.
For the most part I doubt there would be a problem, but there always seems to be that one person out there who is a social misfit and can’t get along with anyone. There would need to be a mechanism to get that person off the team.
Where I live all of the High Schools have a deputy sherriff assigned to them, and some of the Middle schools do.
They were assigned there to deaL with unruly students and protact the teachers really, but they are there.
I appreciate where you are coming from, but I’d like to keep this from adding more paid staff positions that could form a union and become a major pain in the ass. I also don’t want to see our education system burdened further by top salaries for positions that can easily be filled by volunteers.
A self vetting association of volunteers would fill the bill nicely IMO.
Sound great RonC. That’s exactly what I’d like to see this turn out to be.
Yes - and I think stewards / stewardess should all be allowed to concealed-carry (again, if they want to.)
Armed pilots aren't much of a deterrent, as they're locked up in the front of the plane now-days. But, I'd feel a lot safer on a plane if there was a 'armed guards present' sign posted.
Okay, I have no problem with that. What I would say is that this person could be the go to guy, when setting up a concealed carry team for the school campus.
Working in close association with a volunteer force, this guy could keep tabs on things in a manner that would serve the school well.
He could train them, verse them in what methods to use, and how to alert the crew when there is an incident in progress.
The best - "remove the bureaucrats and liberals from barring the way."
The only way to fight creeps with guns is with lots of guns arrayed against them - handled by trained sharpshooters.
Several of my grade-school teachers WERE just that - they all practiced at the local range, and the local paper covered that fact rather frequently. But - that was back in 1947.
I know of many fellow teachers who would prefer to be armed.
Thinking back on my HS days (1970-73), I can remember one Biology teacher that certainly fit that description. He was one of my customers on my paper route, too -- hated going to collect there. He'd probably qualify for the Asperger's label today.
Yes, its a step in the right direction. I just hope it pays off with much more down the road in schools in every city, town, etc.
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