Posted on 02/08/2002 2:19:06 AM PST by dhuffman@awod.com
Proposals in the General Assembly to allow people with concealed weapons permits to carry their hidden guns into schools are alarming educators across South Carolina.
"Parents will be outraged to learn the General Assembly would consider making it public policy to have concealed weapons in places where we believe school children are the safest," said Robert Scarborough, executive director of the S.C. Association of School Administrators.
But some lawmakers say allowing qualified, armed citizens to take guns to schools -- which are now "gun-free" zones -- gives extra protection to children.
"Criminals should have to worry whether a citizen with a concealed weapons permit is armed and prepared to defend themselves," said Sen. Andre Bauer, a Republican who represents Newberry County and parts of Lexington County. He is a key bill sponsor and a candidate for lieutenant governor.
Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Richland, was aghast at the idea of armed citizens staging gun battles in state schools.
"The bills' supporters are playing on macho fantasies," Jackson said.
Currently, about 35,000 South Carolinians have permits to carry hidden guns. To get permission to carry a concealed gun, citizens must take a state-approved firearms course and undergo a criminal records check.
However, state law prevents licensed concealed weapons holders from carrying their hidden guns into schools.
Bauer's Senate bill, and a House version by Rep. Jake Knotts, R-Lexington, would allow guns in far more places than schools. (Both Knotts and Bauer are authorized to carry concealed weapons.)
Neither bill has reached the floor of its respective chamber and their prospects are mixed.
The proposals would also allow qualified citizens to carry hidden guns into such places as churches, interstate rest area restrooms, college campuses and state parks.
The Senate version would grant concealed weapons permit holders more freedom than the House bill.
The Senate bill, for example, would allow concealed weapons permit holders to take guns into school buildings and classrooms.
But the House bill would only allow citizens to have concealed guns in school parking lots and driveways, Knotts said.
"We don't want people walking around schoolyards with guns," Knotts said.
Bauer said an armed citizen might be able to stop a criminal who is endangering children at a school.
The House bill -- which has 40 supporters besides Knotts --contains other limitations on gun carriers.
For example, Knotts said his House bill requires a church's leadership to give written permission before a person can carry a hidden gun in church.
Knotts said he doesn't envision churches full of armed worshippers; he only wants church members to feel secure when they do things like pick up church money to deposit it in the bank.
"If you need to carry a weapon into church, you need to go to another church," Knotts said.
Jackson, a minister, said he can't imagine church leaders wanting their members to go armed.
"The leaders of my church aren't asking for people to carry concealed weapons," Jackson said.
In any case, Bauer said, qualified citizens ought to be able to carry concealed weapons at such places as interstate rest areas and remote campgrounds, Bauer said.
"These are places where citizens are susceptible to violence."
Knotts and Bauer also said the state's 35,000 concealed weapons permit holders shouldn't have to worry about being arrested if they carry their guns into many public places where they are now banned from taking them.
"These people have demonstrated they are responsible. They are not the kind of people we have to worry about," said Bauer.
Knotts said, "We don't want to make these people criminals."
Jim Foster, spokesman for the S.C. Department of Education, said the state's 1,100 public schools are "gun-free zones" with "zero tolerance" for weapons.
"It's difficult to see how softening that position would make our schools safer," Foster said.
University of South Carolina spokesman Russ McKinney said USC is against the bills.
"We're charged with providing safety to faculty, students and staff and having weapons on campus we aren't aware of doesn't make a whole lot of sense," McKinney said.
Knotts said, "A law abiding citizen ought to be able to protect himself."
As to "educators" being stunned, considering the sorry state of education in SC, "Well, duuuh!"
The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense.
What a moron...
American public schools are UNSAFE, on multiple levels, both for the bodies and the minds of those children unfortunate enough to find themselves attending them.
As opposed to hysterical fantasies of flying guns shooting people?
yeah being outta high school for a year now i can testify to that it was more money for security than education the only thing teachers care about is there paychecks they dont care if there kids are learning or even listening and the kids who ask for help (i was one of those) would rarely ever get it but im not gonna use up FR bandwith to tell my life story.
It's never too late to learn the things you need to know to function at a high level. All that's needed is a bit of desire and initiative on your part.
Good luck.
Everyone knows the only people who should have guns on school property are insane killers and over-medicated children.
Arming responsible adults is a step in the wrong direction.
Since when is any newspaper or democrat for gun rights? It's always the same story. There's a repub fighting for Second Amendment rights and some dem fighting against it, just like in this article.
Bingo!
It's not the permit holders that you need to worry about. A criminal isn't going to go to the expense and trouble of getting a permit. They're just going to get a gun, go to school and start shooting. When that happens, I want someone there who's able to shoot back.
Well, of course. It's much more orderly if bullets are only flying in one direction. < /sarcasm >
"It's difficult to see how softening that position would make our schools safer," Foster said.
Because all the best shootings take place in gun-free zones...
Arming responsible adults is a step in the wrong direction.
LMAO...
Is it "difficult" for you, Mr. Foster? Here, I'll make it easier.
The bad people HAVE guns. Give some of the GOOD PEOPLE guns.
I'm curious. What's the name of your association? They should have their reports out all ready for the primaries.
"...hidden..." "...outraged..." - more libero-Nazi buzz words
"...aghast at the idea of armed citizens staging gun battles in STATE schools." Where did the moron come up with this scenario; gun battles in private schools would be OK, I suppose.
"...bill requires a church's leadership to give written permission before a person can carry a hidden gun in church." - What about the vaunted, and totally non-existent, Constitutional separation of church and state?
prambo
It also helps to join a gun club that's affiliated with the associations.
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