Posted on 03/25/2005 4:32:35 PM PST by Crackingham
All options should be considered to prevent rampages like the Minnesota school shooting that took 10 lives -- including making guns available to teachers, a top National Rifle Association leader said Friday.
"I'm not saying that that means every teacher should have a gun or not, but what I am saying is we need to look at all the options at what will truly protect the students," the NRA's first vice president, Sandra S. Froman, told The Associated Press.
Gun-control restrictions would not have prevented Jeff Weise, 16, from killing nine people and himself Monday at Red Lake High School near Bemidji, Minn., said Froman, an attorney expected next month to be elected president of the NRA, which claims 4 million members.
The presence of an unarmed guard at the school failed to stop the siege, she noted.
"No gun law, no policy that you could implement now or that was already implemented, I think, could possibly prevent someone so intent on destruction," she said. "I think everything's on the table as far as looking at what we need to do to make our schools safe for our students."
Froman said if it is the responsibility of teachers to protect students in a school, "then we as a society, we as a community have to provide a way for the teachers to do that."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
We've needed a better education system since the 70's.
How's that working out?
Not as stupid as having a huge "GUN-FREE SCHOOL ZONE" sign in front of every school. Put up a sign in front of your home that says "GUN-FREE HOME, YOU'RE WELCOME TO ROB."
Federal legislation. Teachers with the following background qualifiers: Ex-military (combat arms or combat support branches); LEO experience; NRA Instructors or IDPA competitors rated Marksman or above shall be eligible for voluntary appointment as school site federal officers and have access to firearms that may be transported between home to school, and back. While at school, they may be secured in a special locker in the classroom or on the teacher's person as according to personal preference.
Semiannual qualifications shall be held by state level DHS featuring scenario based problem solving situations that may be encountered in a school setting. Include building clearing tactics and empty handed combatives, as well as conflict resolution skills.
Further, provide civil liability shields in the event of a justifiable shooting at the school site. Designate funding for this program to be provided as a wartime expense from the DHS budget.
IT'S
ABOUT
TIME!!
End of analysis.
I've been a high school teacher for sixteen years. The last eight in the inner city. I have never had a problem of any sort. I have total control inside my classroom. I have thug students who have already offered to beat the crap outta any other student who dares mouth off to me at any time. I'll never need their services and they know it.
The teachers who get assaulted are the whining, handwringing, liberal sheeple who are all touchy feely about their profession. I treat my students exactly as I treated my troops while I was on active duty. With respect, but firmly. In return I get respect and I get real effort to accomplish the tasks I set before those kids.
"Right now they're just a huge target. Huge.. I'm amazing more atrocities haven't happened.. yet."
They are just sitting ducks right now. I'm afraid the next Islamic attack will be on our schools, like in Beslan, Russia.
Sounds like my school too. I managed to get a lot of respect from being a coach. Football, soccer, and the weight events in track. There was usually some angle I could work. But our school is in the SF Bay Area and you know how CA is about guns.
But we did have armed security one of the High Holy days where there had been a shooting down in a Jewish day care in LA. One of the congregants told my wife how happy the armed guards made him feel, she told him she would rather be packing herself, that was a short conversation.
LOL! About ten years ago, I was teaching at a middle school and in the teachers lunchroom some idiot liberal asked me in front of a roomfull of teachers (libs all) if I was a member of a militia? I replied NO, but not for the reason you think. It's not because I disagree with their beliefs, it's just that there's nothing new I can learn from them... I never heard a room go so quiet so fast.
You're wrong. I've done it many times. I'm an NRA Instructor. I take them to the range, give a class and nurture their new skills. Nearly all convert to pro-gun. They may still be liberal, but they suddenly believe in self defense, once it is actually shown to them that it is possible to defend one's self and family.
I disagree. That depends on a lot of factors, chief among them being the surprise and accuracy of the defenders as well as their tactical skills. In any case, I'll take a fighting chance over sheep to the slaughter.
It's like anything. Defend against one thing, they'll do something else. In any event, the type of training necessary, reflex shooting, etc., would prove too expensive and impractical for most schools. Not to mention the insurance nightmare armed teachers would entail. A cheaper solution would be to hire and train cops to guard the schools. They could also serve double-duty in terms of drug enforcement.
About 25% of my kids do. Thank god they can't shoot for SH**. How do I know? I ask them to demonstrate empty handed their shooting technique. 100% of them hold the "gun" sideways, gangsta style. It's not as easy as you'd think from watching movies or tv. I've had novice students miss a man sized paper target at a distance of five feet completely. It takes formal instruction and range time with an instructor.
I just took a New York liberal, a feminist FORMER gun hater from never laying eyes or hands on any firearm and took her from .22 LR to .45ACP and four inch groups at 30 feet in just three range sessions. Now she's a fanatic.
...another thing. Few schools (or homes for that matter) have any kind of emergency plan in place. And these can be downloaded free. One of the best ones available is from the Rand Corporation 100% free.
lol, you got 'em.
If you read my proposal for legislation above, you'd see that the folks I would cover in that law would already have those skills. Believe it or not, there is a large pool of candidates already in place. Legislation could cover insurance troubles. Make it a WOT issue. There have already been AQ memos seized naming specific schools that could be struck by terrorists.
Cheaper solution? That's already in place. Armed teachers would be a backup that is a vital layer of defense. Like insurance. You pray you never need it...but one day....
The only part of your proposal I like is the idea of hiring former military as teachers, but not for the reason you stated.
Emergency Plans? LOL That's EASY. I used to write those for a living as an assistant Plans and Ops Officer for a Division G4 section. I'll take one of my R-SOP's over anything the friggin' RAND CORPORATION can produce for a public school.
When I was an army infantry captain, we used to refer to the Pentagon as the puzzle palace or eschelons above reality and the same can be said for the pencil pushers at Rand.
This is actually being done and the program has been in place for a couple of years. Mostly, I understand, it's been a success.
Apparently it isn't so easy for a lot of people. I've asked several people if their kids' school had an emergency plan (remember this is in NYC) and they said they either didn't know or probably not.
The Rand plan is good because it offers basics, like what floor of a building to go to in case of a bio or chem attack. What you are likely to see in the event of such an attack. Etc. etc.
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