Posted on 10/05/2006 8:10:28 AM PDT by george76
In the wake of school shootings in Wisconsin, Colorado and Pennsylvania during the last two weeks, a Wisconsin state legislator said he plans to introduce legislation that would allow teachers, principals, administrators and other school personnel to carry concealed weapons.
Rep. Frank Lasee, R-Bellevue, said Wednesday that, while his idea may not be politically correct, it has worked effectively in other countries.
"To make our schools safe for our students to learn, all options should be on the table," he said.
"Israel and Thailand have well-trained teachers carrying weapons and keeping their children safe from harm. It can work in Wisconsin."
Lasee stressed that the measure would hinge on school staff members getting strict training on the use of the weapons.
(Excerpt) Read more at thedenverchannel.com ...
As we all know, one of the reasons for allowing a CCW is to confuse the perps.
If there is only one uniformed officer, then the perp knows who to hit first.
If there is even the remote possibility that there maybe other armed and trained good guys around, the perp may look for an easier target.
Plus multiple buildings with multiple entrances can not be covered by one person.
#161. Could setting up a security a security system at our schools similar to our airports help?
Yes 51% No 49% This is within the margin of error of +/- 4 points. So, it's a wash.
Having worked in public education for the past 11 years, my opinion is a resounding NO.
If there is a need for someone with a weapon to be on a school campus, then we need to have people trained in Law Enforcement to provide that. There are way too many teachers who engage in questionable behavior to be even considering arming teachers.
You raise good points.
It is sad that we even have to have this discussion.
Losing school kids and teachers to perps is terrible.
There is no instantaneous solution... IMHO.
Weapons and drugs make it past guards and past many different security procedures in prisons. So we can not make schools totally safe either.
With the explosion of attacks upon our children, teachers, and other staff...we need to look at every option.
I am the last person who wants Ward Churchill or his friends to have access to guns or bombs. Ward did teach bomb making, too !
Any solution will not be a permanent fix. At best, we can try to slow the bad guys down a little.
It doesn't matter where it's happening.
Try to see it from my perspective: I'm a homeschool parent, so I already view "public school" as unnecessary. Yet, I'm paying thousands of dollars every year in school taxes alone, just for other children in our town to attend public school.
I live in the suburbs, too. In our small town, high school students were caught making bomb threats, and every now and then, the middle school is put on "lockdown" so the police can search for drugs.
So, from my perspective, the schools are already run like prisons. In fact, the schools here are so much like prisons that, once in awhile, when my children are misbehaving, I threaten to send them there. ;-)
Now, consider all the horrible tragedies taking place. Schools are big targets filled with vulnerable young children. If things have gotten so bad that teachers have to be armed to protect the students, those places need to be shut down.
Close every single public school in the country, and I'll be happy. :-)
Sure. Better doors and locks would be very helpful.
Security could be improved in lots of ways.
In Baily, Colorado, the architects learned from Columbine on how to better design the whole building. This apparently helped contain the perp and allowed the good guys to get closer without being seen by the perp.
The next issue would be the cost.
Totally agree. Open to any and all sensible and possible solutions, noting unfortunately there is no 100% cure, but noting again, all of us have to give good ideas toward solving the problem.
Very Best FReegards,
Always,
Defender2
No budget for armed security guards? Maybe if teacher unions stopped demanding ever higher salaries and privileges as a reward for ever declining scores there would be enough money and probably not so much aggression!
Nothing personal...I teach too!
Get rid of unions. Stop protecting the incompetents at the expense of the excellent. Stop promoting secular humanism values free education. The kids will respect education more.
#166. Yes, as soon as thought of it, the cost question popped in my head as well. Another vexing question.
Best FReegards,
Defender2
Thanks.
This is a tough topic for us all.
No one wants more deaths in our schools.
I really do not want Ward Churchill or his friends having guns on campus ( or anywhere else ).
Where do you teach? I teach in Montana and believe me money is not going to teacher salaries and the unions out here are VERY weak. Most base salaries are 18,000 to 22,000 dollars. A person cannot raise a family on a teacher's salary out here. (I do agree with you on unions, by the way) FYI I have also taught in Michigan and Florida so I am able to make some comparisons.
#168. eleni121, you make good points as well,
george76, for all looking at this thread, the more positive inputs and suggestions working towards positive solutions to this problem , the better. Ladies and Gentleman we need your input!!!!
Defender2
A friend of mine retired a year and a half ago as a Vice principal of a large middle school here in S.E. Michigan. Unknown to the administrators, he and several of the faculty members WERE carrying concealed.
He said for all intents and purposes, he was the school's enforcer and go between between the parents of the thugs and the school. He was also the assistant coach of the high school's football team for many, many years
Imagine the violence that would be wrought on helpless kids by parents already psychologically stresed to the breaking point by their jobs and life in general! Most parents see school as daycare anyway. Now remove that barrier of relief from kids who drive them nuts in the first place. It would be infanticide on a massive scale.
Being a teacher these trying days, since unfortunately, a majority of parents neglect to teach their children right from wrong turning schools into zoos, my hat's off to you for trying to educate them.
Very Best Freegards, always,
Defender2
"I just get my hackles up when people lump teachers all in the same pile. "
Glad to see you're not the only one that thinks this way.
That's because most of them (but not all and none who are freepers or freepers spouses) are gun hating liberals who think the UN should be in charge of our guns and freedoms.
Witness this. I just got this in my teacher mailbox today. To wit:
The Division of Social Sciences is offering a workshop to train teachers on how to prepare students for a model United Nations Conference. Instruction on emphasizing global issues will be practiced. This is done in cooperation with Global Classrooms, an affiliate of the United Nations Association of the United States of America.
We ex-soldiers and old ex-soldiers need to resist anything the UN wants to do for the USA.
Hey...I was married to a teacher and he is now an administrator.I'm considering getting certified myself.
I know not all teachers alike, but I still look around and think to myself...should all these folks be packin' heat?
And without hesitation my answer is still "no".
I would never advocate homeschooling for everyone. I'd simply prefer to see all education sold on the private market. So, schools would still be an option; no doubt, there would be an even greater variety of them. They just wouldn't be run by the state.
Of course, that wouldn't solve the problem of these monsters targeting any place where children are. And I understand the importance of self-protection. I just always wonder at the idea that schools are so necessary for children to learn, that even in a climate of rampant violence, we have to continue to send them there.
Eons ago, I went to the type of high school where the teachers were afraid of the students. A lot of the students were afraid of each other, too. Eventually, it did become like a prison. There were so many drugs passed around outside, that the whole school was banned from going outside at any time during the schoolday, even lunchtime. There were (unarmed) security guards there, and one used to participate in the drug activity with the students.
With all the fear and conflict, it was not the best learning environment. I can't even begin to imagine what it's like today in school. The violence seems to be escalating, and I wonder how much longer parents will put up with it all.
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