Texas is acting on arming teachers:
Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is calling for state-funded, specialized firearms training for teachers and administrators to guard against school shootings.
Dewhurst suggested Friday that school districts would nominate who they want to carry weapons on campus under his plan. The training would be more extensive than what’s required for a Texas concealed handgun license and include how to react technically and emotionally in an active shooter situation.
Dewhurst says the state funding needed would depend on the number of participating districts and how many people want training. School districts wouldn’t be required to participate.
The key to this is to keep this information a strong secret, as knowledge of participation will put both the armed teachers, and the non-participating school systems at risk.
Ohio is looking at arming non-teaching personnel.
A rural school district in Ohio is drawing attention with its plans to arm a handful of its non-teaching employees with handguns this year — perhaps even janitors.
Officials say four employees in the Montpelier schools have agreed to take a weapons training course and carry their own guns inside the district’s one building.
Another person that comes to mind is the New Town principal, who rushed to her student’s aid, only to be shot down as well.
Frankly I see all this extra nonsense as being a good step, but overall I think the best (and cheapest) solution is to simply eliminate the gun free school zone, and prohibit school boards and unions from acting against teachers and other staff, as well as parents, visitors, and other people allowed to enter schools who are otherwise legally and responsibly carrying firearms.
Really the ONLY potential danger I see is some of the less-than-desirable behaviors of a small group of gun owners. Things like teachers carrying their gun off-body in a purse, fanny pack, or bag, and taking that item off while teaching, or tucking the gun in a locked (where it may not be accessible in the time of need) or unlocked desk drawer.
I’m not a fan of any of these things for anybody, but for a citizen at home they might get away with it, with the number of kids in a school, some of them behavior problems, enough of these safety oversights over a long enough timeline will spell disaster, and give a solid opening to re-instate the ban.
Otherwise it eliminates the #1 reason why we have school shootings. They’re hunting preserves for psychopaths. If there is even a chance of an unknown armed civilian on site, this will likely deter any criminal action, as we don’t see these shootings at non posted locations.
