Will Teachers Be Allowed to Carry Guns in Schools?

[Dale]

Considering the facts of the shootings, how much difference, if any, do you think a teacher carrying a gun, that has never used it on a human and has no experience with something like like this would have made? And please state where the teacher(s) would have made this impact.

Patti Nielson had the presence of mind to run, get students to hide, dial 911, and hide behind the library counter herself. If she had a handgun, and had been properly trained in its use, I think that she could have saved all but 2 victims that day. There were other teachers that would have had opportunities later.

In any case, your argument which I was refuting was that an attack happens too fast for a teacher to get a gun. That is simply not the case.

 

[Dale]

This wouldn't solve the problem. They need to know what's causing the problem.

Instead of putting money into developing weapons if they use it for society development or children welfare programs, there wouldn't be any gun shootings.

I have no problem with doing this also. It is obviously even better to prevent an incident entirely than to stop it early.

 

[LowlyPion]

First of all remember it's Texas.

This is a part of the country where gun racks in pick up trucks usually carry a gun. Apparently it's not all that far from where The Last Picture Show was set. (Archer County is just next to Wilbarger County)

The fact that they set the policy and they have the notoriety of it being publicized, I'd think that right there is likely a deterrence even if no teacher ever has a gun at school.

Similarly I'd reckon it's a part of the country that if you were at a bar and you pulled a gun out and placed it on the bar you would find that it was not the only gun in the bar.

 

[drankin]

First of all remember it's Texas.

This is a part of the country where gun racks in pick up trucks usually carry a gun. Apparently it's not all that far from where The Last Picture Show was set. (Archer County is just a couple of smallish counties - by Texas standards anyway - away from Wilbarger County)

The fact that they set the policy and they have the notoriety of it being publicized, I'd think that right there is likely a deterrence even if no teacher ever has a gun at school.

Similarly I'd reckon it's a part of the country that if you were at a bar and you pulled a gun out and placed it on the bar you would find that it was not the only gun in the bar.

That's a bit stereotypical and could probably be said about a lot of states, particularly in the Pacific NW and Alaska.

 

[LowlyPion]

That's a bit stereotypical and could probably be said about a lot of states, particularly in the Pacific NW and Alaska.

I won't deny that.

 

[Dale]

First of all remember it's Texas.

This is a part of the country where gun racks in pick up trucks usually carry a gun. ...
Similarly I'd reckon it's a part of the country that if you were at a bar and you pulled a gun out and placed it on the bar you would find that it was not the only gun in the bar.

That's a bit stereotypical

Hmm, after supporting the armed-teachers idea would it exacerbate the stereotype for me to mention that I am from Texas?

 

[mgb_phys]

properly trained in its use

I'm just picturing a squad of tweed-clad little old lady kindergarten teachers jogging through a swam in georgia chanting "this is my weapon - this is my gun"

 

[cristo]

It appears that many people think that simply handing someone a gun, and giving them some lessons on how to use it will turn teachers into some type of superhero: it won't. There's then also the fact that the nutcase knows that the teacher is carrying a gun, so just shoots him/her first not wanting to let him/her have the opportunity of stopping the nutcase. The argument of the teacher "next door" stepping into do something about it I also find quite unrealistic: I'm willing to bet that the nutcase who has already killed half the room will shoot any nervous teacher who has never used his gun in a real life situation coming through a classroom door. Again, these are normal people, and are not trained to deal with such situations. Unless, of course, you put another prerequisite on teaching, that the person has police training for several years.

 

[Dale]

It appears that many people think that simply handing someone a gun, and giving them some lessons on how to use it will turn teachers into some type of superhero: it won't.

You are quite right, there is no guarantee that they will be able to stop the killer if they have a gun. They may not reach it in time, they may hesitate in the face of killing a person, they may miss. Their success is not guaranteed if they have a gun, but if they do not have a gun then their failure is guaranteed. At least with a gun and training there is a chance they could limit the tragedy.

 

[Gokul43201]

What about flashbangs? I think we could give teachers flashbangs instead.

 

[russ_watters]

Oh yea, the kids at my school would have loved to get ahold of a few of those! Woudla made football games a lot more fun (my high schoo team sucked).

 

[Chi Meson]

Y'know, I would just be satisfied if I were allowed to speak sharply to a student, in a manner that might be harmful to his self-esteem, without fearing lawsuit.

 

[Evo]

Y'know, I would just be satisfied if I were allowed to speak sharply to a student, in a manner that might be harmful to his self-esteem, without fearing lawsuit.

No, you may not tell the student the truth, but in some states you can draw a gun on them and shoot them claiming that you were certain you saw them holding a gun.

 

[Cyrus]

Y'know, I would just be satisfied if I were allowed to speak sharply to a student, in a manner that might be harmful to his self-esteem, without fearing lawsuit.

WHAT? You can't yell at students? Are you joking me...

 

[OAQfirst]

Why isn't anyone talking about preventing a school shooting? Why do students bring guns to school?

Is anyone going to address the underlying issues? Or does this mean we're conceding to violence and accepting it as the new normal life?

 

[LowlyPion]

There's then also the fact that the nutcase knows that the teacher is carrying a gun, so just shoots him/her first not wanting to let him/her have the opportunity of stopping the nutcase.

Are you presuming then that nutcases premeditate? Because surely Columbine style nuttery is difficult to guard against regardless of whether teachers have guns or no.

If you look at the passage of the order allowing handguns by teachers as a move that might permit armed personnel on the premises and disposition of such defensive weapons was not widely known, then the increase in uncertainty would certainly be a concern in any premeditation and hence a possible deterrence.

But that said I'd still think the risk is all with the School Board because of the potential for wrongful and foreseeable loss of life.

 

[WheelsRCool]

Are these teachers going to carry the guns in school, or would it be more just allowing them to HAVE guns in the school, but say locked in a safe or drawer or something, so that they can retreive the gun if necessary...? It will be interesting to see how this plays out.