Guns in Schools

Well, since they don't need to teach evolution, science or sex ed in Arkansas, the teachers can use the time they would otherwise spend on these frivolous topics getting trained in gun safety.

Nothing could get me to pull my son out of public school faster than putting guns in them. Makes a great argument for Quaker education.

Teachers are not trained for highly stressful situations like random school shootings. Just because they have learned how to load and shoot a gun, doesn't mean they are capable of handling that responsibility. And if I were a teacher, I would not want that responsibility. Just teach me how to hide and put bullet-proof glass in the windows!

Foe those who think this is a good idea, please keep that sentiment when a student accidentally gets shot by a teacher or peer. If teachers can't watch EVERYTHING EVERY child is doing at EVERY moment, the potential is there.

Would it be wrong to start taking bets on how long this lasts before an accidental shooting happens within that school because of the teachers carrying guns? I'm going to bet within the first year.

God bless America. Only here would we give some of our most stressed out and frustrated workers permission to carry concealed weapons to work, nto rooms full of children and teenagers, whom are also stressed out and frustrated, AND hormonal.
I swear this nation is like a tween, I love it to death but it's youth and ignorance makes me f-ing crazy sometimes.

To me, that is terrifying.

I have tried to see this from all perspectives, and feel that letting our fear guide us into poorly considered policy is a mistake.

I would actually pull my son out of school if his teacher was carrying. When schools declare they are armed, well, now any nut job knows where to go get a gun. My husband (former Army counter-intelligence officer and a gun owner; I am former military myself and have handled weapons) suggested that very concern to me when we discussed this months ago.

Also consider that teachers are likely not going to be wearing the weapon, and likely also not locking it up, which means being distracted for even a few moments might give a student access to shooting their classmates.

Seriously bad idea.

To the poster who insinuated that moms who were against this were stupid hippies and then ended with "Peace Out". Um... really? Insulting people isn't thoughtful or peaceful and people are not thickheaded for not agreeing with you. This seems to be the biggest problem we have as a country-- a lack of objectivity or respectful discourse on hard topics.

So insanely NO! Absolutely NOT!
This is not a good idea. This is a dangerous and stupid idea.
Remind me not to move to Arkansas.
Seriously.
People have lost grasp of reality and sanity.

I can think of few decisions that are more stupid, short sighted, and reactionary. I would be pulling my kids out of that school district immediately if I lived there.

Schools need to be safer places than they are now, but arming teachers is not the right way to do it. It's only a matter of time before some pissed off 17 year old grabs a teacher's gun and threatens the teacher, or his ex-girlfriend, or the whole class.

My husband has a concealed gun permit. Heck he works at the Police dept. You know how may Police leave their guns in the restrooms? How many of them Lock them in their desks for different reasons? All it takes is 1 time of bad judgement.
Humans are humans. They do stupid things, especially with guns..

I do not think this is a good idea. Can you imagine if a child/student were to get their hands on a gun and shoot themselves or someone on accident?

Teachers have locked cabinets in our schools, but we never know what may happen when you have hundreds or thousands of kids in these buildings.

I also promise.. People are going to know who has a gun and who does not. There are no secrets in school buildings. Ask any custodian. They know and hear EVERYTHING..

What kind of insurance is this school district going to need for liability? Who is going to pay these premiums? The city, the state? Is this money coming out of the money earmarked for schools or public safety? Are the people with guns going to be bonded or will they also need extra insurance for their liability?

How well do we know these people that will be packing?

It is going to be a mess..

Hate it. Sorry, I don't want anyone that hasn't gone through police training on school grounds with a gun. More opportunities for problems vs. any potential benefit.

ETA: In our area, they held a district-wide parental meeting on school safety after Newtown. A parent brought this up and the police chief and department went through every potential problem that this could cause and how they were 100% against it. This is coming from our local PD.

terrific!!!!
because ALL teachers are ace shots, and have terrific judgment!
naturally EVERYONE with a gun permit has lightning fast reflexes, unerring aim, and cool, clint eastwood judgment in emergency situations.
and of course, there's zero chance of any child getting their hands on a gun, just because there are dozens of them available.
gawd bless 'murka!
khairete
S.

The same folks who love this idea are the ones who will complain loudest and longest when their taxes go up to pay for the huge liability insurance that schools surely will need once teachers are armed. And they'll rage when their taxes pay for the settlement or court payout once a kid or adult is hurt or killed because of an accident with a gun in school.

Yep, I can't wait until that hypocrisy gets started.

And the fact that teachers might have guns on them will do nothing -- nothing -- to deter another Newtown or Columbine. People who do these types of crimes simply do not care if they die themselves. The possibility of facing down an armed teacher or administrator in fact will probably just give extra relish to that type of sick person. Why can't those who support arming teachers see that it will not have any deterrent effect?

I know plenty of teachers. No way in HELL would I want most of them to carry a gun in school. No.Freaking.Way. How much training do these people get? Using a gun for range shooting is different then in a mess of people. Are they only required to meet the standard requirements. Can you say dangerous?

Guns don't belong in schools. Whether it's a planned attack, or carried on teachers. They have no place. School shootings will happen, unfortunately. I am willing to be plenty of money, that school injuries and deaths by gun will go way up...if they allow this across the board.

ETA: I live in Texas, I'm very educated on what a concealed weapon is. The problem with that, I have NEVER met a single person who keeps their weapon always concealed. These kids will know 100% of the time, who has guns and who doesn't.

I guess Back to School sales will include hand guns now.

I've got too much on my mind during the day to think about how safe my gun is while I teach in the classroom.

Morale of teachers is very low after a general attack by the public, the governors and American society. Put a gun in their hands? Crazy.

No other profession is asked to bleed for the customer like teaching. Did I say bleed? Only a slight pun.

More guns, more deaths.

Only in Arkansas. And probably soon coming to Texas. It's a crazy idea, of course, but the gun-crazy states do a lot of things I wouldn't live with.

I would pull my kid out as fast as I could. I don't want her around guns.

If I found out that teachers were allowed concealed carry in our schools, it would go a very long way for me to be convince to homeschool.

Teachers should teach. If they want to have guns, their guns should be at home.

Even police officers who are trained to professionally carry and use weapon as part of their jobs make mistakes and innocent people die. There is no way I would trust a teacher - whose job is to teach - to be as well trained as police (who can still make mistakes).

Terrible idea. Why do we need to throw more guns at this problem. I would not send my child there. Would rather homeschool if I was so afraid that my child's school would be under attack someday.

ETA: We are not a bunch of uneducated buffoons...we get what "concealed" means and I resent the fact that you ask for our opinions and then disregard them? You have no clue....and you being from Texas...I get it. I live in Florida and everyone is gun happy here, just not me. I can't imagine my son's teacher from two years ago carrying a weapon, he was a screaming lunatic with the kids...Oy Vey....very scary indeed.

Oh YAY!!! I can't wait to hear the first news story about a teacher shooting their high school student who appeared to be threatening or, better yet, one about an elementary school student shooting themselves or another student while curiously inspecting their teacher's unattended gun. I mean accidents happen right? It's all in the name of safety. How "awesome!"

Sounds like people who love the idea of carrying guns should become teachers. Most teachers I know personally don't have this kind of personality and don't want to be responsible for a gun at all. Does this mean that they shouldn't teach anymore? The idea that in order to be a teacher you have to be willing to carry a gun, be paid a teacher's salary, have the stress of teaching 30 plus kids in a classroom, and all of the stress that comes along with it is a BAD combination for SOME people to also be carrying a weapon.

Perhaps if we see something terrible happen because of this, that does NOT include "saving" anyone, people will stop thinking this is an awesome idea.

If this ever comes a reality in our schools my girls will no longer be going to school! I would have to learn how to home school them. I feel this is very dangerous!

i think its a great idea.
found this a little interesting...
We defend our President--with guns
We defend our Congressman--with guns
We defend our Governors--with guns
We defend our Celebrities--with guns
We defend our Sporting Events--with guns
We defend our Jewelry Stores--with guns
We defend our Banks--with guns
We defend our Office Buildings--with guns
We defend our Factories--with guns
We defend our Courts--with gun
We defend out children----------with a sign that reads: "THIS IS A GUN FREE ZONE." .......and then call somebody with a gun if there's an emergency.

That is. It's. if there is an incident, cops,come in and see this man/woman with a gun it will be over quickly and chances are the teacher will not be standing. How would the cops know that was ateacher with a permit. God help us all!

Wow, is this a desperate times requires desperate measure sort of knee jerk reaction? Does Arkansas really think that this approach would protect children?

Teachers are not saints, nor demi-Gods, few are ex-SWAT members, and ex-military. They are basic, humans with all the same faults and stresses on their lives that all of us humans struggle with. As a matter of fact, most teachers are anti-gun and anti-violence. They are, in general, a rather peace loving group of individuals trying to teach social and personal responsibility. Most would probably opt for the 'conscientious objector' status if forced to enlist or serve.

So, I don't see how training teachers would ever create competent, reliable, gun wielding protectors. They'd lose their training, need gun training refresher courses, etc And who would pay for that? Us taxpayers of course.

You guys, teachers are just as unstable as the rest of this country. Its only a matter of time before a teacher shoots one of their students (or all of them) in AK.

I work in a High School. I wouldn't trust 1/2 the staff with a concealed weapon on campus.

I say Recipe for Disaster. Let's combat guns in school by giving guns to our teachers? Really? How are they training these teachers? How and where are the guns stored? Clearly it's not a secret, so every student in the school will know that there are guns around. If they want one, they just have to look hard enough, which is quite easy to do. If you ask me, it's really, really, really stupid.

Kids will know who has a gun. What would be invisible to an adult will be spotted by a 7 year old in a heartbeat.

I would not expect a police officer to teach 30 kids effectively while doing his job, and I would not expect a teacher teaching 30 kids to be able to be an effective police officer, either.

I have mixed feelings about this, on one hand I completely get why schools want something like this in place. As a parent, and an gun owner, this makes me nervous. I know my skills, I know my husbands, I know that the police go through extensive training.

I do not know how well the teacher knows their gun. I do not know the teachers skill level with a gun. For me that is a huge variable.

When I attended school there were armed officers on campus. That was normal, and if we were talking armed trained guards, not mall police, actual trained guards. I would be all over it like children to candy.

As it stands, armed teachers don't really reassure me any more then an unarmed teacher. I, as a parent, would want to know exactly what kind of training they went through.

Yeah...awesome. (eye roll)

ETA: Julie G--survival of the fittest?

ETA: Christy Lee--don't be so sure. My husband is ex-military and a LTCF holder. (As well as an expert shot.) Also, I know plenty of LTCF permit holders that I wouldn't trust to walk my dog. Please. It's not THAT hard to get O.. Lets be honest here. There's no hidden voodoo to approving these things.

I think it's fantastic. I think that all schools should have concealed carry weapon holders on campus and should have large, bold signs posted proclaiming that the campus is protected by those CCW holders.

In the military we are taught about "hard" and "soft" targets. Right now, our schools are soft targets, easy to enter and easy to attack with no defenses. Putting CCW holders in our schools makes them a hard target and I am supportive of that.

I find it rather amusing to read the previous comments. Most of these folks clearly have no experience with weapons and know nothing about the process involved to obtain a CCW permit.

Also, the folks in Arkansas who choose to carry would take active shooter training for armed defenders. They would be trained on what to do in an active shooter scenario and be required to keep their training up-to-date. Such training includes safety instruction on fields of fire, cover and concealment. All training which would keep our kids much safer than being sitting effing ducks.

disaster waiting to happen.

There's no way I am comfortable with this idea. I attended school with armed police on campus. That I would be okay with, this not so much. I am not just concerned about the neurotypical child getting his or her hands on a faculty member's weapon but also the atypical children within the school.

If this ever came to my area my children would be making use of online learning.

YAHOO!!!! GOOOOOOO ARKANSAS!!!

I saw that!! LOVE IT!!

I have no problem with this and am glad that a teacher (or staff member)would have a chance to stop a rampage in the first few minutes with less causalities.

If anyone has a brain and reads the stats on states that allow legal gun carrying laws they will clearly see that the crime rates are much lower.

If you don't like being around Americans that carry guns please feel free to move to Chicago, because their crime rate is so low with their strict laws (sarcasm).

GREAT idea. I am all for it!!!! I would feel safer with my kids in that school.

I say, good for them. I don't have a problem with it as long as they're properly trained and there's no chance a kid can get ahold of it.

I'm fine with it... So long as the teachers receive special safety training, and have to repeat it each year to carry their weapon. Along with STRICT rules on handling their weapon while at school.

I also think it would be a good idea to have weapon safety classes IN the classroom, for the students. Not to teach them to handle a weapon, but how to safely be around them. (never touch, tell an adult if you find an unattended weapon, don't walk in front of someone aiming weapon, etc.)

1,000 flowers to Suz T. She said it all!

Wow, really?
I think the times call for it.
We could go back to swats-- but I think it's too late for that.

Honestly, school as we know it is soon gonna go away anyway. Everyone's kids will be staying home and doing school online or with private tutors. Classrooms will be NO MORE within the next decade-- I predict.

Nanny's will be big business as they will be home watching the kids while they are in school on their iPads in the livingroom while mom and dad are at work.. oh wait- it's not politically correct to say Mom and Dad anymore, it's "parental figures".
Fun times.