Texas Gov. Rick Perry is a genius = Arm school teachers (Dallas: credit, buy)

[Dopo]

Let teachers carry concealed weapons, Texas Gov. Rick Perry tells Tarrant County tea party meeting - The Dallas Morning News

Texas Gov. Rick Perry indicated Monday that he supported allowing teachers and administrators to carry concealed handguns in response to the Connecticut school massacre that left 20 children dead.

But he also makes sure to warn us against "Knee-jerk reactions"

“One of the things that I hope we don’t see from our federal government is this knee-jerk reaction from Washington, D.C., when there is an event that occurs, that they come in and they think they know the answer,” he said.

[ETex2]

Teachers and school administrators MUST be allowed to carry at school, with very careful screening and training. Not all of them will want to, or be able to carry and prevent a tragedy or react responsibly in an emergency situation. At least two or three per campus might be sufficient. I also see that state laws will be written to require armed guards or police officers be on duty in all public schools.

You can't legislate lunacy, and gun control isn't the answer. Even a crazy idiot like the CT shooter can get his hands on his mother's weapons.

[bluescreen73]

Arming teachers and administrators sounds like a good idea, but it's just as much of a knee-jerk reaction as "ban guns."

Armed teachers are a HUGE liability. What if one of them snaps and offs their own class? What if they're having an inappropriate relationship with one or more of their students and they use the gun to intimidate the student into keeping their silence? What if a student gets ahold of the gun and uses it against himself or others in the school?

Are you going to make all parents sign a blanket indemnity waiver to cover the school district's rear-end?

Originally Posted by ETex2

Teachers and school administrators MUST be allowed to carry at school, with very careful screening and training. Not all of them will want to, or be able to carry and prevent a tragedy or react responsibly in an emergency situation. At least two or three per campus might be sufficient. I also see that state laws will be written to require armed guards or police officers be on duty in all public schools.

You can't legislate lunacy, and gun control isn't the answer. Even a crazy idiot like the CT shooter can get his hands on his mother's weapons.

I think anybody who wants to carry a concealed weapon should be required to show proof of screening and advanced training, but the reality (at least here in Colorado) is that I can, as someone who's never owned a gun in his life, go down to the gun shop, buy a pistol, take a 2 hour common sense course at a gun range and get a concealed carry permit. It's patently ridiculous that I have to show more competence to get a freakin' driver's license than I do to own a firearm.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

What if they're having an inappropriate relationship with one or more of their students and they use the gun to intimidate the student into keeping their silence?

Ok, there's a positive side .... kids will behave

[Willsson]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

Arming teachers and administrators sounds like a good idea, but it's just as much of a knee-jerk reaction as "ban guns."

Armed teachers are a HUGE liability. What if one of them snaps and offs their own class? What if they're having an inappropriate relationship with one or more of their students and they use the gun to intimidate the student into keeping their silence? What if a student gets ahold of the gun and uses it against himself or others in the school?

Are you going to make all parents sign a blanket indemnity waiver to cover the school district's rear-end?



I think anybody who wants to carry a concealed weapon should be required to show proof of screening and advanced training, but the reality (at least here in Colorado) is that I can, as someone who's never owned a gun in his life, go down to the gun shop, buy a pistol, take a 2 hour common sense course at a gun range and get a concealed carry permit. It's patently ridiculous that I have to show more competence to get a freakin' driver's license than I do to own a firearm.

I would agree with ETex2, that screening and training would be appropriate. I doubt a teacher would be any more likely to snap in a classroom situation than a police officer might in an arrest.

Consider that schools might open their cafeterias to Police offices to take breaks during their day. This would give a police presence as well as socialize kids to the idea of being around cops as a not unusual condition. As a public outreach.

[busterkeaton]

They should also be given cyanide capsules; just in case the government or the russians invade, and the teachers wish not to be taken captive. Governor Perry knows what i'm talking about. Don't ya, governor.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by busterkeaton

They should also be given cyanide capsules; just in case the government or the russians invade, and the teachers wish not to be taken captive. Governor Perry knows what i'm talking about. Don't ya, governor.

What is the point of this silly attempt at irony going to do? Hey, buster, present the case as to why should properly trained teachers NOT be allowed to carry on duty, to protect their charges? Do that, what do you say, rather than trying to play Buster Keaton.

There is a good and rational reason why teachers should be allowed to carry. First of all, to save kids's lives... Why do you amuse yerself by sarcasm...?

[Metro Matt]

Yes, Texas teachers should be allowed to have a concealed weapon in their desk.

[busterkeaton]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

What is the point of this silly attempt at irony going to do? Hey, buster, present the case as to why should properly trained teachers NOT be allowed to carry on duty, to protect their charges? Do that, what do you say, rather than trying to play Buster Keaton.

There is a good and rational reason why teachers should be allowed to carry. First of all, to save kids's lives... Why do you amuse yerself by sarcasm...?

Why do you care how I amuse myself? Self amusement got me through many a days out on the open sea during my Navy days. And don't get no funny ideas about what I mean by self amusement. But, seriously my mom teaches and she says that she doesn't think it to be a good idea. I'll leave it up to the teachers to decide and not a bunch of politicians. Is that non-sarcasmy enough for ya

[TexasHorseLady]

I'm the last one to credit Governor Good Hair with a good idea, but in this case I'm having to consider the idea rather than the source (or any agenda I might have, personally, come to that).

As for liability, we're going to "liability" ourselves right out of existence if we're not careful (and I say this as a former plaintiff's side personal injury legal assistant).

I think requiring serious training, not only in handling guns but in handling situations like this, for a number of teachers in a school (not necessarily all of them but enough to cover a building, say) would not be a bad idea at all. One school in Texas that I only recently heard of apparently had something like this in mind 4 years ago. Seems they were half an hour from the closest law enforcement and if something like this happened, by the time official assistance arrived it would all be over but the burying.