G is for gun: Texas in a class of its own
G is for gun: Texas in a class of its own
* Andrew Clark, New York
* August 19, 2008
WHEN teachers return for a new school term in the tiny Texas farming town of Harrold, they may be packing more than books and pens. To defend students from any gun-toting maniacs, they can also carry loaded pistols into the classroom.
The remote rural community has appalled gun-control advocates by becoming America's first to allow teachers to bear concealed firearms.
Harrold's school board maintains that the move is necessary because the town is 40 kilometres from the nearest sheriff's office, making it hard to get swift help in an emergency. Also, its location, just metres from a major highway, makes it a potential target for armed maniacs.
"We are 30 minutes from law enforcement," said Harrold's school superintendent, David Thweatt. "How long do you think it would take to kill all 150 of us? It would be a bloodbath."
Selected teachers are to be trained in crisis management. Mr Thweatt said: "When you have good guys with guns, the bad guys do less damage."
More than a dozen mass shooting tragedies have hit US schools over a decade, including the Columbine massacre that claimed 15 lives at a Colorado high school in 1999 and last year's Virginia Tech massacre that left 33 dead. The powerful pro-gun lobby argues that Congress sent out a message of vulnerability in a 1990 law that banned guns in schools, though the law was declared unconstitutional and overturned by the Supreme Court five years later.
"We've had a very disturbing trend of school shootings in the US," Mr Thweatt said. "It is my belief this is caused by making schools gun-free zones â?¦ they became targets for people who wanted to rack up the body count."
At the Harrold school, armed teachers must get a state gun licence and will be required to use bullets of a type less liable to ricochet off walls or desks.
But teachers' unions in Texas have expressed horror. "It's up there with the worst ideas in the history of education," said Gayle Fallon, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers.
But Harrold's gun policy was praised by the nationwide Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Its chairman, Alan Gottlieb, said: "Allowing armed staff and teachers will provide a last line of defence if other security measures at the school fail."
Harrold's school board is unapologetic. "When you hear about these shootings, the reports always start out with 'this is a sleepy little place, nobody thought this would ever happen here'," Mr Thweatt said.
GUARDIAN
G is for gun: Texas in a class of its own
"Allowing armed staff and teachers will provide a last line of defence if other security measures at the school fail."
After Virginia Tech and the Northern Illinois University shootings I'd have to side with this statement. Something needs to be done.
Have a good one!:jointsmile:
G is for gun: Texas in a class of its own
Congratulations to Texas for having more common sense than the rest of the country, regarding gun carry :thumbsup: ... IF one single teacher had been carrying a gun at Columbine, etc., there would have been many lives saved ... period ... why would you trust a teacher with your child's mind, but not with a defensive gun ? ... right on, Tex !
G is for gun: Texas in a class of its own
Quote:
Originally Posted by texas grass
The remote rural community has appalled gun-control advocates by becoming America's first to allow teachers to bear concealed firearms.
apalled gun control nuts. lol, i like that. damn dirty lefties anyway.
G is for gun: Texas in a class of its own
:rolleyes: It's a good thing to because school shootings have always taken place in tiny ass schools out in BFE. I love texas, the only thing we're progressive about is getting dumber. :thumbsup:
How about the public school systems anti up and hire some armed trained security instead of leaving it up to any ol 2nd amendment thumpin teacher with a carry conceal license?
G is for gun: Texas in a class of its own
Quote:
Originally Posted by greengoddess420
How about the public school systems anti up and hire some armed trained security instead of leaving it up to any ol 2 amendment thumpin teacher with a carry conceal license?
Exactly. I am neither pro gun rights or anti gun rights. To be honest I simply don't care. I guess I'd be pro because I feel if you want to have a gun you should be able to apply and get one, but for people to allow teachers to come to work armed. Do you know the amount of liability that would create at that point?
I hate law enforcement but this would be a situation that I'd have to vote in favor in hiring security over arming the teaching staff.
G is for gun: Texas in a class of its own
Hooray for Texas!!! Your students will be safer because of it. The teachers are not forced to carry, and the volunteers will be trained.
One little correction Daihashi, you do not have to apply to get a gun, you have to pass a background check only. You have a RIGHT to own as many guns as you wish. Guns in the hands of the law abiding are NEVER a bad thing. Guns stop far more death than they cause in this country. (sorry, but this is one of my hot buttons):D
G is for gun: Texas in a class of its own
Quote:
Originally Posted by McDanger
One little correction Daihashi, you do not have to apply to get a gun, you have to pass a background check only. You have a RIGHT to own as many guns as you wish. Guns in the hands of the law abiding are NEVER a bad thing. Guns stop far more death than they cause in this country. (sorry, but this is one of my hot buttons):D
oh I don't have a problem with law abiding citizens owning guns. I'm talking about a can of worms this is from a legal standpoint.
I'm for anyone owning a gun who wants one.. personally they aren't for me, then again I've never gone to shoot one. I've just had no interest.
G is for gun: Texas in a class of its own
Quote:
Originally Posted by daihashi
I hate law enforcement but this would be a situation that I'd have to vote in favor in hiring security over arming the teaching staff.
That would be the ideal solution and most people would probably agree untill they found out what would happen to their taxes in order to provide security. To bad there are so many nut jobs out there these days.
Have a good one!:jointsmile:
G is for gun: Texas in a class of its own
:thumbsup: Texas!
It's issues like this that I was just talking about with friend last night. Gray lines, certain situations where you will be "damned if you do, damned if you don't."
We were talking about this in the context of the Middle East, and things she said and brought up made me realize where guys like 8182KSKush and P4B get their perspectives from, contrary to my own. (I love you guys! :hippy: lol) Because, after really thinking about it, both sides have their valid points. To be more specific, it was about the use of the Patriot Act combating terrorism, and its potential to be abused - both sides have very good, valid points, and like I said, one of those issues where you are "damned if you do, damned if you don't"
This is also one of those issues. We of course want our kids safe, and having a teacher there with the ability to intervene in a situation is great - but what happens if one of these concealed weapons is stolen? Or what if a teacher goes off of the deep end and pulls their gun on a kid? All of these scenarios are of course highly unlikely to play out, especially the latter two, but it's always those what-if's.......
