What happens after we arm teachers ...

[SHRED]

...and janitors then one or more of them "snap" and kill some kids? What will be the national dialog then? This whole notion that anyone can tell who a "good guy" is and a "bad guy" is...is ludicrous.

[krispos42]

1. They we have to admit that school shootings are such a rare occurrence...

...that any general attempt to prevent one is likely to do more harm than good.



There are 133,000 grade schools in America. During this current "bad" time, we get one about every 2 years. The odds against any armed solution, be it armed cops in every school or armed teachers in every school, are on par with being eaten by a shark.


Of course, there's nothing preventing a staff or faculty member from snapping at home and then bringing a gun to school, as opposed to your presumption of a legally-carrying staff or faculty member from snapping at school.



But in our post 9/11 mentality, IF IT SAVES ONE LIFE... you know the drill.

[FarCenter]

2. I can see why a teacher might "snap", but why would a janitor?

Actually, the bathrooms might actually stay a lot cleaner?

[SHRED]

4. Anyone can...that's my point

[FarCenter]

6. But there are a lot more teachers than janitors, and they are under more stress

So I'd say that there is about 95% probability that if you arm both, the first to snap would be a teacher.

[JaneyVee]

3. We lower taxes on the rich to pay for the ridiculously high liability insurance it would cost

for teachers to be allowed to carry weapons to schools across the country.

[kevinbgoode1]

5. Everyone is a "law-abiding citizen". . .

. . .until they decide not to be one. That's the problem with the "good guys/bad guys" fantasy.

Sometimes I gather from those on the Right promoting the "we need more guns" notion that they are also innately equipped to deem who is the "good guy" (meaning themselves) and who is the "bad guy" (meaning anyone they feel is threatening to themselves) in every situation. They are always the star in their own imagined movie, the hero in their own story. And if they kill someone else, or take away another citizen's right to life, it isn't murder - it's "self-defense."

It might be more reasonable to some degree if I felt many of these people would aim to wound an alleged perpetrator, but all I ever seem to hear about is killing someone, or "kill the criminals" as if they are not only allowed the right to bear arms, but to circumvent the justice system, execute without trial, and we should all understand that their own use of arms is always good and, in fact, preferable to a justice system that is supposed to assure the accused and the victims rights.

[tblue]

7. As a teacher who wouldn't shoot a rock

I do not want my coworkers armed. If I was required to have a weapon, I'd quit my job. I teach K-2, and there are a few little smartypants but most of my students are sweet. But I can imagine at a middle school or high school, especially where some students are serious troublemakers, any damned thing could happen. Kids are smart. They could figure out how to get a gun. And you get a very stressed teacher with some foul talking and/or emotionally unstable teenager and oh my gosh! NO NO NO! A thousand times NO!!! No guns!!!

[JaneyVee]

8. You'll find plenty of George Zimmerman's in high school grades where student/teacher altercations

sometimes occur.

[TheKentuckian]

9. I don't see the wisdom either and I'm not a gun control advocate.

Those folks aren't security personnel and while there may be a little crossover of people that have done one, moving to the other it is neither particularly desirable or practical.

If one is calling for these people not to be restricted from carrying, if so inclined (I never want someone forced to use and carry when it is alien to them, danger can only be increased) that is one thing but making it a part of the job is kinda nuts. I've known a lot of teachers and some janitors and being John McClain and shit is not the typical make up. Of course that goes for about any profession, even cops aren't MOSTLY like that, even the ones that are ex-military.

There is something to be said about power being best in the hands of those who don't desire it but there comes a point where the discomfort and fear introduce lack of control and escalated potential for panic.

[TheKentuckian]

11. The reverse is true with cavalier disregard like the baby pictures in a thread last night

So comfortable with death dealing power to make it baby games.

[CrispyQ]

10. Next step? Arm the kids, of course!