What would make you assume that thinking current laws don’t do enough means they favor getting rid of guns? And what would make you think that the guns owned by people who are willing to turn them in are the “dangerous” ones. Seems like those people might be the safer people, because they might be the ones more likely to be taking their gun ownership seriously and practicing good safety.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

Probably more like 310M guns in the US.

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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

You make good points. I just hear so much call for "action" and "change" we have to start somewhere to create momentum, no? How best to create momentum than with those who agree "something" needs to be done.

It's kinda like an approach to recycling. Maybe I don't think plastic bottles are a problem, but if you do, you should make personal changes in your own life and perhaps I'll follow? Can't you do that without a new law?

Sure. And to some extent, many gun owners are doing just that by keeping their weapons locked in appropriate gun safes, taking gun safety courses, maintaining proficiency, supporting restrictions on fully automatic weapons, etc.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

Great idea. Lets those pushing for more gun control lead by example.

I suggest all the security guards guarding our elected officials or movie stars or other people that have some claim to fame (i.e. Michael Moore) that want more gun control go 1'st.

On a family walk yesterday, my 10-year old (who doesn't like to shoot any of mine or his brother's), says "Teachers just need to carry. That way they can save more kids." My wife and I were shocked by his answer, but on the face of it, he might have a point given their response time would be quicker than local LEOs.

The people coming into the schools to cause violence need to not be coming into the schools in the first place. THAT would save more lives.

Second level strategy would be that if they are coming to school to cause violence, that they don't have ready access to devices capable of rapidly causing death to many people.

This idea inevitably comes up after a school shooting. But it’s full of its own problems. Would every teacher carry a gun? If not, how do you decide who can and who can’t? What sort of gun would they carry? (Handgun? Shotgun? Rifle? What size magazine?). What sort of training will the teachers receive? What do you do when a teacher loses their gun or has it taken away? What liability will a school district face when there is an accident? (etc.)

I grew up with guns for hunting and qualified with handguns and the M-16 in the USAF. Now I teach in a public school. Go visit your school and take a look at who they have teaching students. See if you would be comfortable with the teachers carrying guns.

Having teachers carrying weapons at school is not a good idea.

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

Not to mention, what if the person carrying the gun has a bad day/week/month/year. His/her spouse just cheated on them, his doctor told him he was sick, his kids have become estranged and so on. I don't want that person in a school with a gun. My wife is a teacher and she freaks when she runs over a rabbit, she is the last person I would want with a gun in schools and she probably wouldn't carry one anyway.

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TEAM HD
Each day is what you make of it so make it the best day possible.

People teach because they want to have a part in see kids grow up to be outstanding individuals. They didn’t become teachers to shoot people or be heroes. If they wanted those accolades they would have become cops or soldiers.

Let’s just let teachers do what they trained to do. They didn’t sign up for this problem. Give them enough infrastructure and implement other measures that permit them to do their job safely.

His point is not good, for the reasons outlined above. You should let your son read the responses to your comment above.

Non starter with me. Fuck it. I'll just follow if this is the definition of leading.

I disagree with teachers not wanting to be heroes, because there were several in that high school. They may not have signed up for this problem, but from my 10-year old's perspective, letting at least 1 conceal carry might have saved at least 1 kid.

You need to have an adult discussion with your son. Teachers with guns every day in every class won't be like Hollywood and video games, where a couple of shots from a handgun will eliminate the bad guys.

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

You've got a smart kid. As others have said there are barriers to make it safe, but those are easy to overcome. Train the teachers and place the teachers trained and willing to carry near the soft points of the school.

For those that don't want guns in the classroom, how about a compromise and use the administrative staff that are willing and trained? It might take a little logistics to move the admin people's office closer to the doors, but that seems like a reasonable adjustment.

Let's see you find teachers who think this is a good idea. Nobody I know who is a teacher or is married to a teacher (as I am) or is familiar with the typical teacher thinks this is anything but a bad idea.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

Agreed.

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TEAM HD
Each day is what you make of it so make it the best day possible.

You make good points. I just hear so much call for "action" and "change" we have to start somewhere to create momentum, no? How best to create momentum than with those who agree "something" needs to be done.

It's kinda like an approach to recycling. Maybe I don't think plastic bottles are a problem, but if you do, you should make personal changes in your own life and perhaps I'll follow? Can't you do that without a new law?


It's a good point and as a Canadian and anti-gun, I would suggest that it's something worth trying. However, my true sense is that in the U.S. you would NOT get great traction or action with this. The mere suggestion of it, seems to be a complete and total affront to just about everyone who has a gun in the U.S.

I know that periodically in Canada we have Firearm Turn-In drives by Provincial Police Forces - you turn in the guns no questions asked. About 20 years ago we did this with 4 old rifles (two shot-guns and two .22 rifles) that had been at our cottage up north, in a somewhat remote area, stored in the attic for many years. They were my Grandfather's and his brother's ( both then long deceased). They were avid Duck Hunters many, many years ago. I heard about one of these recalls that the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was having locally, and we decided to turn the guns in. We felt it was the right thing to do. No one in the current generation used the guns at all. I had not used one of the .22's, really since I was a kid, maybe 12 years old (40+ years ago), and my Grandfather teaching me the basics of gun operation and target shooting.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Let's see you find teachers who think this is a good idea. Nobody I know who is a teacher or is married to a teacher (as I am) or is familiar with the typical teacher thinks this is anything but a bad idea.

Ken,

I truly wonder what the proponent and advocates for this "solution" are thinking. If you step back and look at it from 30,000 ft, it looks/sounds absurd. They want to turn U.S. schools into completely armed, surveiled, military style operations. This is OK?


What's funny and ironic is that at the bed-rock of the United States is an obsession with personal freedom a liberty - but if in almost every step of your public life, in the U.S., you are being surveiled and you have a gun directly or indirectly trained on you . . . how much freedom and liberty do you have?


Granted, I'm in Canada, but I come from a family of teachers. This topic did come up over an extended family dinner last weekend, and every teacher at the table, thought this notion completely absurd and ridiculous! But again, we are just dumb Canadians! :)

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

You guys do know that the rest of the world isn't like this don't you?

That the discussion seriously looks at having teachers with guns stationed near the exits so they can shoot first is crazy when viewed from the perspective of a society where we don't think it's a good idea to all own machine guns.

One thing you can say for 100% certain was If that kid didn't have a military grade killing implement in his hands and all he did was go in there, have a tantrum and throw a board rubber at a teacher then all those kids wouldn't have died...

Just my 2 cents, and i'm not particularly fluffy and liberal i can assure you.

I don't want most teachers to have guns. I'm sometimes nervous about some of the Sailors I've met having guns. Many many people simply don't have the temperament. No amount of training will make them comfortable or proficient, and having a gun in the hands of someone who can't/won't operate it safely and accurately is maybe more dangerous than not having one at all.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)