| To the Editor: Arming teachers is not the answer |
| Written by Tom Morgan |
| Wednesday, 23 January 2013 10:17 |
|
Protecting our school children by using armed teachers is going to take a little bit of thought and preparation. If our teachers are to be successful they have to be better equipped and trained than the bad guy(s). First off, we must plan for the worst scenario in which the bad guy(s) will have high-power assault weapon(s) with large capacity clips. Our teachers will need a rifle with no less than the same firepower and a 2x larger magazine. The same goes for the ratio of size and capacity between side arms of bad guy(s) vs teacher. It is entirely possible that the bad guy(s) will be wearing body armor, which is available on the open market. Not to be outdone, our teachers must be likewise equipped with adequate body armor. Every day on the news we see our combat soldiers in Afghanistan wearing world-class combat armor. There should be enough military hardware available (helmet included) to outfit our brave teachers. In previous attacks some of the school shooters have used explosives during their attacks so it makes just good common sense to have teachers equally equipped by carrying whatever hand grenades or RPGs as will be required to take out the bad guy(s). Throughout any such ordeal the teachers will be expected to retain control of traumatized students and render guidance and assistance while shielding them. Maintaining an emotional connection with the kids while fully equipped will be a real challenge for the teachers. Perhaps some kind of make-up (happy face?) or colorful creative body armor painting would help. That kind of class participation might make a good project to help students deflect combat stress brought on by an attack. Tom Morgan Bowling Green |
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Comments
Teachers are not soldiers. Educational environments shall remain weapon-free.
BTW, Masters degrees in the world of education mean a lot, especially for educational specialists. Your statement that they are "obviously not improving our education position in the world" is 100% false. Do some research, man. Our international competitors regularly encourage their teachers to get advanced training. When I taught in the Vienna, Austria school system, the two senior members of the English department in the gymnasium where I worked both had PhDs.
What is holding us back is all the standardized testing and the...attitudes of people like Mr. Caron.
I just wonder where it is coming from.
It sounds like the kind of things that Limbaugh and Hannity like to say about professors, etc., though they tend to express themselves in a more polite and educated manner (despite the fact that both were college dropouts).
And: You never answer the question about your educational background. Did you even go to college?
That is in itself an ignorant comment, whether it came from you or the educator. A couple weeks ago I took pains to explain that, citing actual laws from the period: the Nazis took advantage of loosened gun control laws to intimidate their way into taking power, and they had the most aggressively pro-gun/pro-weapons policy in the Western world. They only confiscated guns from the peoples they conquered or the people they declared to be non-citizens.
So: again: do some research, man, and don't just spout stuff you heard passively in your little right-wing bubble.
And, if you don't want to be thought of as stupid, start saying smart things.
We need take safety seriously. Ever notice how when someone starts shooting, be it in a movie theater or at a school, we call somebody with a gun (the police) to stop them?
The Newtown Massacre was a tragedy, but, thankfully, such events are extremely uncommon. Let's not turn our schools into armed camps out of fears that are completely out of proportion to the real threats.
h-e-r-e
Seriously, the public reads this stuff. Try a little.
MOST of the communities around h-e-r-e don't pay their teachers fairly for the work they do at all.
Yes, I struggle with my grammar and thanks for the correction. I will try to improve so I can offer alternate view points vs. main stream thinking. Please feel free to point out my mistakes as I am always looking to improve myself.
What communities around here don't pay their teachers fairly?
The above was a question not a view point.As usual on this siteQuoting Brian:
Chris says"Especially when communities are unwilling to pay teachers to do what they are trained to do in the first place." I just asked the question, give me a example?
A:Most of them, especially in the economically impoverished districts.
Example: go look up how often school levies get turned down.
As usual Chris you make stuff up and spin to push your agenda.I did not say such a thing, In fact I point out that you are pushing the opposite narrative, you complain above that teachers are not paid for what they do.
Again answer my question, you say teachers in this area are not paid for what they do, give me a example? Stand by your words, Put up or shut up!
Don't worry, I expect your normal babble for a answer.
For the record I think most teachers are paid fairly for their services.
Go look at Lake district or Rossford.
VERY VERY underpaid.
I admit because I am busy that I have not spent a lot of time on the info. listed below. Rossford spent 11,582 dollars per student according to to this web site in 2009
http://www.localschooldirectory.com/public-school/66708/OH
The site below show the US out pacing the world in spending on students at 7743.00 per student.
http://rossieronline.usc.edu/u-s-education-versus-the-world-infographic/
I am proud by the way that we lead the world in this area.
Just curious.
It has nothing to do with education cost, you might as well bring health care, food and defense spending in to change the subjectQuoting Brian:
Sorry, I don't get your comparison? Am I talking to Chris? Do you want to bring Health care,food and fuel into the conversation as well? Possibly talk about the migration of ducks and how this effects rap music?
That is not a answer to the question, not surprised.
More people were killed with knives in 2012 than with guns. Should we remove all knives from the kitchen in the schools?
I am not advocating forcing a teacher to carry a weapon, but I do think that it should be an option for them provided they pass certain evaluations. If not teachers, then certainly administrators/other faculty.
I stand behind the insurance argument as well as the idea of teachers being given the choice.
This is exactly my point. We cannot remove every risk that exists. We need to rationally assess the real level of risk. I will repeat: school shootings are horrendous, but they are EXTREMELY uncommon. Furthermore, I doubt that any of the solutions floating around out there from banning guns to arming teachers would prevent every shooter. Let's not adopt "solutions" that are ridiculously out of proportion to the real threat.
That is totally incorrect, as is the justification to eliminate weapon-free zones.
Count the number of deaths at school over the past 50 years from each cause. The numbers prove zero fire related deaths.
Kids will no longer respect teachers. teachers will largely refuse your silly idea anyhow. I'm glad it will never happen.
If teachers have to sport guns then you won't have very many kids going into teaching after high school.
I think most of the ones that have shot people in schools etc have either pleaded insanity or they are loaners. So maybe the medical profession should get more involved and report.
This is an emotional issue, logic has nothing to do with it.
Well, some educators do, and some parents do. So you are wrong on both points, despite how you feel about it.
You are judging these people on their beliefs and that they are excercizing their rights. Yet none of them have done anything wrong.
That says more about you than these law abiding citizens. :)
Legitimate schools are gun-free zones.
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