Texas Teachers and hand guns, saw this on the news last night.

[Jess Tolbirt]

dont know what town but the news reported on self defense classes being taught on hand guns and self defense,, what i saw was pretty impressive and not one teacher in that school has said they didnt want to take the class,,,
makes me wanna move back home... i hope they offer this to every school...

[cookiedough]

Teachers or even administrators concealed carrying handguns is NOT the answer period in schools!

Self defense classes in high school is fine but definitely should NOT be involving guns of any kind.

There are dozens of other measures that should be taken and implemented without bringing any guns to school. 

[Jess from VA]

Wrong.

[Steve K (IA)]

Teachers or even administrators concealed carrying handguns is NOT the answer period in schools!

Self defense classes in high school is fine but definitely should NOT be involving guns of any kind.

There are dozens of other measures that should be taken and implemented without bringing any guns to school.  

I agree 100%.  All it takes is some kid with a bad streak and determined to try and overpower a teacher that is known to have a gun, and take it, and then..........................?   
If the school districts want to hire off duty police, so be it.  But no "armed guards".  That would be as unwise as arming teachers. 

[ricoman]

Teachers or even administrators concealed carrying handguns is NOT the answer period in schools!

Self defense classes in high school is fine but definitely should NOT be involving guns of any kind.

There are dozens of other measures that should be taken and implemented without bringing any guns to school. 

Can't agree with that.
Met a guy today who was in middle school in Flint, MI or Detroit in the late 80's. He was commenting on armed guards and metal detectors at the schools when he was there.
A strong presence is needed to deter the crazies and the wanna be tough guys. They are obviously not getting the attention/direction in their homes they so badly need.

[Willow]

My apologies for borrowing someone else's words but, "The best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."

Imaginary scenarios are just that and primarily for people living in an imaginary world.

The whole concept of "gun free" zones "drug free" zones and such would be laughable if they weren't so pathetically devoid of functional logic.  

[Serk]

The whole concept of "gun free" zones "drug free" zones and such would be laughable if they weren't so pathetically devoid of functional logic.  

It'd be laughable if it weren't for the body count it's caused. 

[Valker]

I spent about 40 years teaching in the public school sector in the Texas area, at all levels from early childhood, special education, to university. During that time, not a single crazed gunman entered one of my schools and started shooting. BUT, I would have been comfortable with being armed and/or having armed school personnel on the premises. These people who think it would not be a good idea-why do you have insurance on your house/car/bike? Since my house has never burned down, can I just assume it's never going to happen. My last school was a high school in a small town. There were almost 1000 students. The main building (there are four buildings) is three stories and almost 700 feet long. Even having ONE armed guard would be disastrous if some decided to attack. Impossible to defend. If half the teachers/administrators were armed, then people would be saved in an attack of the crazy folk. I am 100% behind arming some/many/most teachers today. This is already done in some districts in Texas with NO PROBLEMS arising.

[Hoser]

                                                                                                                                                        I see no problem with teachers or security guards in schools as long as they are properly trained in shooting and self defense., you don't have to be a cop to learn how.  I'll never forget the footage from columbine of an officer crouched behind a shield at the doorway waiting for backup, when a couple EMS guys pushed thier dolly right by and returned with a wounded student aboard.  Not knocking the PD, I know many departments have general orders requiring no solo entry, we had the same rule on the fire department, never paid much attention to it. I hope I would have done as the medics did.  Hoser

[..]

My local High School has 3 or 4 armed "Rsource Officers" as the PC crowd like to call them. They are local PD.

Doesn't stop stupid kids from doing stupid stuff. During my 3 years as a school bus driver I witnessed the school locked down at least 6 times.

[Denny47]

Schools get locked down many times and usually it is a bogus call, and most of the time the lock downs are due to bomb threats. If Cookiedough knows of "dozens of ways to prevent school violence" maybe he should contact the media and elected officials. I am sure they would be glad to have someone that intelligent to give them advise. I believe that he is one of the anti-gun people from reading some of his posts. When the airlines were being hi-jacked, remember that they armed some pilots and airline personel. Huh, haven't had an airline hi-jacking in quite some time. Imagine that.

[Romeo]

I believe that some people are just incapable of acknowledging the world we live in. Our children , as most folks know, are our most valuable resource, besides being the most important people in our lives. Recent events have painfully demonstrated that they are in potential danger. ANYTHING we can do to minimize that danger, is worth it. That includes arming well trained teachers. For those who come up with reasons why this shouldn't be done, I say lets hear those better ideas. I will be happy to debate you about them.

[cookiedough]

sorry Denny, never will be an anti-gun person.  I own 3 shotguns, .30-06, two .22's, and a few bb guns and have hunted and fished for 20+ years.  I just feel there is no need for teachers or adm. in school to have a gun.  Other measures such as security locked doors after school starts, being have to be buzzed in by administration after the locked doors at all instances with security cameras, and metal detectors if the school so chooses, and yes, an armed guard if need be, but teachers and administration that is NOT what they are intended to do, carry a gun period. 

[Serk]

sorry Denny, never will be an anti-gun person.  I own 3 shotguns, .30-06, two .22's, and a few bb guns and have hunted and fished for 20+ years.  I just feel there is no need for teachers or adm. in school to have a gun.  Other measures such as security locked doors after school starts, being have to be buzzed in by administration after the locked doors at all instances with security cameras, and metal detectors if the school so chooses, and yes, an armed guard if need be, but teachers and administration that is NOT what they are intended to do, carry a gun period. 

All reports that I've been able to find say that the doors at Sandy Hook WERE locked, he just shot his way in.

The only thing that's going to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.

And I'm not saying ALL teachers or administrators should be carrying, but the ones that feel responsible enough to do so and feel up to the duty should not be BARRED from doing everything possible to defend the children that have been placed in their care. There are definitely some people who have no business being armed, but the ones that are capable of it should be allowed to do so.

[SANDMAN5]

I think armed/trained teachers is ONE of the things that will help.
There isn't one single solution, but a combination of things. Banning
the sale of "assault weapons" and high cap magazines, putting a
ridiculous tax on ammo, etc are NOT things that will help, IMHO.

[sugerbear]

heard on the news this morning, that armed teachers were being discussed in Mo.
don't know any more details.

[Master Blaster]

                                                                                                                                                        I see no problem with teachers or security guards in schools as long as they are properly trained in shooting and self defense., you don't have to be a cop to learn how.  I'll never forget the footage from columbine of an officer crouched behind a shield at the doorway waiting for backup, when a couple EMS guys pushed thier dolly right by and returned with a wounded student aboard.  Not knocking the PD, I know many departments have general orders requiring no solo entry, we had the same rule on the fire department, never paid much attention to it. I hope I would have done as the medics did.  Hoser

[/quote

Columbine is a fine example why responsible, good guys with guns, should be inside the school with weapons.  The cops sat outside 4 hours while the bad guy with guns walked around killing people.  All that power hunkered down outside did nothing to stop/defuse the situation, may have made it worse as he knew he could never get out of there alive anyway.

[Big Rig]

I wonder how many people on this board have a home security systems. If so, do you post a sign on the front lawn stating that? Most criminals see those signs and most times look elsewhere for Targets without posted security warnings. So if it is announced that teachers and admins in schools carried and signs placee out front stating it. I believe it would deter most. The ones it would not would run the risk of return fire. I wondet in todays world how many banks are robbed with armed guards stationed inside. I would think the ratio is rather small.
I  do not know what the best answer is, but I think the discussions are a very good place to start.

Banning guns and charging/taxing ammo is certainly not one of the best....politicians are knee jerk jerks...
Imho

[Willow]

Columbine is a fine example why responsible, good guys with guns, should be inside the school with weapons.  The cops sat outside 4 hours while the bad guy with guns walked around killing people.  All that power hunkered down outside did nothing to stop/defuse the situation, may have made it worse as he knew he could never get out of there alive anyway.

Tom, I agree wholeheartedly with your use of Columbine as an example.  The description in the final sentence, however, isn't quite accurate.  

The police actually hunkered down outside the school long after the two shooters had already killed themselves.  In fact, they waited while there were no bad guys left inside and a wounded teacher slowly bled out and died.  

It's good to have a well trained police force, but it's tragedy to depend upon them as our only defense against the whims of evil people.  Columbine would quite likely have been an entirely different scene had there been a few armed good guys in the building.  

[Pappy!]

Can't help but put my .02 in...................

Which would you think would be more of a deterrent?

[BigAlOfMD]

Teachers or even administrators concealed carrying handguns is NOT the answer period in schools!

Self defense classes in high school is fine but definitely should NOT be involving guns of any kind.

There are dozens of other measures that should be taken and implemented without bringing any guns to school. 

Name some !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MP]

Israel was having trouble with terrorists attacking their schools.  They trained the teachers, and have not had attacks since.

Their teachers are armed with TRUE ASSAULT WEAPONS, fully automatic, selective fire AK-47's.

This has been PROVEN to work.

MP