Wayne sent me this news story as an aside, and I have to admit that after reading it my first thought was how glad I was that I didn’t have any kids in Texas’ Harrold Independent School District. This isn’t exactly gadget news, and I’m not sure why it hit today as this policy change approval actually took place last October, but needless to say…I am flabbergasted and felt the need to share. Indulge me, please.
Trustees at the Harrold Independent School District approved a district policy change last October so employees can carry concealed firearms to deter and protect against school shootings, provided the gun-toting teachers follow certain requirements
Don’t get me wrong; I completely believe in and support the right to bear arms as provided for in the Second Amendment, I am a gun owner myself, and I enjoy shooting clay birds. But let me say in no uncertain terms that I am totally uncomfortable with this idea. I wouldn’t be surprised if the guy who came up with this brain fart became the next Darwin Award winner.
I’m a reasonable person, though, so I was willing to hear the thought process that went into making the decision…
Superintendent David Thweatt told FOXNews.com the policy was initiated because of safety concerns.
“We have had employees assaulted before by people in the last several years,” Thweatt said. “I think that safety is big concern. We are seeing a lot of anger in society.”
He wouldn’t comment further on the nature of the assaults.
Well hold up! He says assaulted by “people”, but not what type of assaults, and “people” sounds awfully generic. Do you mean students? Other teachers? Ruffians off the street? I need specifics in order to be sold on this idea. Nowhere does it mention that anyone was killed (or anything even close), so why the need for a potentially lethal solution? And “seeing a lot of anger in society”? Isn’t that a good enough reason not to send a possibly harried and underpaid adult into a roomful of mouthy high school students?
So why can’t they just call the sheriff, if and when there is trouble at the school?
Thweatt said the small community is a 30-minute drive from the sheriff’s office, leaving students and teachers without protection. He said the district’s lone campus sits 500 feet from heavily trafficked U.S. 287, which could make it a target.
“Could make it a target.” By that reasoning, any populated business or campus sitting off a busy highway could be considered a target. Where do we draw the line? Is it really necessary to use guns when another, less lethal solution might suffice? Give the teachers tasers, and teach them the proper circumstances on when and how to use them; I would be much less shocked by that option.
Barbara Williams, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association of School Boards, said her organization did not know of another district with such a policy. Ken Trump, a Cleveland-based school security expert who advises districts nationwide, including in Texas, said Harrold is the first district with such a policy.
I have to say that I hope it is the last; this is just nuts. :-/
Link: Texas School District Will Let Teachers Carry Guns
“but yet the only people our gun laws prevent from getting a gun are people who obey the law. Thus if you want to break the law and rob a bank or kill someone, I don’t think you care to much about the law in acquiring a gun illegally…”
mchinsky, I’ve been arguing this one for years. I am also in a position to know this on a deeper level than most.
It’s interesting how many different complicities there can be in this seemingly simple issue, as well as the deep-rooted passions the subject can stir. I really appreciate that everyone on here is keeping everything so beautifully civil. <3
I love Americans, but really, I shake my head when I read these things. My wife is from Houston and doesn’t understand the concern. Sigh….
Another one for the “only in America” file.
Many of the responders to this post appear to be hopelessly ill-informed. One great thing about the web is that you can actually find valuable evidence to confirm or deny whether decisions make sense.
Let me suggest the following Bureau of Justice Statistics website:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/guns.htm
There you will learn many interesting facts, including that the use of firearms in crimes has plummeted in the past decade. You will also find a study that showed that thirty percent of guns used in committing crimes were obtained illegally. Seventy percent were obtained legally.
A small percentage of law enforcement officers specialize in trying to understand how statistics like these relate to policy. My hope is that they, rather than people who are (thankfully) exposed to only a few violent incidents in their lifetimes, are consulted in formulating public policy on this issue.
My guess is that Texas has decided to dump the responsibility for violent acts and their prevention onto individuals who are hopelessly ill-equipped to return fire against a miscreant, no matter how heavily they are armed. Even seasoned law enforcement officers typically land less than half their shots on target in actual gunfights. Interviews show that they evolve strategies to succeed despite knowing that this is the case. Teachers don’t have the time nor the infrastructure to do so. Teaching is already a pretty substantial challenge.
Hmmm…
I’ve been in law enforcement for over 30 years. Stats and the like are fine for some things, but you cannot rely on them for the most important factors in this story: giving these people a sense of safety, security, and giving them control of their own fate. Having firearms in the possession of responsible individuals in a school building may not be a perfect solution, but then, what would be?
As I posted earlier, I’m torn on the subject, but the ultimate decision to carry or not carry a weapon is rightly given, at least in this case, to the people who are “on the scene” in Texas. If it makes them feel safer, then, mission accomplished.