Teachers and Guns

[Oneironaut Zero]

Just seeing what you guys think about This? Personally, I'm a bit torn on the issue, but only to the point where I see valid arguments for both sides. In the end, though, I'm more in favor of it, because things are definitely changing (or, becoming more widely-known) and our teachers have the right to protect themselves and the kids that we entrust them with, everyday. Security guards are nice to have on campus, but when something unexpected goes down, it usually proves to be an insufficient system. I'm not completely unaware of the negatives, though, and it does (above all else) mean that the students have possible access to those weapons, but students are bringing guns to many schools across the U.S., all the time. It's only right that the teachers be on level (if not higher) ground.

[ninja9578]

No one wins in an arms war.

[ExoByte]

The sad part is in many cases the Teacher may not be any better than the student. Its simply entrusting another person with power, that can be abused. Of course I do see the argument for it, but I can't say I agree with it at all. I think it'll just make things worse, like adding fuel to the fire.

[Minervas Phoenix]

Ok teachers beginning to need guns. Is anyone here stopping to think that just maybe it's time to think about where our society is heading when we need guns in classrooms. Guns to discipline children.

[drewmandan]

Oh look, another government employee with a gun. And this one is teaching children. 1984 much?

[Minervas Phoenix]

Drewmandan are you hoping people will not watch the video of the gunshot and the screaming children. How are they doing? Pretty scared out of their little skins after being threatened with that gunshot.

[skysaw]

Bad idea. Horrible idea. Prediction: Student finds teacher's gun. Student uses gun on fellow student. Victim's parents sue school and teacher. NRA supplies free council to defendants as well as pressure on lawmakers and justice system to drop it all. Next step: hand out guns to all the students for their protection.

[DuB]

it does (above all else) mean that the students have possible access to those weapons End of story, as far as I'm concerned. I can only imagine how many depressed, angry teenagers would shoot up their schools in an instant if only they had easy access to a loaded gun. This is asking for BIG trouble. I think it's ridiculous that people even feel that this is necessary. I mean sure, school shootings have been happening more frequently than in the past. But still, they amount to what, one per year? Two? How many homicides do you think there are each year in the US from school shootings - 5? 10? 15? Perhaps we should take measures to protect our children from alligator attacks as well . This reminds me of people who are terrified of flying in a plane for fear of it crashing, even though they are statistically many times more likely to die during the drive to the airport. It's an incredible shame that the media has highlighted the tragedies of our relatively few school shootings to such a degree that the average citizen feels scared sending their children to school.

[Patrick]

For God's sake. Has America got short-term memory loss? Columbine anyone? Virginia Tech? The world is full of people who would happily go on a killing rampage. What the fuck does the government think it's doing by making it easier for people to do that?! OK, self defence, but this will cause more problems than it will solve. What if a teacher uses a gun where other people think it was not right to do so? Would a teacher really take on suicidal kids going on a killing spree? I don't many of them would. Teacher's don't deserve this kind of power.

[skysaw]

One also has to imagine how easy it is for three students to overpower an unsuspecting teacher and grab his gun. From one gun, going to the next classroom over and commendeering the next gun becomes trivial. Next thing you know, you have a gang of rampaging teens with firearms. Why bother even putting up those metal detectors anymore?

[Oneironaut Zero]

Great points raised by everyone. I'm beginning to see the matter of those guns being more easily accessed by students outweighing the possibility that an armed teacher could stop another massacre. Both are significant issues, though.

[JulianKC52]

I agree with most everyone here that having teachers with guns is a bad idea, most especially the person who said it is like 1984. I also agree most with Mineras Phoenix's points about this matter. I think teachers with guns are most of all dangerous to students, and students will then feel the right to defend themselves from teachers with guns and will try to fight them. Have you ever heard it was justified for a parent in order to discipline his child to shoot his child dead? If you haven't then the same cannot be held for teachers. How would you like it if you're boss put a gun to your head and said "If you don't follow my will" then he will blow your brains out? You must be thinking "Oh, I'm an adult I cannot be treated like that"... so what. If you're a child you can have a boss like figure (a teacher) do that but if you're over 18 you cannot? A child is more sensitive than an adult, the more you need to be careful treating children. An abused child will go up to be a criminal adult. If it is absurd that your boss can potentially shoot you at your workplace as an adult, then it should lead you to think it is absurd that your child is in danger at school from armed teachers. Once this policy becomes nationwide, teachers will be allowed to shoot children and not be held liable in most cases. This essentially in effect becomes like a totalitarian government of some sort. I think that when America adopts this policy, we will be approaching the end times. This is how forces will lead America to it's own destruction.

[Sandform]

No one else here thinks the teacher might lose it? Kids wont shut the hell up...they wont listen...maybe three kids are trying to listen, people keep screaming...one kid gets up and moves. Fin all the teacher after 20 god damn years loses his/her mind and says SHUT THE FUCK UP! Believe me, I've seen teachers get to that point but...they've never had a gun before...being enraged is enough incentive for some people to lose sight of rationality.

[Minervas Phoenix]

Have to make up our mind about guns and violence and if it is going to be practical or not. In truth if one has a gun that is a reason for everyone to have one. Who is special? If one isn't allowed a gun no-one should be because that's fair on a level playing field. The same basic reason teachers can abuse guns is the same reason cops can abuse them. Why do you need guns? Others have guns self protection. Why do you need nuclear weapons? Others have them self protection. Why do you need to disarm? So others can disarm.

[Serkat]

Does anybody remember the last mass-killing at an NRA meeting? Yeah, me neither. You'd go the fuck down.

[nitsuJ]

i think it's dumb myself, like it has already been stated, some teachers are just as bad as the kids. the kids could gain access to the guns, which would end in death/injury and then lawsuits would ensue. most of the time school violence involves more than one person, and most of the time they already have it planned out to what they're doing, and they'd more than likely be able to overpower the teacher to steal the gun. then of course you have to ask yourself if the teacher will even know how to properly use the gun in a panicking situation, as in will they be able to aim it right and not fire a stray bullet and injure/kill someone nearby, most teachers i've seen would be lucky to even be able to hit the broad side of a barn with a gun probably. giving them a gun doesn't protect them as far as i'm concerned, a student has a gun, a teacher has a gun, who pulls the trigger/aims better faster? also if a student starts to attack a teacher, how do they expect the teacher to get the weapon out without getting the shit beat out of them first? then you'll just have an angry kid with a weapon. then you can ask yourself if they'll even have the guts to use the weapon, some people may not have what it takes. no matter the security measures of a school, there's always ways of sneaking stuff in, and causing school violence.

[nitsuJ]

For God's sake. Has America got short-term memory loss? Columbine anyone? Virginia Tech? The world is full of people who would happily go on a killing rampage. What the fuck does the government think it's doing by making it easier for people to do that?! OK, self defence, but this will cause more problems than it will solve. What if a teacher uses a gun where other people think it was not right to do so? Would a teacher really take on suicidal kids going on a killing spree? I don't many of them would. Teacher's don't deserve this kind of power. this made me remember, there was also a school in jonesboro (spelling) arkansas where two students decided to kill students at their school, the plan was this: one of the students went into the school while the other went on top of a hill with a rifle and scope, the student that went inside pulled a fire alarm and as students/faculty members exited the building the kid on the hill sniped the students/faculty members off, how's a teacher with a gun supposed to protect students/themselves from that? seriously most school shootings are planned before hand by students, and most students plan on either killing themselves during it or plan on being killed.

[Patrick]

this made me remember, there was also a school in jonesboro (spelling) arkansas I looked that up, and the kids were 13 and 11... jeez...

[ChrissyMaria]

I have a quite different view on this subject, here's what I believe should be done or considered. Today, with our advancing technology...it is possible to have guns made that do not work outside of a range of a receiver. Let me explain it a bit.... This special handgun, being developed for cops...has a bracelet for the gun user...in this bracelet a receiver sends a signal to the gun. If the gun is 2-3 feet away from the bracelet, the gun won't fire....EVER unless the bracelet is nearly next to the gun. Now I am NOT advocating teachers to have guns but...this would be a better way of implementing that if it worked. There is also another alternative, tasers/pepperspray or metal detectors I know this sounds very crazy and 1984ish but...there are some looney kids out there who want to shoot alot of people and we must prevent the next columbine. I don't believe adding more guns will solve anything but that special transmitter type of gun might serve a purpose... Then again, the REAL root of the problem is these kids families..where the FUCK are their parents teaching them right from wrong and why don't kids talk to their parents when they are bullied or have problems? It seems to me kids today bottle up feelings and just secretly plan revenge because they are too cowardly to tell people about their problems...so they buy a gun and think they can end the misery by killing those who torment them or bully them. People need to be re-educated...it seems the education today isn't doing that, its not educating anyone except the already intelligent kids. The solution is REAL education, and then kids would think twice about brutally murdering students and teachers because they will know the consequences and the horror they will cause. Scaring them to death with armed teachers will just make them more afraid and willing to hurt people in my opinion...this whole teacher gun thing is reminding me of the Imperial Empire from star wars...a totalitarian dictatorship..only in school.

[Invader]

In a school of only 110 students?? If they're worried about someone else getting into the school (and not another columbine) then they should really just consider getting a bloody security guard or two. Steel reinforced doors for the classrooms if they really feel that threatened in a small nowhere school. Fear can accomplish amazing things.

[Patrick]

Today, with our advancing technology...it is possible to have guns made that do not work outside of a range of a receiver. The thing is, teachers will want to bring their own guns into school. And although I don't know how exactly this reciever works, but I'm guessing it's built into the gun, as it would have to jam the firing mechanism. It seems to me kids today bottle up feelings and just secretly plan revenge because they are too cowardly to tell people about their problems...so they buy a gun and think they can end the misery by killing those who torment them or bully them. To be honest, I think it takes a lot more bravery to go on a killing rampage, knowing you're going to die. These guys don't care about getting better - they're beyond that. They're too strong to be broken. How are they 'brave' in telling their parents? That's cowardice, by definition. So the only preventative measure to massacres is a ban on guns - but that's not going to happen in the US.

[drewmandan]

I have a quite different view on this subject, here's what I believe should be done or considered. Today, with our advancing technology...it is possible to have guns made that do not work outside of a range of a receiver. Let me explain it a bit.... This special handgun, being developed for cops...has a bracelet for the gun user...in this bracelet a receiver sends a signal to the gun. If the gun is 2-3 feet away from the bracelet, the gun won't fire....EVER unless the bracelet is nearly next to the gun. Now I am NOT advocating teachers to have guns but...this would be a better way of implementing that if it worked. There is also another alternative, tasers/pepperspray or metal detectors I know this sounds very crazy and 1984ish but...there are some looney kids out there who want to shoot alot of people and we must prevent the next columbine. I don't believe adding more guns will solve anything but that special transmitter type of gun might serve a purpose... Then again, the REAL root of the problem is these kids families..where the FUCK are their parents teaching them right from wrong and why don't kids talk to their parents when they are bullied or have problems? It seems to me kids today bottle up feelings and just secretly plan revenge because they are too cowardly to tell people about their problems...so they buy a gun and think they can end the misery by killing those who torment them or bully them. People need to be re-educated...it seems the education today isn't doing that, its not educating anyone except the already intelligent kids. The solution is REAL education, and then kids would think twice about brutally murdering students and teachers because they will know the consequences and the horror they will cause. Scaring them to death with armed teachers will just make them more afraid and willing to hurt people in my opinion...this whole teacher gun thing is reminding me of the Imperial Empire from star wars...a totalitarian dictatorship..only in school. No government employee should ever hold a gun, ever. I'm not just talking about teachers. I'm talking about police. I don't think a military should even exist. But let's look briefly at the example of teachers. Everyone can see the obvious problem about a student overpowering the teacher and killing other students. But that's not the real problem, is it? How often would that really happen? How much more effective is a gun than a steak knife, anyway? So the kid might kill a few more people with a gun? Big deal, he's still killing people. Most of you are missing the real danger here, which is moral role models holding weapons. Let me say that another way. The people we trust to teach our children from the impressionable age of 4 all the way up to adulthood, the people who teach our children right and wrong, the people who teach our children history and about governments, these people are now armed. This is double think. This is fucking 1984. Wake up, people. You too, Mivervas. Wake the fuck up. Here you are, distracted, yes distracted, with UFOs and conspiracy theories and corporations, when you can't even see the real issue, which is that someone has a fucking gun to your head, and is telling you that if you don't give them 40% of your pay check, they will either shoot you or put you in jail. And you think this is OK? Or worse yet, you think corporations are behind this? You think fucking Wal-Mart does this? Are you blind? Those uniforms say "United States of America", not "Time Warner".

[Invader]

This is double think. This is fucking 1984. Wake up, people. You too, Mivervas. Wake the fuck up. Here you are, distracted, yes distracted, with UFOs and conspiracy theories and corporations, when you can't even see the real issue, which is that someone has a fucking gun to your head, and is telling you that if you don't give them 40% of your pay check, they will either shoot you or put you in jail. And you think this is OK? Or worse yet, you think corporations are behind this? You think fucking Wal-Mart does this? Are you blind? Those uniforms say "United States of America", not "Time Warner". Nobody has a gun to anyone's head drewmandan. And Minerva is entitled to believe in whatever she wants. Such is the beauty of being a free individual. Don't insult or demean what others believe in.

[Minervas Phoenix]

drewmandan I am aware of the tax scam and the fascist military industrial complex ready to kill threats to the agenda. But this does not stop at the official government level. Government is a tool of the implementation of manipulation not a direct source of it. Also they have not created a one world army yet so we still have a chance to turn this around. If we say yes to the microchip and cashless system of exchange we have little chance left after that. This is only a hope skip and a jump before full fledge tyranny so people better start resisting this and noticing the patterns of control and who they are behind this and why they are doing it.

[ChrissyMaria]

BTW to clarify my last post, I was NOT in favor of guns in the classroom, was just bringing up some suggestions to those who DO want guns in teachers hands. I sort of play devils advocate, I give suggestions to both sides of the arguement. But I think there is something fundamentally wrong with America, and the world.