Teachers Arming Themselves?

Why more Utah teachers are considering carrying guns in the classroom

'It could be me,' middle school teacher says at firearms course designed for educators

Gretel KauffmanJun 14, 2019, 9:30pm MDT


SPANISH FORK — After a childhood spent surrounded by gun violence in South Africa, Erin Thomas is, as she puts it, "anti-gun in a lot of ways."

It’s a description seemingly at odds with Thomas’ newly-acquired permit to carry a concealed firearm.

But with what can feel like an endless cycle of school shootings in the news, Thomas, an assistant principal at two elementary schools in the Alpine School District, has been increasingly forced to consider a frightening question for educators: What would I do if it were my school?

If the unthinkable were to happen, Thomas says, she wants to be able to take action — to be "helpful," rather than helpless.

Jennifer Jacobsen's notebook, pen and pistol lay on a desk during class at the Utah County Sheriff's Office in Spanish Fork on Wednesday, June 12, 2019. Jacobsen teaches physical education at Willow Creek Middle School in Lehi.

Laura Seitz, Deseret News

Thomas and 31 other teachers, principals, and counselors filled a classroom at the Utah County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday for a concealed carry instructional course, part of a comprehensive academy to help educators prepare for potentially violent situations...

"Guns don’t belong in our classrooms to begin with," said Mary Ann Thompson, head of the Utah chapter of gun control advocacy group Moms Demand Action. "Teachers and staff should be focused on helping our kids learn, not focused on being responsible for stopping an active shooter."

SOURCE: https://www.deseret.com/2019/6/14/20675736/why-more-utah-teachers-are-considering-carrying-guns-in-the-classroom#mckenzie-wilson-left-and-jennifer-jacobsen-physical-education-teachers-at-willow-creek-middle-school-in-lehi-look-over-jacobsens-pistol-during-class-at-the-utah-county-sheriffs-office-in-spanish-fork-on-wednesday-june-12-2019

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This is a disaster waiting to happen!


I appeal to peace-loving parents and all True Christians:

I thought the guns in the classroom fever was broken. Unfortunately, it has rear its ugly head again. CD Users lend your voices and influences against endangering the lives of more students. This is madness! Schools should harden the perimeter and not weaponize the classroom.

Where are the peacemakers? I would not be surprised to find the NRA behind this renewed fear of classroom safety and encouraging teachers to carry guns in the classrooms. Where are the Priests, Rabbis, Pastors, Imans, and Social Workers, etc.?

It would be nice if this site takes a stand against guns in the classroom. Guns were made to kill. More students are sure to die. God help the children in these classrooms. CM

Comments

  • reformed
    reformed Posts: 3,176

    I'm all for arming teachers. Why not?

  • C Mc
    C Mc Posts: 4,463

    To arm, teachers make as much sense as giving each student a computer-table and a gun. CM

  • C Mc
    C Mc Posts: 4,463

    I am glad you got the point about arming teachers.


    Looking backward:  Oops, it should have been: To arm, teachers make as much sense as giving each student a computer-tablet and a gun. If you are going to make the school compound a battlefield, you may as well arm all the students. As crazy as this sounds, arming teachers are equally as bad.


    Looking Ahead: Regardless, schools are for learning to earn, living with others, implementing vision and dreams. They are not for dodging bullets and learning to killTeachers are to be role models to inspire and admire, not for how well they can shoot a gun.

    A gun in the hands of a teacher, a student, a soldier, a terrorist, a cop, a janitor, a principal, a soccer-mom, a security guard, a deacon, or a preacher is equally deadly! Guns were made to kill!

    Let the children grow up in a gun-free school. There are no lions, tigers, bears, or coons larking in the schoolyards. Let them enjoy the success of the experiment thrill and not the teacher's accurate shot of an intruder killed.

    Be a promoter of life. Remove all guns from your homes and churches. Teach your children to trust in God and not a weapon -- They were made to kill. They will thank you and rest better at night. Peace for the new year. CM

  • Ever heard of the little city / community of Kennesaw, GA ?

    Crime statistics

    In 2001, violent crime rates were about 60% below national and state rates. Property crime rates were from 46–56% below national and state rates. From 1999 to 2011, Kennesaw crime statistics reported that both property and violent crimes had decreased, though from 2003 to 2008 the trend in both violent and property crime rates slightly increased.[18] The increase in crime rate overall is attributed to the population growth rate of 37.41%. The population growth rate is much higher than the state average rate of 18.34% and is much higher than the national average rate of 9.71%.[19]

    Gun law

    Kennesaw is noted for its unique firearms legislation in response to Morton Grove, Illinois' law mandating gun prohibition. In 1982 the city passed an ordinance [Sec 34-21]:[20]

    (a) In order to provide for the emergency management of the city, and further in order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, every head of household residing in the city limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefore.

    (b) Exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who suffer a physical or mental disability which would prohibit them from using such a firearm. Further exempt from the effect of this section are

    Some figures speak for themselves .... and some principles apply no matter how many others would like to legislate differently 😉

  • C Mc
    C Mc Posts: 4,463
    edited December 2019

    Nonsense! Have you ever heard of "foolish laws? Why is it America seems to be in love with killing? CM

  • Nonsense! Have you ever heard of "foolish laws? Why is it America seems to be in love with killing? CM

    To those indoctrinated by ideologies even facts and figures are nonsense ....

  • Bill_Coley
    Bill_Coley Posts: 2,675

    @Wolfgang posted:

    Ever heard of the little city / community of Kennesaw, GA ? ...

    Some figures speak for themselves .... and some principles apply no matter how many others would like to legislate differently 😉

    A couple of notes about the Kennesaw, Georgia, example you cite, Wolfgang:

    1) The real world effects of the 1982 law are difficult to discern. Consider THIS REVIEW OF THE DATA.

    2) One of the main reasons the real world effects of the 1982 law are so difficult to discern is that the law does NOT mandate gun ownership. It exempts people of limited financial means, those who due to personal belief or religious doctrine don't want to own guns, and those convicted of felonies. We would have known that from your post had you quoted the (b) paragraph of the law in full: (emphasis added to identify the section you did not include in your quotation - find the ordinance in the city's code HERE, specifically section 34-21)

    • "Exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who suffer a physical or mental disability which would prohibit them from using such a firearm. Further exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who are paupers or who conscientiously oppose maintaining firearms as a result of beliefs or religious doctrine, or persons convicted of a felony."


    As the Snopes.com article makes clear, the city never intended its law to be enforceable. It meant it as a political statement about the Second Amendment.

  • Has anyone else noticed that many of the mass shootings etc. occur in spaces where no armed resistance can be expected (such as schools, etc) ? Disarm more, and armed killers will have more spaces where they need not fear immediate armed resistance ...

    It seems rather clear that in the recent incident in TX, the killing came to a rather quick end (unfortunately too late for 2 victims) ... had there been no armed resistance chances are that a lot more innocent people would have become victims of this attack.

  • C Mc
    C Mc Posts: 4,463

    Wolfgang,

    As an upright citizen of Germany, are you siding with the gun-crazed Americans and their love affair with guns? Don't buy into America's everybody needs to carry gun propaganda. Side with the people of reason. Don't be influenced by the fear of anyone that looks different from you is a threat or potential danger. You are to be thankful that you don't have the American second Amendment.

    Visit America, eat her foods (some), enjoy her sites, but don't adopt her gun-loving, gun-carrying, I'll kill you, before you-kill-me, ways. Wolfgang, be the voice and face of New Germany. 

    Love people, love diversity, and fresh ideas. Live free of guns in your home, the schools, and churches. America, with all her laws and flaws, is becoming afraid of her own shadow. Join me in proclaiming, a gun-free life is real freedom. 

    Guns were made to kill. Trusting in God brings a real thrill. CM

  • Guns were made to kill. Trusting in God brings a real thrill. CM

    Yes, guns were made to provide a means to defend even against life-threatening attacks. Unfortunately, I have come to know situations where an attacker with a knife threatened to kill and did kill someone ... main reason being that the attacked had no sufficiently effective means of defending himself. Would you like to blame him for being killed because he should have trusted in God?

    I would rather have seen him have a gun and pull the trigger and take the attacker out ...

  • C Mc
    C Mc Posts: 4,463

    Bill,

    Is not this site, [Snopes.com] = fake News. The story sounds too good to be true. CM

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