Teachers Packing Guns - America Reinforces Its Cowboy Image
The news release that a Texas School District could be the first in the nation to allow teachers and staff to pack guns for protection was deemed so preposterous it received a prominent spot on the Nutty News Network.
But the story is legit - the Houston Chronicle website notes that Trustees at the Harrold Independent School District have approved a district policy change that allows school employees to carry concealed firearms. And listening to Superintendent David Thweatt, the move is a necessary one to to deter and protect against school shootings.
School Gun-Free Zones the Problem
Lest there be any doubt about his viewpoints on the matter, Thweatt offered the following comments:
“When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones, that’s when all of these shootings started. Why would you put it out there that a group of people can’t defend themselves? That’s like saying ’sic ‘em’ to a dog.”
While Thweatt insisted that the school district has other security measures in place to prevent a school shooting, he noted:
“We have a lock-down situation, we have cameras, but the question we had to answer is, ‘What if somebody gets in?’ What are we going to do? It’s just common sense.”
Common Sense?
In the blogosphere, the headlines have been masterful. Among the beauties were: “Don’t Mess With Texas”; “This Seems Like a Great Idea. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?”; “The Teachers Can Now Join the Fun”; “Licensed to Teach and Pack Heat”; and “Gee, Let Me Think A Minute…. Why Do I Homeschool?” And then there was the title that reflected the sad commentary on our entire culture, “Is This the Future of School in America?”
Advocates noted there would be expectations placed on those “allowed to pack some heat.” Staff will be required to “have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun; must be authorized to carry by the district; must receive training in crisis management and hostile situations and have to use ammunition that is designed to minimize the risk of ricochet in school halls.”
Yes, reduced-risk, ricochet bullets!
Return to the Days of the Wild West
News reports were unclear as to “how many of the 50 or so teachers and staff members will be armed this fall.” According to Thweatt, that information would not be disclosed so that it could not be exploited by students or potential attackers.
Meanwhile, all we can think of is the cartoons that have been the mainstay of the George Bush presidency, the ones depicting the former Governor of Texas as an out-of-control cowboy with the nickname “Dubya.” Our guess is that across the civilized world, the actions of the Harrold Independent School District not only reinforces the image of Bush but gives everyone the impression that we Americans are all a bunch of cowboys.
Because, as Jennifer Radcliffe writes at the Chronicle, this fall in America, it is the 4 R’s: Reading, Writin’, ‘Rithmetic, and Revolvers.
Flickr photos courtesy of Study of Ethics and In Toon With the World.
7 comments
I agree that “gun free zones” are ridiculous, because the only people who obey that are by definition law abiding citizens. Do you really think a lunatic with a gun cares what your school’s or company’s or [insert anything]’s policy is regarding guns? NO. They enter and shoot. If you think it’s absurd for people to be able to defend themselves, then I’m not sure you understand the constitution.
[...] Texas proposal simply reinforce the American “cowboy” image as suggested by the Open Education website? Or, would teachers and parents feel the students were safer knowing a someone on [...]
I am not sure where to begin. First of all I suggest reading the following article on how Israel which has a much longer history with terrorism/ mass murders then we do delt with the problem. http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/ayoob81.html
After that I think that it could be argued that “gun free zones” are targets of cowardly criminals. When was the last time you heard about someone attempting to commit mass murder at a police station or a shooting range? If either of those have EVER happened they certainly have not happened at the same rate as school shootings. Think about that one for a minute. If criminals like to go to places where victims are forcibly disarmed then maybe we should not forcibly disarm Americans and make them victims.
I will leave you with a final question. If God forbid your child was in a school that had an deranged shooter would you want a sane rational (noncriminal) person with a gun there ? I know that I would like someone there to give that coward an Excedrin headache number .357 and protect the children.
My comments echo those of andrew and theotherryan.
Gun-free zones are little more than target-rich environments; criminals know this, which is why you hear regular stories of school shootings and school massacres.
If armed teachers frighten you, at the college level, there is http://concealedcampus.org/ - striving to ensure that college students can come to school legally armed.
Teachers are as much sheepdogs for our children as the police and military are. Let these sheepdogs have teeth.
Oh, and America is not the first country to arm its teachers; Israel’s teachers are armed and have been for some time. Except there, it is not an option.
If one purpose of public education is to entrust children to the care and safety of others, a means must be provided to those caretakers and protectors to actually defend their charges.
Failure to do so only ensures inevitable tragedy.
I guess that I am just confused about the hypocrisy in fearing teachers that carry firearms may negligently injure someone, while at the same time, entrusting those same teachers with the minds of your children for more time during the week than some parents put in.
Basically, we demonize and fear a low-probability damaging event, but we champion and cherish a guaranteed means of damaging numerous students over a course of years. The words of teachers can be powerfully motivating or powerfully destructive; arguably far moreso than a gunshot can be.
It just isn’t newsworthy, so we mock education and teachers instead of supporting them.
Sorry, it is hard to come down from my soap box, sometimes.
so many young lives cut down before they ever get started .if one teacher orstudent or even a janitor had a gun they could have stopped this.if you are worried about the american image being cowboy then i say gettyup!!!
[...] Texas proposal simply reinforce the American “cowboy” image as suggested by the Open Education website? Or, would teachers and parents feel the students were safer knowing a someone on [...]
I think qualified teachers should carry a CONCEALED sidearm and by qualified I dont mean they took a few classes. The majority of teachers I’ve met would not be “qualified” but if you had 1 teacher in 10 that was an acceptionally good shot and had the “badass” personality I guarantee you that alone would deter students from bringing a gun into a school. But then again my school had a full time police officer. Gotta love Texas. Although I believe where I live, not alot of people pull guns on each other or threaten with them because everyone has a gun. Checks and balances. Anyways give a few teachers guns. No offense but a city kid would be an easy taketown for an expirienced marksman. Most city kids grew up on video games while I shot rabbits with a 9mm. Maybe allow them real bullets (soft tip/hollowpoints) and a clip with rubber bullets.
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