Alphecca: School Officials to Carry Guns?

January 07, 2006

School Officials to Carry Guns?

If one lawmaker and some school superintendents in Oklahoma have their way, it could happen. Unfortunately there's almost no text to the web story, just the TV news video and I'm home today. My connection is too slow to stream the video. None the less, many here have often said that --possibly-- if some teachers or school officials were armed, some of the school shootings by deranged students could have been prevented or shortened.

Update: Here's More:

Principals and school superintendents could carry guns on school property under a bill filed with the 2006 Oklahoma Legislature.

The measure, by Rep. Glen Bud Smithson, would allow top school officials to carry firearms on school property if they have a gun permit and approval of the school board.

"Our school administrators, especially in rural areas, need to be able to protect their students when violence erupts in the schools," said Smithson, D-Sallisaw, a retired state trooper and firearm safety instructor.

A news release from Smithson quoted Supt. Lucky McCrary of Belfonte School District as saying he is as concerned about burglary and vandalism after school hours as he is about violence while school is in session.

"When an incident takes place in my school, whether during school hours or in the middle of the night, I am the first line of protection for my students, staff and property," McCrary said.

He said his school is 17 miles away from Muldrow, the nearest municipality, and it could take an officer more than half an hour to get to the school.

"I need the authority to protect those I have been entrusted to protect, if necessary," McCrary said.

I see nothing wrong with this idea. It can't hurt, only (hopefully) help if the unthinkable happens.

Posted by Jeff Soyer at January 7, 2006 09:07 AM

Comments

Sorry, Jeff. Myself and others do see something wrong with this idea. http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2006/01/arm-superintendents.html

Posted by: FishOrMan at January 7, 2006 01:51 PM

Jeff, if the video doesn't make it on the Weekly Check on the Bias...

After a summarizing the law as "wanting to put guns, not police officers" in schools, and saying "it's against the law to have a gun on school property, but that could change.", they interview an (announced) gun-ignorant mother, in person, who derides it a 'scary'. They then interview the bill's sponsor by phone. Then they jump to stock classroom footage, and talk about having guns with kids. Then they talk about what some of the districts want, and continue the by-phone interview with the bill's sponsor. Then they talk to an anti-gun UNION boss. They end the footage with the mother saying "If we don't want kids to have them, why should we let adults?" They close the whole piece with a comment, by the anchor, of how rural districts are 30 minutes from the nearest town.

Gee, I wonder which side the broadcasters are on?

Posted by: Darkside007 at January 7, 2006 06:44 PM

"Principals and school superintendents could carry guns on school property..." I see nothing wrong with this idea

Let me fill in for you, then: far too few people, and far too obvious, for there to be much benefit. from this It sounds like one, two, or at most three (if they even do include vice-principals) per site. Way too easy to target as the first victim.

What's wrong with letting any holder of a valid CCW--teacher, parent, or visitor--carry a concealed pistol on school grounds? We do that here in WA, and so do you in VT, minus the bother about the permit, of course. So how much trouble have permit-holders caused in stores, libraries, coffee shops, sidewalks, city and state parks, etc? It may not be zero, but it's close enough that it might as well be.

Posted by: Kirk Parker at January 8, 2006 03:26 AM

Oops, some words got left out. It should have read:

We do that here in WA for other kinds of venues, and so do you in VT...

Although it is true that WA allows CCW holders to have their weapons when picking up or dropping off children at school...

Posted by: Kirk Parker at January 8, 2006 03:28 AM

Note: Comments close down on posts after seven days and then
the comment input form disappears.

Your comments are welcome. You don't need to enter a URL and you don't need a "valid" email address, either. Note though that MT Blacklist is installed to flag suspiciously spam-like strings. Unfortunately, because of the bastard spammers, the strings "google.com" and "yahoo.com" (even in your email address) are currently banned as well. So are strings such as "cialis" (a common spam) which rules out words such as "socialism". Try putting a hyphan in a word like that.

By Golly, you're reading an archived post. Click Here to head to the main page and read current stuff...

Into science fiction? Check out my group blog novel, Colony: Alchibah.
See the reader's guide there for first-timer tips.

Alphecca

Check it out: My group sci-fi blog novel: Colony: Alchibah

January 07, 2006

School Officials to Carry Guns?

By Golly, you're reading an archived post. Click Here to head to the main page and read current stuff...

Check it out:

My group sci-fi blog novel:

Colony: Alchibah