Would you feel safer knowing that your child attended a school run by teachers carrying concealed weapons?

Question

An Oregon high school teacher wants to be able to pack heat due to a restraining order against an ex-husband, who has allegedly made threats to her and her children.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20070918/ts_csm/aselfdefense

If I were a parent, I could see it a lot of ways. The teacher has a right to defend herself against her potentially violent ex-husband. The teacher also has a right to defend herself against potentially violent students (at least at the high school I attended). But I can also see the concern of students attempting to steal the pistol from her (although I acknowledge it's not as likely if she has a license, and presuming that she would keep it on her at all times).

I mean, I can understand the school's policy of not wanting ANYONE who isn't a law enforcement officer to bring firearms on campus. But I also can't say that if I were the teacher that I would entrust school security to respond appropriately to my safety or that of my children and students.

Thoughts?

pusherhombre:

Excellent point. It reminds me of the scene in "Dr. Strangelove" where the Doomsday Machine is supposed to deter a world war by destroying the planet, except nobody knows about it.

I am not familiar with concealed-carry licenses, but can I assume that anybody with said license knows how to properly use the weapon and has been determined to be of sound mind and judgment?

I don't think the article pointed out what subject she teaches, but it might be a good opportunity for a civics lesson in the value of constitutional rights and as (hopefully, but we will see) an example that not all gun owners are dangerous.

Yes, I can see security guards with nonlethal weapons would be an ideal situation. But if I had a potentially violent ex, I would not take my chances.

And if my concern for my safety caused parents to pull their children from my classes, that is their right. And if poor enrollment and low funding caused my supervisors to terminate my position, that is their right. Just as it is my right to change schools or find a job that suits me better.

All great answers. I suppose I feel that the teacher should be given a leave of absence until this situation is dealt with appropriately, as in this case her personal life is absolutely affecting her ability to perform her job effectively if she feels threatened enough to want to bring a gun to a classroom.

Reassignment will only shift the threat to another school or district, and her ex-husband WILL find out easily. That can't be the solution.

In a lot of ways, I agree that you are ultimately responsible for your own safety. Taking into account the hundreds of teachers I have known and the thousands of students I have know, I would MUCH rather that a teacher possess a gun than a student any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Answer 1

I see it a little differently. Because she's a teacher, this threat could be considered a non-direct threat to those she teaches. If she spends most of her day at school, then I think she should fight for the right to keep a gun if she really is that scared. It wouldn't be out of bounds for parents to demand protection (extra security) for this woman specifically, as she teaches their kids - the attention would certainly curb threats from ex-husbands. This woman provides an extremely valuable service to society and should be protected regardless if the threat is from outside or inside the school. A threat is a threat, and a threat to a teacher is a threat to her students and should be treated as such.

It may even be possible for the school to get some sort of assistance to help get her protection... If not the school, then the teacher's union should absolutely be involved.

Answer 2

Would I feel safer? No way. This is just one of a million reasons why I'm homeschooling my kids. You're correct, there are a myriad of reasons why and why not. I choose, not though. My number one reason is this: what happens if/when that gun gets into the wrong hands? How about the hands of a child?! What if that child kills someone? That teacher will pay for that for the rest of her life. The other top reason I have is when people are armed, they are more likely to use that to solve a problem than other means, in a reactionary sense. I don't think it's right to put kids in danger just so a teacher can feel more at peace. I don't think guns should be around kids, especially groups of kids... period. If you can't trust the security at the school, it's time to bring that up in the next teacher's meeting or make one with the principal, not to 'pack heat'.

Answer 3

Part of me says sure, I would much rather have a teacher carrying a weapon to school than a student. But then the part that makes sense says why doesn't the school make sure that extra care is taken to insure her safety. As I understand it the school can actually hire her ex husband as a substitute. If they are not prepared to ensure her safety then how safe does that make the students in her care. Should she have to go on leave for this? Or would it make more sense to deal with the husband that is threatening her. She does have a right to protect herself, but she is also putting the kids in danger just by being there. She should contact a lawyer and in a civil suit sue her husband for everything he's got because her career is basically messed up. They just cannot allow her to carry a gun to school. Imagine what that would do to the school culture here in Oregon. All the teachers would want to carry a gun.

Answer 4

I find it sad that no matter what the reason a gun would have to be in a school. That's like asking a priest if they should carry a gun to have church service. Or a surgeon has to be armed in an operating room.

Someone dropped the ball in the chain of command. If laws were enforced across the board.....we wouldn't be facing this.....right now it's gotten so far out of control....it's become a necessity.

I am one that hates guns. But it has gotten to the point....that for the first time in my life....it's become a necessity. My dad gave me a dime when I started dating to call for help if I needed it. I just gave my daughter pepper spray and a cell phone for the same reasons. A no and a slap in the face isn't enough anymore. Sit down and be quiet isn't enough.....our world isn't better....it's more violent than ever. I wouldn't even THINK of hitting a teacher...let alone get to the point where that was the norm. Hate someone so much you'd go to their place of employment and kill them in front of kids? Wouldn't even THINK it....let alone do it. They have always said thought preceeds the actions.....I never even THOUGHT these things and I'm having a problem realizing people do.

Answer 5

School security? What are you talking about? There are no armed guards in the public schools. No patrols.

The idea a teacher might go crazy and shoot all the students is really kind of stupid. The reason this idea is stupid is because what is to stop that from happening now? Oh, my God! There is writing on a piece of paper in some distant city that says she shouldn't do that. I forgot. We got ourselves a law! Whoopee!

People are responsible for their own defense. The police cannot protect you. What the police do is protect everyone else from the person who attacked you, by tracking him down using the evidence they glean from your blood stained corpse. Got the picture?

Answer 6

I think if she has a violent ex, she should be reassigned. I wouldn't want my child placed in a bad situation because that poor woman married a nut. Of course, I also think the freak ex should be tossed in jail, but that's just my opinion.

I think that, if a teacher is trained in how to handle a fire arm, it might not be a bad idea. Columbine might not have been such a massacre if some of the teachers were packing heat.

Answer 7

Yes. Chances of the teacher getting "pissed" and "shooting everybody" are much less than a child with sociopath influences to get "pissed" and "shoot everybody."

Why? Because teachers, regardless if they are at the bottom of the barrel have had to absorb in their time more schooling, more psychology and more self-control than the vast majority of children up to high school age. I trust them more with a gun.

The role of family in a child's life has been reduced to nothing since our trend toward communism where a child belongs to the state. Many children live with one parent. And even those that live with both, many times are left to be reared by television, as parents have to work two jobs to make ends meet. There are other parents who are just plain neglectful. The result is evident. We have more maladjusted kids today. Television is a great medium, but it's also a dangerous one if it's allowed unchecked (by parents mind you, I'm very much against intruders regulating what a family can or cannot view).

All in all, I would feel safer knowing that my children are in an environment where an adult, instead of standing idly by like has become the custom, can actually, if necessary defend my child from harm.

Answer 8

I think there should be a peace order and that the husband can't come come near the children. We need to have to have social workers and the court for the whole family. Must important stop the use of firearms.

Answer 9

The Constitution guarantees me the right to carry a gun. However, my carrying a gun does not mean I am safer, but rather, it means I am more likely to be killed.
The Bible says, "He who lives by the sword dies by the sword".
No, I would not think any child is safer if a teacher carries a gun; I think that child is in imminent danger.
Most people (including cops) are NOT qualified to handle a weapon (fun) safely.
Liberals don't want us to defend ourselves from the likes of Saddam the Insane or the invading Mexican hordes.
Why would any one want to arm a teacher? The NRA?

Answer 10

NO. I would feel safer if they had security systems in our schools. Teachers carrying guns does not set a good example for students. Students cannot carry weapons to school and neither should teachers. It would infringe on the rights of those teachers who are against guns if they were forced to conceal a gun. I would not entrust a teacher to have a gun while my kids are in school. We do not need guns fighting guns. We need better security systems to stop these "shootouts" from happening in the first place.