Hellobee Boards

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I posted that letter on my FB. Along with a lot of other things related to this. I've worked in public schools for 16 years now and the fact that we are STILL having this issue makes me so angry.

Yes, it's a multi-pronged issue, but the easiest and probably cheapest (it would actually probably make enough money to pay the personnel required) is to restrict the kinds of people killing weapons that can be bought, require the process to be more rigorous, and more expensive, include a psychological test and a 3 month waiting period, and require one step of the license to be an in-home visit (paid for by the person applying for the license) to make sure the people-killing weapons are stored in a fingerprint safe that no one else can access.

I would support a full-on ban on this type of weapon. It's not used for hunting (if a person hunts with an AR-15, they are terrible at hunting), it's not good for home security. There's really no use for it other than killing humans on a large scale.

Would it be nice if our country could agree that we ALSO need to build the infrastructure around universal health care and easy access to mental health services? SURE! Let's do that too. But the vast majority of the mentally ill aren't violent. And the police can't legally arrest someone for stockpiling weapons or becoming obsessed with violence--the person has to break a law first.

Back to teachers--yes, I think it's ridiculous that there's a vocal minority (I believe they are the minority) that come up with ridiculous "solutions" like, "let's just arm all teachers". It's ridiculous. The only teachers that will run out and get a permit for that are the ones that already have power/authoritarian issues, and they are the last ones I personally would trust with a weapon at school. Teachers are human--there are millions of us in the US. There are teachers who are abusers, who have anger issues, who commit suicide, who are depressed, who are mentally ill, who are just evil--of course there are. To arm them when they should be teaching a subject is insane. How long will it be before an armed teacher loses it and shoots a student for talking back, or not turning in homework?

It's been so heartbreaking to watch all of this unfold. I'm really hoping we really get somewhere this time. I know I'll be going to one of our local marches comes 3/24.

What's making my blood boil is the deflection Trump/Rubio and whoever else taking money from NRA are making. Like on the surface they're "doing something" but it's all lame things that don't make a difference and isn't the issue.

Excuse my language, but as a teacher the idea of arming in the classroom is so fucked up. I live in Texas so you can imagine the various opinions that are being shared by people who have no clue at all about what goes on in a classroom and the implications that arming teachers can have. I took this from a friend’s FB:

Which teachers get guns?
Where will the guns be stored?
Who decides when guns can be brandished?
What penalties will apply if teachers mishandle a weapon?
Will teachers volunteer for gun duty?
Can teachers refuse it?
Who will audit their adherence to regulations?
Will students know which teachers have weapons?
Who will be liable if the teacher with the gun becomes the shooter?
What will be the consequences when students are accidentally shot by a teacher?
How will armed teachers communicate in a tactical situation?
Will teachers with a history of mental illness be allowed to use weapons?
Will teachers be required to disclose any history of mental illness?
Will teachers be issued a weapon? Reimbursed for purchase? For ammunition?
How will administrators conduct non-weapon-related discipline against a teacher?
Will there be armed assistance available to deter workplace shootings?
Who will shepherd the armed teacher’s classroom while the teacher is attempting to locate the active shooter?
What happens when a teacher misidentifies a student as a threat in good faith?
Will teachers who do not carry lethal weapons be offered non lethal alternatives?
If an armed teacher is shot, can another teacher employ his or her weapon?
How will armed teachers identify themselves to arriving first responders?
Will armed teachers be required to learn how to give first-response medicine?
Will armed teachers be required to attempt an arrest before using lethal force? Under what circumstances?
Will proficiency training on weapons count for teachers’ continuing education and professional development?
How will insurers adjust health and other rates to account for the presence of armed employees?
Will teachers receive additional pay for being armed?
how often will armed teachers be re-evaluated for licensing purposes?
Will armed teachers leading field trips deposit their weapons in a personally owned vehicle or school-owned transport?
Will one teacher per wing of a school building receive weapons? Two? Three?
Exactly which standards will count for proficiency—greater than a big-city police department, State Police, FBI, hobbyist, marksman?
In training scenarios, how will using force against innocents be penalized?
Will racial sensitivity courses be required?
Do parents have a right to refuse to send their kids to schools with guns?
Will students have to sign waivers? Will parents? What if a parent signs a waiver for a minor student who, when that student turns 18, refuses to abide by its provisions?
Will teachers on probation be allowed to carry weapons?
What about teachers with active union grievances? Complaints about sexual harassment? Anger management? Divorce proceedings?
Will armed teachers wear holsters?
Will they be stationed strategically during pep rallies or other gatherings?
Will they participate in lockdown drills as if they were armed or unarmed?
Will funding for the policies outlined above be distributed according to local budgets, statewide formulas, or national formulas?
Will schools in high-risk neighborhoods receive more or less funding? Suburban schools?
What is the right ratio of armed:unarmed teachers by grade level?
What is the procedure for debriefing and assessing armed teachers’ performance during a crisis?
Can an armed teacher who flinches be fired? Can an armed teacher who breaks protocol be rewarded?
Will preschool teachers have guns?
Will teachers in “juvie” (high risk) schools have guns?
Will the teacher or the school be liable if their gun is stolen?
Can administrators carry weapons? Can they do so in disciplinary situations?

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: And even more, the latest news is that the armed guard didn't do what he was supposed to do, but he waited outside instead of going in as was the protocol.

@Boopers: 100% yes and amen. Teacher in AZ over here.

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: thanks for sharing this. Especially with everyone blaming and shaming the armed officer who chose to wait outside for 4 mins while the shooting was going on. His little gun couldnt defend him against the AR 15 that the shooter had. He probably just wanted to get home to his family.
Laws change over time to stay relevant. The 2nd amendment needs restrictions because we don't need everyone armed for war.

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: oh, yes, I saw that suggestion 🙄 it’s pretty offensive to suggest we give teachers bonuses for bringing guns to work,, but yet we won’t pay them a decent wage to, you know, teach.

Trump spoke today at CPAC. Most of what he said infuriated me, but what stuck with me the most was his statement that these maniacs wouldn’t enter schools if they knew teachers had guns. He has no concept of mental illness...

Many of these shooters (maybe not the Parkland though) are actively suicidal. They want to inflict as much damage as they can and then die. The thought of someone else shooting them does not scare them.

Not to mention, a small handgun is no match for these automatic guns these guys have....

@Mrsbells: From what we know so far, I think the armed officer should have gone in. I also think that LEOs are often put in harms way because the public doesn't want them to look or feel a certain way, but it's his job and I think he should have gone in. This is something he should have been trained for. I'd like to hear what he has to say...