Should we pray that there are no teachers carrying guns in schools and why?

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   whonunuwhoposted 11 years ago

   Should we pray that there are no teachers carrying guns in schools and why?
   
   Should teachers carry guns? I beg the public to urge boards of education to have an armed guard, and not teachers.
   
   

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   Georgiakevinposted 11 years ago

   As a teacher and as one who believes in the value of gun ownership  I am in favor of praying that no teacher carries a gun. I have taught special education for 15 years in  3 states. I have guaranteed that my students and staff will always be safe. To keep that guarantee I have lost two teeth, been hit countless times hard enough to see stars 6 times, spit at, bitten, kicked and had 2 ribs broken. I had my life threatened by a student who was mentally ill. I have stopped fights, and prevented fights from being started.  While doing that I have also changed unknown numbers of pullups, administered meds and taught students how to eat. We are also expected to teach students morals,right from wrong, done mountains of paperwork oh and while doing all of that I have taught life skills and academics to students who find learning very challenging.
   
   My attention is on so many things, though I can shoot a gun and sometimes even hit what I am aiming at sometimes but to use a gun as a way of protecting my students I would have to be able to focus on the gun than I have time for. In addition a good owner does not keep a loaded weapon where students or anyone else for that matter could borrow it or steal it. By the time I could load my gun it would be too late to use it as a way to defend my students. I have enough to focus on.
   
   I always go to school willing to put my life on the line for  my students and staff. Sometimes I have been called to do just that. Thank God I have not had a loaded weapon to consider.

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      whonunuwhoposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      A heartfelt answer my friend and your experiences mirror my own as well as the troubles we all have already in classrooms. whonu

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   Larry Wallposted 11 years ago

   Georgiakevin gave an excellent explanation. I would like to take it one step further. If a teacher has a gun, and the intruding shooter, suspects the teacher is armed, guess who is going to be the first victim. Next, we require teachers to earn college degrees, take enrichment courses, etc. Are we going to require that they take courses in shooting and eliminate the teachers who fail to hit the target as being a menace to the safety of our children.
   
   Finally, as I stated in another answer, how many teachers are going to be willing to take the "kill shot." Holding a gun will not scare a person who expects to die. Attempting to wound him could end up hurting a student. Do we really, want to put our teachers in the position of having to make the split-second decisions on whether someone is an armed gunman, or just a not-so-neat looking parent looking for his child's classroom?

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      Georgiakevinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You are spot on with your comment Larry

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   lburmasterposted 11 years ago

   A Texas father stolled into his daughters public school and said, "I am a gunman" to the greeter. The greeter froze in shock and the father was able to continue on his way in the school down to the offices. He encountered a few other individuals to which he said, "I'm a gunman. You're dead, you're dead". Finally, after shocking everyone, he explains it was a test to see what the school would do if a gunman had entered the location. He demanded to speak to the principle.
   If this guy, a father, can walk into a school without a weapon and get that far, I'd say every teacher needs a gun. Luckily in my area, some of the gun ranges are giving free shooting and training sessions to teachers and educators.

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      Georgiakevinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      And that will help how?

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      lburmasterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      By helping teachers be prepared to protect their students.

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      Georgiakevinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      So what data supports this as a solution?

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      lburmasterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      There is none because we've never done a test with it. I think we should have a test round, because what we are doing isn't working well.

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      Georgiakevinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      As a teacher who works in the trenches and a responsible gun owner I believe that this will create a lot more problems. Should fire departments, movie theater employees and post offices also be armed?

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      lburmasterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Fire departments aren't armed?! Movie theater and post office, I don't believe should be. They aren't common targets. I expected more from fire departments. A criminal will think twice about fighting a place where he knows there will be guns.

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      Georgiakevinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Or maybe he will shoot first so he removes any chance of being shot at. If he comes in to my classroom I am teaching even if I have a gun in my belt. Who gets of the first shot?

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      lburmasterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Common sense, the teacher. At least one has to die so the others know there is danger. There is no fool proof system, but this will prevent the numbers of students and teachers being killed.

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      Larry Wallposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Schools should not let people walk the halls. Many schools require parents to check in and get a pass. That they wear. If someone sees a person without a pass, the police should be called.

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       lburmasterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I agree, Larry.

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   11. 59

       Georgiakevinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       You need to observe teachers and how much is involved  in educating our children. I don't care how good a shot I am the odds are against me shooting first. This would make things worse not better.

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5. 53

   whonunuwhoposted 11 years ago

   What if one of those he greeted with this message pulled a gun and shot him down?

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      Georgiakevinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think of that too.

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   Missy Macposted 11 years ago

   Great question!  I would not have became a teacher if It was mandatory to carry a gun.  An educator has to make thousands of decisions each day regarding learning and behavior, safety and assessments.  I would like to see public educations find more money for security in the building.  Teachers are already on the front lines in a figurative sense and carrying a gun will change our roles.

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      Georgiakevinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Our school district talks a good game but they aren't willing to spend  money on improving the building where I work because it's so old and in the next 3-5 years a new or remodeled school will replace the current one so we stay vulnerable to attack.

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   ladybluewriterposted 11 years ago

   What values are we teaching that teachers must carry guns? What happened to the games that we stand against in violence or inappropriate behaviors? Are we not telling students a teacher can become violent just like the person who commits the crime.  How is a teacher's judgment to shoot down a student with a weapon appropriate at any time. Personally after having taught children with behavior and conduct disorders as well as students that have been bullied over the edge, then it scares me to think a teacher can decide life or death for someone. I would rather see identification of children in need of help before this happens, and the stopping of bullying to the point it causes a child to go over the edge.  I say leave protecting the school in the hands of the administration, who should guard and watch over the students and teachers, and hire those in public or private schools that are trained in defensive skills.  What if I had shot and killed a student that walked in my kitchen in home economics and was bullied to the point he thought his only self defense was to pick up a knife and threaten to kill other students. Folks it happened.  As a teacher I had to talk that knife off that 14 year old boy. He was pushed and ridiculed for having bosoms. He had a XX chromosome problem he was born with. I could not change what happened, but I could say to the ones doing the bullying that pushing someone to that link tears them up inside.  I was scared i admit, but I gave my students support and that is one time I had to rely on the inner feelings of what I had shown to that child. Should I have shot him down and asked questions later on? I think not. ......Over the course of 29 years in education and the multitude of problems with special needs as well as conduct disordered and children of homes that are dysfunctional, then I think working on socialization skills and values education is definitely needed. Would I want my students to be afraid of me with a gun? How much are they going to learn from you then? I look back on the students that had severe problems, and now know that teachers have to show the way. It is not the way to crime and distrust.

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      whonunuwhoposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for sharing your experiences and saying what needed to be said, ladybluewriter.

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      Georgiakevinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Your comment is spot on! Every teacher has their horror stories. Once time I was told by a student that he was hearing voices telling him to kill me. What if I had a gun & shot him?  He was mentally ill. He needed help not hurt.

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   Genna Eastposted 11 years ago

   Excellent question, Who.  To have to have armed guards or policemen is bad enough.  Heavens, we’re beginning to look and act like certain parts of the Middle East.   But teachers?  Absolutely not.  When I heard that broached as a possible solution (janitors were another – no offense to Ohio), I just cringed, and for all the reasons stated here.   I mean, are they mad or just not thinking?

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