Wolf should reconsider veto of school gun bill

[ShooterInPA1]

Gov. Wolf wants to protect schools from mass public shootings by hiring “trained security professionals like school resource or police officers.” But a bill passed last week by the Senate Education Committee would allow school boards to let staff carry on school property as long as they have a concealed handgun permit and have gone through police-related firearms training. Wolf has already promised to veto the bill.

The governor should reconsider. Letting teachers and staff carry concealed handguns is nothing new in the United States, and there has been good reason for allowing it. Police virtually always arrive after an attack has occurred. Police are very important to fighting crime, but stopping mass public shootings is a uniquely difficult challenge.

For police and security guards, wearing a uniform is often akin to wearing a neon sign saying “Shoot me first,” making them easy targets for attackers. The benefit of concealed carry is that the attackers won’t know who is a threat to them. In addition, putting police in schools is also incredibly costly, much more so than staff and volunteers who are already working at the schools.

The fear of ending “gun-free zones” is misplaced. Prior to the early 1990s, states that allowed concealed carry didn’t have any special restrictions concerning carrying on K-12 property. And there weren’t any problems.

Twenty-four states now allow teachers and staff to carry, though the rules vary across states. Alabama, Utah, New Hampshire, and parts of Oregon leave it up to the teachers and staff to carry. The rules in other states are more similar to the Pennsylvania Senate bill and require the approval of the superintendent or the school board, For example, in neighboring Ohio, at least 40 school districts allow teachers to carry.


http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion...-gun-bill.html

[FJW]

Gov. Wolf wants to protect schools from mass public shootings by hiring “trained security professionals like school resource or police officers.” But a bill passed last week by the Senate Education Committee would allow school boards to let staff carry on school property as long as they have a concealed handgun permit and have gone through police-related firearms training. Wolf has already promised to veto the bill.

The governor should reconsider. Letting teachers and staff carry concealed handguns is nothing new in the United States, and there has been good reason for allowing it. Police virtually always arrive after an attack has occurred. Police are very important to fighting crime, but stopping mass public shootings is a uniquely difficult challenge.

For police and security guards, wearing a uniform is often akin to wearing a neon sign saying “Shoot me first,” making them easy targets for attackers. The benefit of concealed carry is that the attackers won’t know who is a threat to them. In addition, putting police in schools is also incredibly costly, much more so than staff and volunteers who are already working at the schools.

The fear of ending “gun-free zones” is misplaced. Prior to the early 1990s, states that allowed concealed carry didn’t have any special restrictions concerning carrying on K-12 property. And there weren’t any problems.

Twenty-four states now allow teachers and staff to carry, though the rules vary across states. Alabama, Utah, New Hampshire, and parts of Oregon leave it up to the teachers and staff to carry. The rules in other states are more similar to the Pennsylvania Senate bill and require the approval of the superintendent or the school board, For example, in neighboring Ohio, at least 40 school districts allow teachers to carry.


http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion...-gun-bill.html

I am kind of for having armed school employees.....but here's the thing: What if a group of shrewd teens jumps the teacher with a gun and they bring a backpack full of magazines or ammo to boot. Then we might have more school shootings not less. As much as I feel that it takes good people with guns to stop bad people with guns, this is truly a way this plan could backfire. And then the libs will start to make schools more and more like concentration camps as a result. The situation is a real doozy.

[RenoV8]

I am kind of for having armed school employees.....but here's the thing: What if a group of shrewd teens jumps the teacher with a gun and they bring a backpack full of magazines or ammo to boot. Then we might have more school shootings not less. As much as I feel that it takes good people with guns to stop bad people with guns, this is truly a way this plan could backfire. And then the libs will start to make schools more and more like concentration camps as a result. The situation is a real doozy.

When you go into any situation with qualifiers, you end getting nothing done. I will trust those who are put in charge to establish these protocols, will seek and retain those who are in the know, to help them make the right choices.

[Bang]

I got a better more sensible what if. What if a person enters a school and begins shooting a lot of people, and the shooting continues for minutes until the guns needed to stop him (responding police officers) get there.

This what if is based on what happens every time. Keep repeating this scenario hoping for a different outcome.

[dkf]

Doubt he will change his mind. All he cares about is throwing money at schools and throwing money at druggies.

[PocketProtector]

Well not really at Schools, at Teacher Unions, the lefty voting block and Indoctrination leaders

As far as the bill, no evaluation will be considered, simply his left wing disarmament nonsense will rule the day

[Walleye Hunter]

Not really a big surprise for a Democrat but he should change his mind. A legal gun toting citizen is a law abiding citizen

[NikeBauer21]

I am kind of for having armed school employees.....but here's the thing: What if a group of shrewd teens jumps the teacher with a gun and they bring a backpack full of magazines or ammo to boot. Then we might have more school shootings not less. As much as I feel that it takes good people with guns to stop bad people with guns, this is truly a way this plan could backfire. And then the libs will start to make schools more and more like concentration camps as a result. The situation is a real doozy.

I know this sounds restrictive, and I hate the thought of them, but you could start with allowing those "smart" guns. I know they're janky and not 100% reliable, but it would be a step forward, and might appease the left a little bit. Another idea would be not allowing the teacher to have the firearm on their person, but in a lock box or safe of some sort. Again, not ideal, but we're talking baby steps here. We need to move in the right direction, instead of backwards. At the very least, a safe would allow a teacher access to the firearm in a worst case scenario, and instead of shelter in place and wait to die, they have a fighting chance... especially with training.

Again, I know we all want unrestricted carry, essentially... But we need to get moving in the right direction, and steps like these may be the key to moving forward... maybe..

[WhiteFeather]

Have people forgotten, we used to have students bring guns to schools, some to go hunting after schools, some used to have live fire at schools and schools used to have shooting ranges for children to learn how to shoot, some schools used to have competition between schools and travel to different schools.

What is amazing a few rare schools in PA still do allow students to bring their guns to schools to compete against other school districts!

Prior to creating gun free schools zones school shooting were extremely rare, afterwards with the ban in place against guns, they have skyrocketed.

Maybe it’s time to turn the clock back and start teaching firearm safety in schools, make is mandatory.

After it all if for the children’s sake and if teaching firearm safety saves one child’s life it’s worth everyone else being put out.

[ Is not the core argument the anti-gunners make against US? ]

Maybe it’s time to come back to reality of what teaching was supposed to be...... instead of political indoctrination for some fracking BS ..PC agenda!

[Gunsnwater]

It's more important for wolf to be anti-gun then it is for him to protect our children.