Oregon teacher fights to take gun to class

[NineseveN]

http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...CHER-GUN-1.xml

Teacher fights to take gun to class
Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:52am ET
By Teresa Carson

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - An Oregon high school teacher on Tuesday sued for her right to bring a gun into the classroom for personal protection, clashing with anti-gun advocates fighting for years to rid U.S. schools of weapons.

The teacher, who has a legal permit to carry a concealed handgun, filed a lawsuit against the Medford school district in southwestern Oregon to overturn the district's rule that prohibits teachers from bringing a weapon onto school grounds.

The standoff between the teacher and the school district has grabbed the attention of both sides of the national gun debate.


After a student shot dead 32 people at Virginia Tech University in April, some pro-gun advocates have argued that teachers and perhaps students should be armed to prevent such tragedies in the future.

"The right to protect yourself is natural, God-given and should not be taken away," said Kevin Starrett, executive director of the Oregon Firearms Federation, which is paying for the teacher's legal bills.

"State law unequivocally allows her to do this," he said.

School safety became a national issue after the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado in which two students killed 13 people. Anti-gun advocates used the tragedy as an example of the need for tighter gun controls.

The teacher's identity is being concealed to protect her from an abusive ex-husband who has made threats against her and her two children. She said the school district cannot adequately protect her.

The lawsuit was filed in Oregon's state Circuit Court in Jackson County and a hearing is set for mid-October.

The 12,370-student school district argues that being gun-free is a condition of her employment.

"We are saying that the school district has the right to regulate the conduct of its employees to foster a safe environment for students and staff," said Tim Gerking, the school district's attorney.


"If they prevail, will other staff members also want to start carrying weapons? What might happen if the gun got into the wrong hands?" said Gerking.

[MarcS]

"If they prevail, will other staff members also want to start carrying weapons? What might happen if the gun got into the wrong hands?" said Gerking.

Your armed teachers would shoot them, dipshit. problem solved.

[markheck1]

AAAAGGGHHHH!!!! where's that head banging smiley when you need it?

"What if it well into the wrong hands?" what if it didn't?

"If they prevail, will other staff members also want to start carrying weapons?" Hopefully. then you won't see nutbags thinking school kids are EASY PREY!

I just don't get...really....

[brewguy]

What if her nut job husband comes into the school and kills her and her class. They should probably just fire her as a precautionary measure. She is endangering the kids just by coming to work.

I want to see the kids at VT sue the school for not protecting them. My forcing them to give up their ability to do it themselves the school assumes that responsibility. Maybe that would shut up the gun grabbers!

[RandomTask]

AAAAGGGHHHH!!!! where's that head banging smiley when you need it?

[Mtbkski]

Makes you wish there was something we could do to support her. I wish her the best. I agree with carrying in school, it will stop another VA. slaughter from happening again.

Even if the teachers never shot a round. Imagine how much more cautious and slowly the guy in VA. would have moved thru the school if he thought the teachers were all armed. He wouldn't have just strolled the halls busting into classrooms. This in itself would have saved lives.
Same for Columbine. All they did was roam around at ease. Shooting who and where they wanted to. Afraid of no one. That needs to change. Give the teachers the "option" to arm themselves if they want to.

[brewguy]

Makes you wish there was something we could do to support her. I wish her the best. I agree with carrying in school, it will stop another VA. slaughter from happening again.

Even if the teachers never shot a round. Imagine how much more cautious and slowly the guy in VA. would have moved thru the school if he thought the teachers were all armed. He wouldn't have just stolled the halls busting into classrooms. This in itself would have saved lives.
Same for Columbine. All they did was roam around at ease. Shooting who and where they wanted to. Afraid of no one. That needs to change. Give the teachers the "option" to arm themselves if they want to.

I think even more than that the schools need to be held accountable. The school is creating the death zone.

[Dan77]

What if a shot is fired in a school....misses it's intended mark and kills a student.............Now what ????


A school is no place for a gun....I work in a school, have a carry permit, but not allowed to have a gun on school property or in my truck on school property.

[brewguy]

What if a shot is fired in a school....misses it's intended mark and kills a student.............Now what ????


A school is no place for a gun....I work in a school, have a carry permit, but not allowed to have a gun on school property or in my truck on school property.

What if shot is not fired and BG fires 15 and kills 15 kids?

What if becuae BG knows guns are in school, BG chooses to not go in the first place??

There are many different options and scenerios of What if.

If BG busts into your class room and starts shooting what will you do? How are you prepared to protect your students?

[ChamberedRound]

What if a shot is fired in a school....misses it's intended mark and kills a student.............Now what ????


A school is no place for a gun....I work in a school, have a carry permit, but not allowed to have a gun on school property or in my truck on school property.

I strongly disagree. I agree that children with guns in school is a problem, but there should be nothing wrong with school staff or faculty responsibly carrying a firearm for the protection of everyone in the school. Preventing guns in school isn't going to stop a BG from bringing a gun to school. It's that simple. In fact, BGs are more likely to target a school because they know no one is armed.

Take a look at this report, for example:
http://www.pafoa.org/forum/general-2...n-control.html

I'm paraphrasing, but the report states that the mere presence of a gun can prevent a crime. The report also shows criminals stating that they're going to carry a weapon regardless of the law; after all, that's why they're CRIMINALS. Also listen to the part about the Appalachian School of Law; a crime was stopped by a law abiding citizen carrying a weapon. This is especially import to this discussion as it shows that weapons in schools aren't necessarily a risk or danger.

In addition to the above video, read the following article by Massad Ayoob, a US citizen, retired policeman, and someone at the forefront of firearms training and self-defense. In particular, read the section "When Homeland Security Hits Home". It describes an incident of an Israeli class which was defended from a terrorist attack by a group of armed teachers and volunteer parents.

If someone wishes to do harm to anyone in a school, they're going to try and do so regardless of the rules in place; it's going to happen whether the administration of the school likes it or not. Given that simple truth, one would think that the school and the employees of a school would want to be prepared for ANY possibility. Our schools have a nurse to prepare for the inevitability that someone will get sick. They have first aid kids and in some cases, defibrillators to prepare for the possibility that someone will get hurt. Why do they not allow faculty and staff to have weapons to prepare for the possibility that someone outside the school's (and even the law's) influence may try to do them harm?