A letter I just sent to my state senator...

[Coffee]

Dear Senator,

I am a twenty-seven year old substitute teacher who is attempting to become a full-time teacher in the next school year. I was horrified by the events that occurred at Virginia Tech. I am aware that in the wake of 9/11, airline pilots were given an opportunity, through the completion of a mandated training course, to carry a firearm while conducting their jobs. I am left to wonder why no such similar mechanism exists for teachers.

Obviously, there are numerous problems that would need to be addressed, but, God forbid, in the unlikely event of another school shooting, would it not behoove us to have methods of defending ourselves and, more importantly, our students? Most public schools do have armed personnel, but it has been reported that the two Virginia Tech episodes took 90 seconds to complete, so is it not reasonable to assume that these personnel could ostensibly too far away to respond in time to prevent another tragedy? Would having additional trained personnel not be ideal?

I ask this not because I believe another situation such as Virginia Tech, Columbine, the Amish school in Pennsylvania, or Jonesboro seems likely. I ask because there seems to be no indication that another incident will not occur in the future. I don't believe I would ever have a need to use my firearm, but is it not worth the risk in order to protect against another massacre?

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Thoughts?

[ojc02]

Well said. I'd be interested to see his reply. Sadly logic and politicians don't mix.

[goodsamaritan]

Having teachers packing heat in classrooms would be, for the lack of a better word, "tacky." These incidents are rare enough that we don't need to resort to such measures IMO.

[Coffee]

[ QUOTE ]
Having teachers packing heat in classrooms would be, for the lack of a better word, "tacky." These incidents are rare enough that we don't need to resort to such measures IMO.

[/ QUOTE ]

Expound on this idea further, please...my thoughts are not concrete on this issue as of yet...it is something that has, obviously, only been brewing for a week or two. Why is this such a problem for you? I'm genuinely curious...

[latefordinner]

oh god, if we're only having one thread per topic these days, can we have one "gun cuntrol discussion" thread?

[goodsamaritan]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Having teachers packing heat in classrooms would be, for the lack of a better word, "tacky." These incidents are rare enough that we don't need to resort to such measures IMO.

[/ QUOTE ]

Expound on this idea further, please...my thoughts are not concrete on this issue as of yet...it is something that has, obviously, only been brewing for a week or two. Why is this such a problem for you? I'm genuinely curious...

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't say it is "such" a problem for me. Anyway, it's hard to explain, but I think there are just certain situations where it would be just a breach of decorum for someone to be carrying a gun. I guess its the same reason that I wouldnt want to live in a house that has bars over every window. Yes it would make it slightly safer, but I don't want to feel like I'm living in a prison. I would feel similarly about my kid going to a school in which every teacher is carrying a gun. Its something that I don't think it is worth my kid seeing just to slightly decrease the already minute probability that he gets shot in school. I mean how many kids in the past ten years have been shot in school? Less than 100 I bet, out of millions and millions of children. I'd be much more worried about my child getting killed in a car crash. But hey, if people want to send their kids to school in which the teachers have guns, that is fine with me. I just hope that such a system would never become universal.

[Shadowrun]

Teachers are unstable, if they are allowed to carry guns I think school shootings will go way up.

[slickss]

I go with latefordinner: Gun control and guns on universities has been thoroughly discussed here already.

That said, I think it is a horrible idea to allow all university staff to carry weapons.

[oe39]

all fields should have lightning rods

[hmkpoker]

I gave up on writing my representatives after the UIGEA legislation was voted on by the House. I have an extremely difficult time believing that the number of e-mails in favor of the UIGEA legislation outnumbered the number of e-mails against it.