BREAKING: 20 injured in stabbings at Pennsylvania school

a reply to: Daedalus

I'm not trying to be a bitch but you don't think that arming teachers is not adding to an already bad problem?
I will say, I can meet you half way on this. Having what we call 'air marshals' or 'hall marshals' in school, even if it's unknown and switched around a bit, may help. But I can't see putting the choice of life or death, of their students, into their hands would be a good idea. Honestly, I don't think many teachers would adopt this program, even if allowed to make the choice themselves.

originally posted by: AnteBellum
a reply to: Daedalus

I'm not trying to be a bitch but you don't think that arming teachers is not adding to an already bad problem?
I will say, I can meet you half way on this. Having what we call 'air marshals' or 'hall marshals' in school, even if it's unknown and switched around a bit, may help. But I can't see putting the choice of life or death, of their students, into their hands would be a good idea. Honestly, I don't think many teachers would adopt this program, even if allowed to make the choice themselves.

how is it adding to an already bad problem?

you're a teacher, school is in lockdown, you know there's a shooter or stabber roaming the building....you're armed...he/she busts into your room, you identify, and you open fire. you've killed the piece of crap, and protected your students, and countless other students....this is not a bad thing..

you're a teacher, you're armed. one of your students goes nuts, and decides to just start stabbing people, you shoot the student. you've just saved yourself, the rest of your class, and who knows how many others....this is not a bad thing..

i'm not saying just GIVE a teacher a gun....train them, make sure they can use it without screwing up...

i mean, what's the alternative? call the police? wait however long for them to get there, and then wait for them to move in? how many more die in that time? will you still be alive when they get there?

that solution seems to have worked out SO well, up to now....

a reply to: Daedalus

It's not adding to the problem until a teacher makes a mistake and kills a student. Law of averages, eventually it will happen.
Calling the police doesn't work in these extreme cases, just like you said.
I think all teachers should be allowed to carry tasers, it's non-lethal and effective for the most part. I also like the idea of having 'Hall Marshals', I think an inside undercover staff member, armed to the teeth, wouldn't be a bad idea. But for something like Columbine, there really is no effective defense.
And if we make the schools as protected as prisons, they will know and go somewhere else(path of least resistance). Playgrounds, malls, stadiums, zoos, museums, events like races, even Chucky Cheese. The point I'm getting at is, they have already won, they already made their point and now our freedom is a little less free no matter what we do.

And I'm not condemning the idea itself just its application. I know most teachers in my daughters elementary school would rather be shot then shoot a child, even one with a gun. The only exception being if they were going to kill another student, maybe.