Thanks so much, NRA

[pieces o nine]

Naturally, I chose the FOXNews link for this.

South Dakota governor signs bill allowing armed teachers in the classroom

Yeah, so all of the serious teachers I know speak to not having enough time to teach as much or as well as they'd like, in order to teach to the test. They speak about losing planning periods to police the lunch room, or the hallways, or study halls, or the playground in younger grades -- or to add another section, or another prep. They speak about the stress and expense of keeping up their own qualifications through their own continuing education or development programs. They speak about the stress of trying to maintain discipline in classrooms where a few students know they are "untouchable" no matter how much they disrupt or act aggressively to other students. And now, the Charlton Heston Wannabees are going to be adding *this* to their overloaded days, and those of their unarmed peers.

This law is a terrible, terrible idea. Law enforcement officers are (a) trained to use deadly force (b) under confusing or chaotic situations (c) as a last resort. The fallout of a shooting is not pleasant, and the fallout from a shooting that involves civilians is even less so. The burden of responsibility this puts on administrators and educators is ridiculous; the political party which constantly screams for smaller government has just enacted a law which itself screams for serious oversight, training, practice, and qualification to permit. None of that has been taken into consideration, and if it does occur it will be at the expense of an already cash-strapped educational district always looking for courses and programs to cut. What happens the first time a troubled student finds the weapon of a lax teacher (and there are enough of both to pose a hazard)? When a teacher shoots the wrong student in an incident, or "proactively" shoots a student who they think is armed? Or injures other students due to ricocheting bullets (or bullets passing through partitions or non-masonry walls)? Or shoots a peer?

Thanks so much, fearmongering NRA hench-minions. This is appalling.

[Bluenose]

Umm, call me a bleeding heart liberal, but I thought a teacher's job is to teach, not shoot people. But maybe that's just me.

[Griffin NoName]

UGH! Stuck for expletives.

Might I suggest, if this is bible belt, that the teachers arms should be slingshots? They didn't have guns in them bible times.

It's not just teachers who don't get to do their day job anymore. Seems endemic to modern jobsworth.

[Sibling DavidH]

Teenage boys running loose with pistols, showing off how macho they are.  Wonderful.

[Opsa]

If they ever try that here, I will take my child out of school.

[pieces o nine]

That's a very sane response, Opsa.

Unfortunately, there is a loud segment of the US population (both general and elected) which seems absolutely determined to dismantle public education one way or another. Their outrage to (a) "free" and (b) not god-oriented is driving theme to create and enforce much of the idiocy eating away at education  now. I don't think it's paranoia to suspect that some of the cold-hearted, cold-blooded obstruction to gun restrictions is being turned to advantage now to help undermine public schools in a new area. It is revolting.



Landover Baptist wrote on this years ago. It was funny then because it was fiction.

[Opsa]

There is also loud outcry against it. My voice is among those.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

As if the poor teachers need yet another serious threat to worry about:  being shot by a college who was not trained in the use of a concealed firearm, but carried one anyway... meh.

Fortunately, many of those who choose the ill-paid career of teaching the young, also tend to fall on the liberal side of things, and will refuse to participate.

Unfortunately, even that leaves a significant fraction who are not so well adjusted, and will gleefully take this opportunity to go a'packin' ... meh.

I suppose it will take just one teacher who snaps his nut, and goes on a shooting spree using a legally-carried firearm in a school, before this idiocy is curtailed.  Alas for all the dead who must pay the ultimate price for a stupid legislature/governor who is simply pandering to teh stupid, to gain political favor.

... where's Chatty's smiting stick, when we really need it?   The governor who signed that abysmal piece of stupid, is in sore need of some smitin'

[Bluenose]

You know, my country is far from perfect, but I cannot imagine what the response would be if some politician proposed something like this here.  The chance that he or she would continue to hold a seat in parliament would be pretty slim, I am sure.  This is definitely one of those things that Aussies would think of as "only in America". Of course, I realise that an awful lot of Americans have the same response, it is just a very noisy minority that seem to hold way more power than their numbers should allow.  I suppose with 300 million people even a minority can be a very large number.  To me, the only solution is a long term one and it is education.  This might have the side benefit of reducing the amount of fundamentalist bible thumpers, at least one can hope.  Regrettably, it seems that education is one of those things also under attack by the same people.  

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I heard the voices of the nutbags, but making it a reality is their dream come true. Of course they can complement that law with one currently in the books in the state of Florida, the Stand Your Ground Law, that basically allows gun happy owners to kill without risk of going to prison (successfully used as defense in many cases and despite a "review board" remains intact).

I wish evil to the NRA and their corporate owners at this point.

[pieces o nine]

I"m expecting some kind of Stand Your Ground  law to be attempted next, as the liability issues for (of necessity) unknown person or persons, who may or may not be packing heat, in a public school, is the stuff of litigation dreams nightmares.


[edit]  I'm attaching a link that will work in the states from the last Colbert Report.

Arizona's Gun Posse
Tuesday February 12, 2013
Volunteer school guards perform weapons drills with Steven Seagal, but history proves that many have already had extensive experience with police.
Sheriff Arpaio  [yeah dujes, *that* Sheriff Arpaio]  has brainstormed armed volunteer "posses" patrolling schools. Stephen comments,

Now, folks, filling our schools with gun-toting guys who have nowhere to be during work hours might give some parents pause, but rest assured Mom and Dad, these volunteer posses...are getting top-notch training.

Responding to the reveal that weapons drills and training -- with teachers and students present -- is being conducted by Steven Seagal, who claimed he's put "hundreds of thousands if not millions of hours into [his] weapons training,"  Colbert quipped,

That's right, millions  of hours. Now, now, I know, a million hours is technically a hundred and fifteen years...which sounds crazy...but then again, so does asking Steven Seagal to train your posse.

He added,

But for some reason, Arizona Democrat Chad Campbell called using Seagal as an instructor ludicrous,  adding, "Why don't we also have Clint Eastwood and Chuck Norris and Bruce Willis come out and train them too while we're at it?"  [audience cheers wildly]  Well, come on, that is...that is stupid. You can't have those  guys, they still get work."

Stephen's ability to eviscerate the Right, while not breaking character as an earnest member of the same, is instrumental in exposing the insanity in some of these programs to the ridicule they deserve. These ideas need a large public outpouring of rejection and contempt heaped upon them - and to have that reported by mainstream media. Perhaps then we can get elected officials to enact --and enforce -- sane laws.

[Darlica]

Since I don't have words for my feelings toward this Armed teachers and posses in schools idiocy I let a lol dog speak for me.

[pieces o nine]

Gun control reform: all but three 'no' senators received pro-gun cash
I could not believe  this failed the abomination of "Super Majority" -- despite the 90% public opinion in favor of sensible reforms!


Adolphus Busch IV Resigns From NRA After Gun Control Defeat In Senate
This, I hope, is indicative that the public opinion tide is turning against the NRA. If that 90% of people remember to vote according to their consciences, no amount of NRA money will be enough for those shameful officials cowering on the wrong side of ethics in order to keep their political offices.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

but-but-but... don't we have the best government money can buy?

.... yes.

... yes we do.  That's one reason why it sucks...

[Swatopluk]

And now a certain congresscritter sees the opportunity to demand a further liberalisation of gun laws because of the hunt for the Boston bombers. A double pronged attack even.
1) The jackbooted behaviour of the police and government putting Boston on lockdown during the action filled finale shows the need for more (=unlimited) firepower in the hand of citizens because next time they could come for YOU not for the terrorists.
2) With armed and dangerous terrorists running around in our neighbourhood (the fault of the good-at-nothing government) citizens need unlimited firepower to defend themselves because who would want to rely on not-extended magazines in that situation?

Not to forget reason three: gay marriage (but he brought that up even before the bombing)