Oklahoma House Resurrects Bill To Arm School Teachers

[Dale00]

But the kids would know who is carrying, just like I know if the people I spend a lot of time with are carrying, school shootings are usually carried out by students.

I believe a pocket pistol could be effectively kept concealed by a teacher. But students could have strong suspicions. A mentally unbalanced student would not know everyone who carried. This uncertainty creates a much less favorable situation from their point of view.

And the other truth you ignore is that many of the problems in the public schools are a direct reflection of the parents and local citizens.

True, but a solution has to start somewhere. A return to local control seems like the best way to go. The experts have had their power for long enough. There are educated and motivated local citizens in most school districts I would think. My impression is that elected school boards need more power. But, you are in the system so I respect your opinion - I'm an outsider.

 

[n2sooners]

Students may think they know this teacher or that teacher carries, but they won't know who all is carrying which takes away from their safe zone which is why they (shooters) are there in the first place. Most gun free zone shootings last until someone armed shows up and then the shooters either flee or shoot themselves.

 

[DFarcher]

Students may think they know this teacher or that teacher carries, but they won't know who all is carrying which takes away from their safe zone which is why they (shooters) are there in the first place. Most gun free zone shootings last until someone armed shows up and then the shooters either flee or shoot themselves.

Might be different in the big school in the city, in the town I am in everyone would know who is carrying. Hell I bet I could name all the teachers here now that have a permit and what they carry.

 

[mons meg]

Couple more thoughts on the general discussion of this issue.

-- The perfect is the enemy of the good. We are not going to get public schools removed from the prohibited places list anytime soon, so let's focus on doing what we can.

-- IIRC the bill puts the decision in the hands of the local school boards whether they will even permit RSROs in their districts in the first place. Concentrate on pointing out this provides flexibility for rural or underfunded districts that can't strretch their budgets to hire "formal" SROs. Hammer this point every chance we get.

 

[jakeman]

Couple more thoughts on the general discussion of this issue.

-- The perfect is the enemy of the good. We are not going to get public schools removed from the prohibited places list anytime soon, so let's focus on doing what we can.

-- IIRC the bill puts the decision in the hands of the local school boards whether they will even permit RSROs in their districts in the first place. Concentrate on pointing out this provides flexibility for rural or underfunded districts that can't strretch their budgets to hire "formal" SROs. Hammer this point every chance we get.

This is exactly right.

I don't believe the OKC district board will ever approve teacher or administrator concealed carry. The members don't have the proper ideology to support this.

 

[mons meg]

This is exactly right.

I don't believe the OKC district board will ever approve teacher or administrator concealed carry. The members don't have the proper ideology to support this.

No, they never would. But they DO have sworn officers/SROs on staff. I just want the camel's nose under the tent at this point. We get a rural district to do a trial run for a few years, and when nothing bad happens, other districts can follow suit.

 

[CoachR64]

How about we pass some legislation that actually doesn't suck?
The requirements for training being excessive and the required approval of the board and superintendent make it highly unlikely more than a handful of teachers ever receive the training and approval to protect our kids. This legislation is nothing more than an illusion of safety. It's designed to make us feel good while doing nothing meaningful to solve the problem.

I understand simply removing schools from the no guns list is not happening. However, the current legislation does not do near enough to actually protect the teachers and students. As a teacher, I am in the only profession where I am denied the right to defend myself by having a firearm locked in my vehicle. I don't always (in fact, almost never) go straight home from work as I must run errands, pick up my son, etc... I think it's a joke I cant even have my pistol in my car to protect my family.

This legislation is pointless and doesn't address any of the real problems.

 

[tulsamal]

Ideally schools should be made open to carry by anyone with a concealed permit.

Exactly.

Let's say it again...

Ideally schools should be made open to carry by anyone with a concealed permit.

Schools should not be legally excluded areas. Period. It makes ZERO sense. You have all these parents and grandparents walking around with legal guns all day. Everywhere they go. But if they go to the school and actually leave their car, they can't have that legal gun with them. And they can't leave it in their car on school grounds. Nobody here really believes that some bad guy who wants to shoot a bunch of people cares that he can't legally carry a gun into a school. So making a school an exclusion zone is 100% counterproductive.

I'm all for teachers that have the appropriate background and desire to be able to carry "at work." I realize that will be a small amount of the teaching population but the result will be better than zero. Combine a few armed teachers and administrators with visiting parents and grandparents that are armed.... maybe, just maybe, the bad guy looking for an easy target will go somewhere else. Like the Post Office! (Another excluded area which make no sense!!)

 

[mons meg]

How about we pass some legislation that actually doesn't suck?
The requirements for training being excessive and the required approval of the board and superintendent make it highly unlikely more than a handful of teachers ever receive the training and approval to protect our kids. This legislation is nothing more than an illusion of safety. It's designed to make us feel good while doing nothing meaningful to solve the problem.

I understand simply removing schools from the no guns list is not happening. However, the current legislation does not do near enough to actually protect the teachers and students. As a teacher, I am in the only profession where I am denied the right to defend myself by having a firearm locked in my vehicle. I don't always (in fact, almost never) go straight home from work as I must run errands, pick up my son, etc... I think it's a joke I cant even have my pistol in my car to protect my family.

This legislation is pointless and doesn't address any of the real problems.

I hear you...there are more than a few of us who work on base at Tinker. We are doubly screwed when it comes to carrying in the car, as no state legislation would ever affect us.

 

[n2sooners]

Might be different in the big school in the city, in the town I am in everyone would know who is carrying. Hell I bet I could name all the teachers here now that have a permit and what they carry.

Good for you, you know who is carrying. Now if you were a spree killer you would know that the school is no longer a gun free safe zone for you to carry out your shootings. Mission accomplished.