Arming teachers becomes a palatable idea

By Jim Irvine

The infamous Columbine shootings in 1999 were carried out by two evil young men. They killed 13 people, including a teacher and 12 fellow students and injured 24 others. The nation responded by crying out for more gun control, which has done nothing to stop such violence.

This month, in the wake of heinous crimes including sexual assault and murder of our children by criminals with guns, the nation has reacted differently. While the rabid anti-self defense nuts regurgitate their same old ilk, most have realized their “solutions” can do nothing to defend innocent life from evil men. As a country, we don’t want slick press releases, we want real solutions. We demand real answers to combat real dangers. We are finally insisting that sensible action be taken to insure our children are safe at school.

When status quo fails, people begin to consider alternative ideas. Arming our teachers and administrators who complete firearms training with a gun, the only tool capable of stopping armed killers, is not a new idea. But for the first time it has begun to gain traction. That is a dramatic shift in the mindset of our nation and our media.

Consider that my response was printed in the USA Today
last week. That only happens because the editors consider arming teachers an idea worth printing. But that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Click on 'Read More' to continue reading.

Wisconsin state legislator Frank Lasse
is introducing a bill that would allow firearms to be stored in a school so that school employees could access them in times of crisis and save students from similar attacks.

In his press release he noted:

The fact remains, armed criminals who commit these crimes in schools are NOT stopping at the school doors and dropping their weapons in accordance with the state and federal gun-free schools laws. In most cases, they are coming into our schools, unopposed, unchecked, and intent on destruction.
If they were confronted by a teacher, administrator, principal, or other authority figure who was trained to use a weapon, they may lay their weapons down. If not, they would face resistance and the would be victims could defend themselves and our children. Like it or not, school officials are our children’s last line of defense in a school attack. It makes sense to give them the ability to protect themselves and our children until the police arrive.

Unfortunately, Lasse’s proposal would not allow teachers to possess firearms, but have then stored in a remote area. Thus if a killer started in the storage room, the guns would not be assessable to the victims. Still, it’s an idea that prompts discussions aimed at finding a real solution.

Lasse’s proposal has received extensive coverage, including WisPolitics.com
, the Milwaukee Journal sentimental
, and MSNBC proving that this common sense solution is no longer being ignored.

Concealed carry was a “risky proposal” 20 years ago. Then one state passed a law. It was a flawed law, but one that permitted Florida residents to carry a gun, with many restrictions, to defend their life. Today, concealed carry is law for most U.S. citizens, and each state that has passed it has gradually worked to improve their laws.

To some, “Castle Doctrine” or “Stand your Ground” legislation was another risky proposal just two years ago, but its success is sweeping the nation. Fifteen states now have these laws on the books, and more (including Ohio with your help) will pass it next year.

We are starting to see a realization that “gun free” zones only help criminals kill good people. The outcome has been the polar opposite of what was intended. As people change their views, once politically impossible ideas become desirable solutions. As facts are learned, changing laws about guns and schools should become a mandate.

Many believed that arming pilots to protect passengers was politically impossible. And it was, until 3,000 people were killed because pilots didn’t have a gun ready at hand to stop mass murders. We can only hope the body count of our children does not have to reach 3,000 before politicians remove the barriers that prevent teachers from having guns ready at had to save our children’s lives.