I just want to sum up (or at least for myself) on this subject. I know arming college students/faculty will not stop every crazed person who comes along, especially in this chaotic universe, but if done with every possible precation (i.e. training, licensing), that can be done it is another layer of safety for students. It is not a perfect solution to a growing problem but we as a society need/have to try something new since the old way of trying things (i.e. more gun laws) are not working.
Have to agree with you Mikel. My idea of proper gun control is hitting the target on the first shot. But hey, we are just a bunch of southerner - right.
Opinions on the topic are pretty geographic. It's not just north/south. Sometimes it's rural vs. urban. I'm sure it reflects what the norm is in our communities and what we were taught from an early age. We differ on the method but we all want these students to be safe.
I don't see the rationale behind the argument; how can it be justified to give a loaded weapon to a student, whose main aim in life is to go find beer and get wasted; perhaps i'm seeing this too simplisticly, but to me, that's adding another layer of danger, after all people have very different perceptions of fear and danger, it just takes one person to act irrationally and you've got a nasty situation on your hands; leave security to campus guards, and police, at the end of the day that's what they are trained for and paid to do
it really has nothing to do with giving loaded guns to kids. IMO it is about lawmakers writing kneejerk laws that do not work in any way, shape, or form to stop violence in this country. The simple fact is the people these laws are written to stop don't care. The only ones that pay attention to them are usually referred to in police reports as "THE VICTIM". It is that simple
If they would teach the kids to "hit the target" even more precisely, wouldnt that itself be a risk that when/if(lets face it, all humans can snap, and sometimes it doesnt take much at all) they start shooting, they would be even more accurate? How about keeping guns out of school altogether? Better scanning, better mental checkups(not the term I was looking for, but...) etc.? There are heaps of countries that have a way better program to discover and help distressed kids than the USA. Why not go to the root of the problem, rather than accepting the problem and only trying to deal with the consequences? There should be programs that make sure kids get the help they need, BEFORE they resort to these horrific actions. Back home(Sweden), its against the law to NOT report any warning signs that teachers, janitors(!) etc. notice amongst kids... Stupid comparison: You can spray as many ants on your kitchen floor as you want, but until you eradicate the nest, they´ll just keep coming. I still cant see any logic with arming an entire school full of hormonal kids. Arming entire schools, would also require a 100% proof drug and alcohol control, right? Even "smart" people can do stupid sh*t when under the influence, regarding the upbringing, education etc. Just seems like there would be a "million" things on the side that would have to click, instead keeping guns out of school. Now, I couldnt care less when it comes to Americans arming themselves in regular life - just trying to make any sort of sense out of arming entire schools... Many of them arent allowed to drive, get tattoos etc, but can walk to school, packing heat..? Meeeh, cant see any logic in it, at all.
Rawkus, you are right on that point. The money could be better spent. That was part of my previous replies. The USA spends way too much money working in the wrong direction. As a former martial arts instructor, I worked with "troubled kids" on a regular basis and it was way more effective than any law written. I don't think it is really a good idea for kids to carry guns either but the ones we truly have to worry about don't care what the law says or they wouldn't pull the trigger. The way I see it, America has been going down the wrong road and it is time we turn around, stop spending money on stupid crap and try something else cause what we have now is not working!!!!!! By the way, if you want to see what I am talking about go to www.dumblaws.com ( I am in South Carolina by the way) I really like the one that requires a permit to fire a missile and in this state oral sex is illegal. Here is also a good one that is still on the books. When approaching a four way or blind intersection in a non-horse driven vehicle you must stop 100 ft from the intersection and discharge a firearm into the air to warn horse traffic.
here is another good one from North Carolina - guess they won't go to TTR anytime soon. While having sex, you must stay in the missionary position and have the shades pulled. Oral sex is considered a crime against nature.
dboyte: Well said Growing up in Sweden, Im used to authorities focusing on the root of the problem, rather than limiting the effects after a certain event. Kinda like when we were told to "brush your teeth after each meal" in school: Yes, we could go to the dentist for free, but its better not have to set foot in their office to start with, haha. I know thorougher searches/scans would upset people(well, I assume), but that could be one way to help prevent it, right? From what I understand, in most of the school-shootings(regardless where in the world), the assailant/s have been able to just stroll right in and open fire... Its nice to have open doors and that trust, but there is no way a 100% pf the people will respect that... Unfortunately. Haha, I love the laws you write about, holy crap! (If I lived there, I would NOT like the law about oral sex however, lol.) We have/had some funny ones back home. One that comes to mind was about the possession of drugs. Its been modified since, but still funny to read about the "original" one: Its illegal to buy, sell or grow marijuana. But, it is legal to have for your own use. One guy went to court, and his lawyer told him to state the following: "One day, when I was watching tv, a bag of marijuana fell through my roof." Haha Ps. Back home I trained troubled kids in boxing! We have something in common I guess
Guess you know what I am talking about. Did your kids dare step out of line???? As for more security, the majority of the shootings are premeditated so the first victim would have been the guy working the metal detector if you see my point. It also seems to me that things like this happen more after media and lawmakers get ahold it.
