Comments

Weary Reader wrote on Feb 28, 2008 6:39 PM:

" Russ,

For the most part we're on the same page amigo. Anyone attempting to enter my property or home should plan on the possibility of dying here.

And you raise a valid point; 'educators' with guns... that *can* be a frightening proposition. Take Care. "




russ brown wrote on Feb 28, 2008 4:04 PM:

" Sorry Weary,

I appreciate what you posted but my opinion remains unchanged. The references are old and I would question their validity. Some of the statements made in the reports especially the first one are unsubstantiated inferences based solely on statistics.

Before you label me anti gun. Trust me I am not. You come into my home I will defend myself. I have a right to do so. It is called the Castle Law. I own guns and I appreciate them but not in the hands of educators teaching my grandchildren or my adult children in college. "




Weary Reader wrote on Feb 28, 2008 12:40 PM:

" In support of this Editorial here are some factual and footnoted articles on the topic:

http://www.nraila.org/Issues/FactSheets/Read.aspx?id=120&issue=009

http://www.nraila.org/media/misc/ACCC.htm

These appear on the NRA website because the New York Times or the Arizona Republic won't publish this sort of factual material on this topic. "




russ brown wrote on Feb 28, 2008 10:36 AM:

" Hey Weary,

You have the cite in the FBI crime files? Share please!

russ "




Weary Reader wrote on Feb 28, 2008 7:46 AM:

" The facts are Russ, that in cases where an assailant faces a potentially armed victim, the assailant nearly always backs off - there are very few (what you call) 'shoot outs'

These statistics are available from the FBI crime files, HOWEVER it is a press in this country who has the reactionary knee-jerk to the word 'gun' and doesn't print these details. After all, these facts just might not support their world-view.

Schools are a prime target exactly because there are lots of un-defended potential victims in one place. Its the big splash the assailant wnats. "




russ brown wrote on Feb 27, 2008 3:33 PM:

" Sorry Sam I did read it all the way through. I was being sarcastic. Heres the way I see it. There are thousands upon thousands of postsecondary schools and 115.000 K-12 schools in this great country of ours. Schools shootings while horrific happen at a miniscule percentage of them. So lets have a knee jerk response and arm the teachers and faculty. Will that stop the nuts from bringing guns into our schools? No, but what you do is turn is everyone of our schools into armed camps waiting for a firefight to erupt.How smart is that? "




Sam Smith wrote on Feb 27, 2008 12:10 PM:

" In some of the comments made it is *obvious* that the people writing them have not read the article all the way through TO THE END and are just making a reactionary comment.

russ brown and CG you two make it the most obious with your comments about "armed students" the article CLEARLY STATES that this would only be legal for the people that WORK for the school, that have a PERMIT and have been TRAINED.

Please READ the article *all the way through FIRST* before making a comment...it is only intelligent... "




russ brown wrote on Feb 26, 2008 11:24 AM:

" Oh yes lets arm all the students who want to get a concealed weapons permit and staff too at the postsecondary level, so nobody knows who the bad guy or girl is. So instead of one crazed nut we have the potential for a whole lot more. "




CG wrote on Feb 26, 2008 11:21 AM:

" This is outrageous! guns in schools sounds scarry! the people who bring the guns to shoot up the school OBVIOUSLY are NOT afraid to die! having teachers and students w/ guns on campus will not prevent the gunman. The gunman and the teacher with a gun will just be shooting at each other... That will creates more of a possibility that there will be MORE innocent by standards. "




Mike U wrote on Feb 26, 2008 9:32 AM:

" Please analyze this rationally and look at the published statistics. Statistics show there is less violent crime committed where a society is encouraged to carry a weapon. In contrast statistics show more crime where there is more gun control. What a perfect environment for the criminal if we render everyone defenseless for the criminal to do as they please. The first steps into capturing a nation is to disarm the citizens. This happened in Germany when Hitler waltzed in to take the spoils.
Our fore fathers had enough wisdom to write this into our consitution. Please THINK! "




Weary Reader wrote on Feb 26, 2008 9:27 AM:

" What ya'll don't remember is that guns used to be part and parcel of the high school landscape in rural America.

So, why weren't there any school shootings when guns were so available? You could buy a .45 at the local sporting goods shop on the cheap.

But there were no school shootings. That is the question that must be asked; why? Why when guns were so available to nearly everyone, were there no school shootings?

Address the root of the problem, not the symptom. "




reptilist wrote on Feb 26, 2008 9:20 AM:

" You folks who disagree with Aimee's suggestion are not thinking it through...If an educator or student is having a really bad day and wants to shoot up the school, they are going to do that regardless of the law. The current firearm restrictions prevent good, stable minded, law abiding people from protecting themselves and the rest of society...The gun restrictions do not stop a nut cases...in fact they help the nut cases! "




Burro Cat wrote on Feb 26, 2008 7:17 AM:

" I read the article online at the Arizona Republic today about Karen Johnson's bill which changed.Senate Bill 1214, which would allow concealed-weapons permit holders to carry a gun at community colleges and Arizona's three public universities, next heads to the Senate Rules Committee. Gun owners must be 21 or older to obtain a permit. So no high schools or elementary schools are affected, thank god. I predict this insane bill will die eventually on its own lack of merit. The Arizona State Senate ought to be adjourned permanently. Go read this: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0226guns0226.html
"




russ brown wrote on Feb 25, 2008 10:11 PM:

" There are over 115,000 K-12 schools in this country and over 7000 postsecondary institutions as well. School shootings while horribly tragic only happen at a miniscule percentage of them. Lets arm the school employees and throw more weapons in the mix. I have no answers but turning Lafe Nelson, TMS or Safford High School into armed camps seems stupid. "




Jeremy wrote on Feb 25, 2008 5:27 PM:

" Seriously? School shootings are certainly tragic, but I will not go to school if my teachers are actively encouraged to bring guns. Instead of one crazy gun we have a bunch of teachers who want to be heroes shooting what they believe to be a student pulling out a gloc and starting practically a war in a school. This is an example of over-reacting to a serious problem and making it worse in your fear. This is an epidemic that needs to be stopped at the source. "




Concerned wrote on Feb 25, 2008 5:10 PM:

" Russ, I have to agree with you. I do not think teachers having firearms at school is a good solution either. You are right, what means that they too can not have crazy ideas. Not only that, but where at school are they going to keep these firearms, in the classroom so a student can get ahold of them. "




Weary Reader wrote on Feb 25, 2008 3:46 PM:

" Russ, you're old enough perhaps to remember when every high school in the country offered Marksmanship as a P.E. class? Hmmm? The urban schools usually used a .22 range in the basement, the rural schools made other arrangements. And, should you think way back only about 30 years ago, in rural areas most H.S. students as well as faculty had a firearm in the back of their pick up trucks. Yet, we never had any 'school shootings' (cause someone might shoot back and even crazy folks respect that thought). "




russ brown wrote on Feb 25, 2008 12:47 PM:

" Aimee,

Who is going to protect the students from the educator who is armed and who is having a bad a day at school? Or the cafeteria worker who for the umpteenth millionth time is told her food sucks? Maybe we should arm honor students as well? How about the 18-21 year olds that go to high school? You know they are going to be clamoring for the right to be armed in school as well. Or how about our kids that are reservists and going to school? They have to be good shots, right? Arm them too. "




Mike Pelonzi wrote on Feb 25, 2008 9:32 AM:

" Dear Miss Staten,
I want to applaud your efforts on trying to educate the public of the realities of school violence in our society today. You will find as I have that many school officials are reluctant to admit the very problem that is growing in our schools. MJ Safety Solutions makes the My Childs Pack the bulletproof Backpack of which I am one of the inventors. Specifically designed to help students and teachers in case of an armed intruder.We support you in our mutual goals of keeping people safe. "




Weary Reader wrote on Feb 25, 2008 8:24 AM:

" Mental health? Depression following a divorce or death in the family, or job loss is considered a "mental health" condition by the way.

The local school or SEBUS mental health counselor by these new laws is sufficiently trained to determine a persons "mental health". It doesn't have to be a board certified psychiatrist. "




Weary Reader wrote on Feb 25, 2008 8:21 AM:

" Oh, here's one to look up too. ASU is considering a policy to require all students to file their mental health records with the school as a requirement of admission. If you don't have any mental health records, you will be required to have a mental health screening in order to attend ASU.

This is their answer to campus violence. The question is, who decides the state of your mental health?

And, new federal law mandates that persons with mental health issues may not own firearms. "




Weary Reader wrote on Feb 25, 2008 8:17 AM:

" I'm proud of you Amiee! This is one of your best!

From the Bible to the Constitution, Americans have always had the right to defend themselves. And the facts are, police are not legally bound to protect you (look it up). Police are sworn to protect the interests of the agency they work for (the state or city corporate entity).

Armed, and with the training and ability to protect yourself you are a citizen; unarmed and dependent on some government agency or third party, you are simply a subject of that government. "




Point Man wrote on Feb 24, 2008 8:03 PM:

" Great Editorial, Aimee! I would approve of faculty & others being armed on campus with the proper training & permits. At least when the stuff hits the fan, there might be someone who can defend, fight & stand up for the defenseless students and staff. With all of the laws and policies in place, this doesn't protect us from armed criminals and mental cases walking among us. "