In Response To A Letter To The Editor, Vol. VII
To the editor:
Why do school administrators and legislators cry out for a solution to school shootings when the obvious and ready answer is ignored? Arm teachers and parents. It has a proven track record in Israel, where the threat of violence against students dropped to near zero after its implementation.
The Second Amendment is America's orginal homeland security.
--Alan, Franklin
To Alan:
Why do people who neither work in nor attend schools always seem to think they have the obvious answers to the problems that exist therein? Arm teachers? Are you fucking kidding me?!
I mean, I can see why the idea would appeal to some people, but I'm just not sure I understand the theory behind it. Most likely the argument is that if would-be shooters know that teachers are armed (and will shoot them if what?), this will act as a deterrent. I have trouble convincing my kids I really mean it about detention. I can't imagine trying to make them believe that A) I have a gun that B) I would actually use to shoot them.
Even if I COULD convince them of this, and even if that did prevent school shootings, would we have really solved the problem? Those kids probably still WANT to shoot somebody. Unless we address that, we haven't done jack shit about the problem.
Try implementing a bullying prevention program, try treating the freaks and geeks the same way you treat the jocks, try improving race relations, try listening to kids for a fucking change, try any proactive thing you can think of to address the root of the problem before you decide that the "obvious and ready answer" is putting a gun in my hand in the hopes of preventing your unaddressed problem from manifesting itself.
Because the last time I checked it was difficult to bring about peace through a mere show of force. (Case in point: Israel.)
And the Second Amendment, just for the record, is America's original homeland security against a tyrannical government. Not against emotionally disturbed teenagers.
--Megan, Norfolk
12 comments:
I really shouldn't be laughing at a post like this, but I am. Am I a bad person? (Feel free to treat that as a rhetorical question.)
I doubt that Amish school would arm their teachers, federal law or not.
No one really wants me to have a gun. Trust me; it's a bad idea.
Why not just issue everyone a gun the day they reach, say, sixteen. You could give them out at the DMV with driver's licenses. Because the more people have guns, the more peace there will be. This comment is brought to you by the fine folks at the NRA.
They're doing this in Salt Lake City. I saw it on the news yesterday.
We're a great country for treating the symptoms, but never the cause.
There are at least a half a dozen teachers at my school who are batshit crazy. I certainly don't want them armed. Plus, we can't afford books half the time, Lord only knows what sort of half-assed guns they'd buy.
Is that guy right about Israel? Sounds like a bit "truthy" not "facty." But what do I know?
Given my building administration's half-assed answers to our very real concerns during the last lockdown meeting, I can imagine the conversation going something like this:
wonderturtle: So, under what circumstances should I ACTUALLY SHOOT a student?
principal: Look, we can't get into all the 'what ifs'!
And right on, vikkitikkitavi.
CP: Depends, are you laughing at me or at Alan?
Phil: Good call. And would it have helped anyway?
Lulu: Plus a holster would totally mess up your outfits.
Chris: Why do you hate America, WHY?
Melissa: I guess that settles it. . .Salt Lake City is officially fucking crazy.
Vikki: It's the American way!
Lu: Exactly. Maybe if they'd buy enough desks for the students to sit in they wouldn't feel like shooting people all the time.
Grant: I googled it and it appears to be more fiction than fact. CBS news says "In Israel, teachers are not allowed to carry weapons in the school, but security guards at the entrances are armed."
WonderTurtle: That's the big question, isn't it? Clearly people have not thought this through.
Sorry about your lockdown, girl.
Laughing with you, at least in the sense that your rebuttal was entertaining to read. However, I felt guilty about laughing at such a sad subject. Oh, well.
CP
It's sad the only time a lot of dumbass Southerners call on the Constitution is for the Second Amendment, and then they only do it in a leave-my-guns-alone/guns-for-everyone! kind of way, which, like you said, isn't really what it's all about.
But, um, you ain't getting my guns, Second Amendment or not.
Post a Comment