Bill to Arm Teachers: Leave Guns to Police

Saturday

Apr 6, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Some state lawmakers don't want to pay for police officers or sheriff's deputies at schools, so they want to arm teachers and other school employees instead. 

Some state lawmakers don't want to pay for police officers or sheriff's deputies at schools, so they want to arm teachers and other school employees instead. It's a terrible idea on many levels. HB 1097, which passed its first vote 10-3 in the K-12 Subcommittee on March 27, would allow principals to designate one or more school employees to carry concealed weapons.  The designated employees would be required to complete private security guard and statewide firearms training. The legislation is in response to the shooting massacre at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school in December.  Bill co-sponsor Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, said that schools have become targets because they're gun-free zones. So is he more comfortable with schools becoming free-fire zones? 

GUNS, GUNS, GUNSThe problem with gun violence is not because of too few guns, but too many.  Yet passing reasonable gun legislation apparently is impossible in Florida.  Instead, we're supposed to accept the idea that there are so many guns on the street already that we might as well just arm everybody down to kindergarten teachers. Never mind the collateral damage resulting from shootouts between teachers and perceived assailants. If the state Legislature finds that all public schools should have armed protection, those charged with defending the schools should be fully trained police officers or sheriff's deputies, sworn to duty with such an agency. Proponents of HB 1097 don't want the state to have to fund that.  Instead, they want guns accessible to teachers.  An unintended consequence is that they also could end up in the hands of students. What's the lesson for children?  That everyone should carry a gun?Maybe some gun-rights proponents would be OK with that.  But a better lesson would be that there's a place for guns, but not in classrooms.