SD House passes bill on arming teachers
January 29, 2013 at 11:24 pm in The Daily Republic
PIERRE A bill that would allow school districts to arm teachers and other personnel with guns was approved Tuesday by the South Dakota House after supporters said it could make would-be attackers think twice about entering a school building.
Continue Reading
This is crazy. More guns, more guns and more guns…that will solve the problem. I’m not even sure how to enter this conversation. Okay folks, here is one for you…”Jesus wept.”
Like or Dislike:
19 
10
Are you serious? Why wouldn’t you want to protect your kids? Obviously you don’t understand the difference between a hard target and a soft one.
Like or Dislike:
9 
18
jlmorrison – ms. mclaughlin has said in a previous discussion on violence that if a madman broke into her house and threatened to kill her family and she had a gun, she would not use it to save their lives She has also equated a police officer who shoots and kills a gunman to prevent further harm or death as equal with that gunman in terms of violence. We can assume she doesn’t think too highly of veterans either.
I’m not even sure why she would have a shred of credibility to even weigh in on this discussion. She herself seems unsure what to say, “Okay folks, here is one for you…”Jesus wept”, and then quotes a scripture out of context after having made it very clear to everyone that she doesn’t even believe in the bible. It’s just another book to her. Kinda makes you wonder don’t it?
Red
Like or Dislike:
9 
9
Red
While I understand that you cannot miss an opportunity to point out Ms. Mclaughlin’s embracing the true nature of the teachings of jesus (just as I hate to miss pointing out how wrong you are)but does not fit your idea of a christian. You didn’t address the topic.
Do you believe putting more guns in schools is good?
Like or Dislike:
9 
5
Take down the signs that say “gun free zone” and replace them with armed and trained personnel and I can guarantee you the loons looking to kill a large amount of innocents will go to the mall or the library or the movie theater instead. We will have solved the problem of school shootings. That’s the purpose of this bill. Protect our schoolchildren. It does not however address the root cause of this kind of psychotic violence.
Like or Dislike:
7 
4
Who is going to pay for this?
Like or Dislike:
2 
4
Red: “Jesus Laughs.” Attacking me surely makes you look more credible, I am sure. Would you like to have a cup of tea someday and hear about my father who is a Vietnam Veteran? A man who came back from Vietnam and one who i have not seen in 20 years due to the demons he has within him over his time at war? A man who is the basis for my being a person of peace, inclusion, justice, and tolerance. None of what you posted about me has any relevance to why placing armed “sentinels” in our schools is wrong or not. Moreover, the scripture posted was of Jesus weeping over the city. Do I literally believe Jesus sat over Jerusalem and cried? Nope I don’t, but I think it’s a great metaphor for thinking about God’s reaction as our society continues to think placing more guns on streets is the answer to gun violence. Now would like to act like the Christian you claim to be and dialogue in a manner worthy of this discussion?
Like or Dislike:
6 
6
Unless one believes the Bible is an accurate representation of what Jesus said, in the context he said it, and among those he said it, particularly what he said about himself and who he is, then you have no firm foundation to even know Him. Furthermore if you don’t know Him you cannot use His words to suit any situation of your choosing.
Is Christ saddened by the violence in the world? Of course he is, but to say He is more saddened by armed staff at a school than He is by another massacre which could have been prevented by armed staff at a school is a stretch. Unless you know Christ you don’t have a clue what makes Him weep. You can only use the authority of His name to make a point.
“Jesus wept” is as much an appropriate metaphor for His reaction to the blood of innocent babies being shed by abortion as it is by children being shot at a school. As a metaphor, “Jesus wept” is apropos for divine reaction to society’s acceptance of sodomy as normal human behavior. “Jesus wept” is also a perfect metaphor for God’s emotion at the growing popularity of progressive humanism whereby we become the creators. We create God in our image. We don’t care much for God as He is. Man says “come, let us create God in our image”, Jesus wept.
What if armed school personnel works? What if it prevents a massacre somewhere? We already know banning all guns is not going to happen. We also know restrictions and more laws will not impede lawbreakers. What if this new idea actually works? What then? Jesus will still weep, because we have come to the point where we need to have armed personnel at our schools. That’s what’s sad here is that we need these measures.
Finally I would submit that the reason we are in this position now is a result of our society, courts and government professing for years now a desire for an increasingly godless society and all that goes with it. Well, here we are, this is what it looks like.
You reap what you sow. Jesus wept.
Red
Like or Dislike:
7 
5
Why would it bother you that people are interested in defending themselves? “Jesus wept”? Sorry, not interested in turning the other cheek to the crazies on the left who want to take away my last resort line of defense against them.
Like or Dislike:
9 
16
Red: Jesus loves you, there is no doubt. I offer these words from a teacher:
“You want to arm me? Good. Then arm me with a school psychologist at my school who has time to do more than test and sit in meetings about testing.
Arm me with enough counselors so we can build skills to prevent violence, have meaningful discussions with students about their future and not merely frantically adjust student schedules like a Jenga game.
Arm me with social workers who can thoughtfully attend to a student’s and her family’s needs so I Can Teach.
Arm me with enough school nurses so that they are accessible to every child and can work as a team with me rather than operate their offices as de facto urgent care centers.
Arm me with more days on the calendar for teaching and learning and fewer days for standardized testing.
Arm me with class sizes that allow my colleagues and me to know both our students and their families well.
Arm my colleagues and me with the time it takes to improve together and the time it takes to give great feedback to students about their work and progress.
Until you arm me to the hilt with what it will take to meet the needs of an increasingly vulnerable student population, I respectfully request you keep your opinions on schools and our safety to yourself NRA. Knock it off.” http://marycathryn.blogspot.com/
Like or Dislike:
6 
6
There is nothing in this piece that I can argue with. No that’s not a disappointment to me. I would prefer that we agree. Unfortunately I am just as steadfast in my beliefs as you are in yours.
I hear in those words you quote a cry for all those things lacking that are so desperately needed. Money that should have been spent years ago. Priorities that should have been on top years ago. Maybe those same cries were being made years ago, but went unanswered or unheard. Now they come up again in a blog somewhere and get posted here on this forum but it’s too late.
It’s not too late to at least begin the changes now, but we have consequences of our neglect and failure that need to be addressed this moment. I agree with every single bullet point in the article above. Let’s do it. In the mean time our kids need a bodyguard.
The rich kids get bodyguards. The president’s girls have armed security at their school. Wealthy celebrities, spoiled professional athletes, big bankers, politicians that can’t even get the job done. They all have armed guards at schools where their kids go. Nobody says a peep until the populace asks for the same thing. The audacity of the king’s subjects to think their children as important as his.
This is all very sad, I’m sure you will agree. We may even agree on most of the reasons that got us to this point. Where we disagree is how to best proceed right now, this moment to ensure safety at schools for our kids. No one wants our schools to be a fortress but if that’s what it takes, then by God, make them a fortress and stop advertising to every nut job looking for an easy kill that our schools will offer you no resistance.
Red
Like or Dislike:
4 
0
You’re right, protect the children, but I still have a hard time with adding more guns to a bad situation about guns is the best course of action.
It’s not fair pointing to THIS president having his family protected by secret service when they ALL have for over 110 years
Why is it OK for the loons to go to a library, mall, or movie? Don’t children go to those places also. Do you really think a sign of “gun free zone” is like a flame to moth? I seem to recall an instance or 2 of shooting in churches. I thing god might be sitting this one out.
The above is angry sarcasm because the realization that guns, particularly hand guns are a big, big problem.
There are close to 1300 people killed since Newtown…..does a light bulb go on anywhere?
To use your own words, “Banning guns is not going to happen”…why not? What if it works? Can’t we at least START with certain kinds?
Like or Dislike:
6 
4
Corleone finally said it. What no one else has had the guts to say. I appreciate the honesty at last.
Whenever anyone expressed a fear that “Obama is coming for your guns” or that “the government wants to confiscate all guns”. The argument has always been “that’s ridiculous”. Corleone, if I remember right, chastised a letter written by Warren Thomas several months ago expressing a fear that the government might be headed down a slippery slope to banning all guns. I remember Corleone made very clear how ridiculous that letter and concern was with his sarcastic air of superiority. But now we finally have it, don’t we?
Red Handy: “Banning guns is not going to happen”
Corleone…”why not? What if it works? Can’t we at least START with certain kinds?”
As Always
Red
Like or Dislike:
3 
3
Well, that’s an interesting spin.
The statement and following questions were a juxtaposition of your own words. The ban statement was mine but like you said…..it’s not going to happen but I floated it out there to see what would happen.
I also want to point out that I never said anything about taking guns away from people. I’m against that, but when you have 350 million people in the country and over 300 million (legal) guns it does beg the question….How much is enough? You and many others seem to have the addicts attitude of “too much is just enough”
Like or Dislike:
2 
4
just “floated it out there to see what would happen.” eh donny boy? good one!
Like or Dislike:
5 
0
Glad you liked it, and while I’ll let you enjoy your moment I want to again point out out that 1300 people have been killed by guns since Sandy Hook. While that is happening you will say that it too soon to talk about the subject or that guns don’t kill people do, or it’s because of not enforcing existing laws or mental health is the problem yet the common denominator in the discussion is untouchable.
Who is manipulating who?
Like or Dislike:
3 
5
First, protect the kids even if it does mean arming some select trained teachers. 2. Parents are also at fault for violence that occurs at schools. Get them out into the outdoors, do things. Don’t get too tied up in work or fall victim to buying video games your kids want.
Like or Dislike:
4 
1
None of the things kristi mentioned arming herself with- nurses, social workers, councilors and such would do a thing against an intruder breaking into a school with a gun. Armed teachers or other school employees might be of some help. No one is forcing a teacher to be armed only giving them the option. Arm me with a gun. Jesus said “And let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy one”. Luke 22:36.
Like or Dislike:
2 
0
Arming teachers is idiotic. Even some of the school districts were against this bill,.Shall we give them assault rifles so they are not outgunned?
Like or Dislike:
18 
10
Was not having enough males in the school system part of the problem at Sandy Hook? I never thought about that until I heard at coffee some comments National Review Online’s Charlotte Allen made on this subject. Some of the things she said: “There was not a single adult male on the school premises when the shooting occurred. In this school all the personnel, the teachers, the principal, the assistant principal, the school psychologist, the “reading specialist” were all female. There didn’t even seem to be a male janitor to heave his bucket at Adam Lanza’s knees. A feminized setting is a setting in which helpless passivity is the norm. Male aggression can be a good thing, as in protecting the weak, but it has been forced out of the culture of elementary schools and the education schools that train their personnel. Think of what Sandy Hook might have been like if a couple of male teachers who had played high-school football, or even some of the huskier 12-year-old boys, had converged on Lanza.” Wow! I really think TeaPublicans better get the U.S. Congress and at least the South Dakota legislators to pass a law that all school systems must have a minimum of 60% males on staff to protect our children!
Like or Dislike:
5 
14
Just off the top of my head, I don’t think males had any impact at Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora CO and I have no idea if your statistics are correct but the logic is………………..my head hurts just thinking about how ridiculous and condescending the statement is.
No, no now that I think about it, you’re right. Get 60% male teachers and give them all guns. I know I will sleep like a baby knowing how “protected” my children are.
Like or Dislike:
11 
4
I know your intentions are good but your ideas are drifting towards outer space.
Like or Dislike:
8 
2
Tea, clearly you haven’t been to a women’s roller derby event recently. You need to get out more. Stuff’s changed since the 1950′s.
Like or Dislike:
6 
4
Maybe I was wrong about TeaPublican. He may be a racist redneck but I’ll agree with his assessment of the general neutering of male society. Hit and run fathers have become “baby daddys” and it’s perfectly acceptable. Psychologist telling parents to give there little boys barbie dolls to play with. Used to be men were men and women were women. And I’m not referring to when women had no rights or were treated like property. That was clearly archaic and wrong. Women’s suffrage was a good thing but then we went a complete 180 and threw the baby out with the bath water. Now extreme feminism has replaced strong male leadership with emotionalism and fluff. This in all areas of life but most damaging in the marriage, the family and the church.
Same thing happened with disciplining kids. We had to stop abuse when it occurred. That’s a bad thing. Now if you spank your child the S.S. can remove your children from your home and you can go to jail. Bad behavior and lack of parenting gets a kid an ADHD diagnosis and a handful of meds. Pitiful. Apologies for the digression.
My wife might not be able to shoot an intruder either (in fairness to ms. mclaughlin), but I would not hesitate to protect my family. I wouldn’t think twice. If that’s the point that TeaPublican was trying to make, then I agree.
Red
Like or Dislike:
4 
3
Red,
It is not a surprise that your first post on this forum is a personal attack on Mrs. McLaughlin instead of your opinion on the subject. So let me ask you a direct question that you avoided on the last forum. If
one supports arming teachers and a child happens to get shot by accident does that mean they condone that child’s death? If one supports war does that mean they condone the casualties including the innocent. And since you brought up abortion just because one supports women’s rights does not mean they condone the results.
Like or Dislike:
2 
5
Bob,
I would say that when you support any action, then you necessarily support all intended consequences of that action. The key word being “intended”. With that basic concept in mind, I’ll let you answer your first two questions without my help. In order to answer the third you need to rephrase so that we are comparing apples to apples. Women’s rights I support, abortion I do not.
Life, of course is not always black and white. There always seems to be an exception to every rule. So, if you can think of any exceptions to that general philosophical point, I would be happy to consider it.
Red
Like or Dislike:
4 
1
Red, is one able to predict “all intended consequences?” There is no possibility for anyone to define all intended consequences due to the nature of being human. The variables are undefinable.
and as you state, “life is not always black or white.” If you are able to see this, why cannot you see it within the life of a woman? Why is it so hard for you to acknowledge that there are times when making a reproductive choice is not black or white?
Moreover, you use the argument that “the president’s girls…” You are smart enough to see the illogic of using this in support of your case. This is not based in trying to protect “my” children. It is based in your dislike of Obama.
Here is my philosophy and it will be my last post in this dialogue:
Putting more anger in an already angry situation only makes things more angry. Putting more violence in an already violent situation makes things more violent. At some point, someone has to have the courage to bring peace, at some point someone has to have the courage to say “its time to stop. What we are doing isn’t working and what we are doing is fueling more anger, more violence and more death, so what can we do differently? What voice can we present, what presence can we offer that will foster, will allow hope and peace to happen?” We can imagine a community in which our children are not in danger in places where they should be safe, but my friend, it will not be by putting more anger, more violence and a more aggressive presence in those places. That will only result in more death.
Like or Dislike:
4 
4
The word intended means previously considered. Anything not previously thought of or considered as the result of an action cannot be an “intended” consequence. Come on, you know that. This concept is not abstruse.
Furthermore my reference to the “President’s girl’s is only because he is the current President. Of course ALL presidents are afforded the same benefit of protection. I also listed other wealthy beneficiaries of the privilege of armed security for themselves and family. Therefore my example is based purely on my sentiment that our kids are just as important as theirs. My point is the Secret Service is not going to watch our kids. So let’s get the job done ourselves. They deserve it.
As to your idea that we all stand in the street and yell “it’s time to stop it.” You go ahead and try that. Let me know how it works out for you. In the meantime, I say let’s give our children the same protection that the rich powerful elite give theirs.
Red
Like or Dislike:
3 
2
OMG! Did you hear that a former Navy SEAL who wrote “American Sniper,” a best-selling book about his lethal career as a marksman in Iraq, was shot to death at a Texas gun range on Saturday. At least the guy died doing what he loved to do! I wonder if armed guards were allowed at this shooting range. If so, those shooting wouldn’t have to worry about any surprise attack! This shooting was unusual because most shootings usually happen in gun-free zones. I already see on the internet that a lot of people think that guy obama and his most evil government in the history of humanity was behind getting this guy killed in order to keep everyone talking about gun control! There is even talk that the shooter is secretly a Muslim! It’s just too bad that there weren’t more people at the gun range who could have prevented this from happening because “Only a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun”! America can learn a lot from this shooting! If a Navy Seal with this much experience got taken down by surprise it just shows us how much training we better give our armed teachers here in South Dakota! It’s just so sad how that guy obama and his evil government have forced this whole country to become a shooting range!
Like or Dislike:
5 
5