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Packing at School - YES!

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  • Owens

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    Mar 5, 2008
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    Levelland
    Harrold school district to staff: Pack your pistols

    Small Texas school district lets teachers, staff pack pistols | News | Star-Telegram.com

    By MARK AGEErmagee@star-telegram.com

    When classes start Aug. 25 at the tiny Harrold school district, there will be one distinct difference from years prior — some of the teachers may have guns.

    To deter and protect against school shootings, trustees have altered district policy to allow employees to carry concealed weapons if they have permits. The 110-student district lies 150 miles northwest of Fort Worth on the eastern end of Wilbarger County, near the Oklahoma border.

    More than a dozen legislatures have considered making it legal to carry guns on college campuses, but experts and officials contacted by the Star-Telegram say the move is unprecedented in elementary or secondary schools.

    Harrold Superintendent David Thweatt said a main concern was that the small community is a 30-minute drive from the county sheriff’s office, leaving students and teachers without protection.

    Although Harrold is a small town, the district’s campussits 500 feet from heavily trafficked U.S. 287, which could make it a target, he said.

    There are other security measures already in place, including only one way to enter the school, state-of-the-art surveillance cameras and electric locks on doors. But after the Virginia Tech massacre and the Pennsylvania Amish shooting, Thweatt said he felt he had to take further action.

    "When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones, that’s when all of these shootings started," Thweatt said. "Why would you put it out there that a group of people can’t defend themselves? That’s like saying 'Sic 'em’ to a dog."

    "Our philosophy here is to be prepared," he said.

    Texas law explicitly outlaws firearms on school campuses "unless pursuant to the written regulations or written authorization of the institution."

    Thweatt said did not reveal how many of the about 50 teachers and staff members would be armed this fall, because he doesn’t want students or potential attackers to know.

    Wilbarger County Sheriff Larry Lee was out of the office Thursday and did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

    Barbara Williams, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association of School Boards, said her organization is not aware of another district doing something similar.

    Ken Trump, a Cleveland-based school security expert who advises districts nationwide, including in Texas, said that Harrold is the first district he knows of to take such a step.

    "It’s definitely the exception, not the rule," Trump said. "It’s rare, if not non-existent."

    Trump said he would have advised against allowing teachers to arm themselves, if only because of liability concerns. In the long run, it could have been cheaper and safer to hire security or off-duty police, he said. Texas school districts also have the option of forming their own police force, he noted.

    "What are the rules for use of force?" Trump said. "Or how about weapons-retention training? Because they could go in to break up a fight in the cafeteria and lose their gun."

    "On the surface, it may sound like a solution to a difficult problem of the sheriff being 30 minutes way, but they have taken on a huge responsibility," he continued. "If an accident or an incident occurs, they’re going to have some tough questions to answer."

    Thweatt said the district did not rush into the decision. Officials researched the policy and weighed other options for about a year before trustees voted on the policy in October.

    "The naysayers think that won’t happen here. But who would have seen it coming in Virginia or Pennsylvania? Or at Columbine?" he said. "If something were to happen here, I’d much rather be calling a parent to tell them that their child is okay because we were able to protect them."

    harroldisd.net; schoolsecurity.org

    Conditions:
    The gun policy Teachers and staffers in the Harrold school district can carry firearms beginning this fall if they:
    Have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun.
    Are authorized to carry by the district.
    Receive training in crisis management and hostile situations.
    Use ammunition that is designed to minimize the risk of ricochet in school halls.



    A dose of common sense. Lets hope this spreads!
    Owens
    Target Sports
     

    Joat

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    Apr 28, 2008
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    Kenefick, TX
    It's a start.


    Ken Trump, a Cleveland-based school security expert who advises districts nationwide, including in Texas...
    Trump said he would have advised against allowing teachers to arm themselves
    Sounds to me like someone sees the gravy train pulling out of the station.

    joat
     

    Shorts

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    Mar 28, 2008
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    Texas
    Trump said he would have advised against allowing teachers to arm themselves, if only because of liability concerns. In the long run, it could have been cheaper and safer to hire security or off-duty police, he said. Texas school districts also have the option of forming their own police force, he noted.

    "What are the rules for use of force?" Trump said. "Or how about weapons-retention training? Because they could go in to break up a fight in the cafeteria and lose their gun."

    "On the surface, it may sound like a solution to a difficult problem of the sheriff being 30 minutes way, but they have taken on a huge responsibility," he continued. "If an accident or an incident occurs, they’re going to have some tough questions to answer."

    I think what these nitwits don't realize is the above questions are frequently thought about and frequently studied and frequently addressed by those that do carry concealed. Its not the first time those questions were spoken, its only the first time that Sheeple have thought about them.

    For most CCWers, those concerns are addressed - forums, magazines, range buddies, instructors, training classes, etc....as I should say 'comes with the territory' of carrying.
     

    SIG_Fiend

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    Feb 21, 2008
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    Austin, TX
    I think the one point where people get lost, that would not be in favor of carrying at school, is that they somehow get the impression that every teacher is going to somehow be "issued" a gun and permit and every teacher will be packing. This couldn't be further from the truth. A law allowing for it simply gives a teacher the OPTION to do so if they decide it is something they want to do. Teachers that dislike it don't have to carry if they don't want to. If there is a pro-gun teacher out there that is proactive about their own training and safety, and feels they are intelligent enough to handle the responsibility, then hey let them do it. It is my belief that a majority of teachers would still likely not choose to carry even if given the option. Even if only 1-5% of teachers on a campus were actually carrying, you can be damn sure that if there was even just a 1-5% greater chance that their children could be saved by a teacher from that small group that just happens to be carrying.......you can absolutely bet every one of those parents would pay everything they had for that extra few percent chance of their kids not being victims.

    Many people get far too caught up on focusing on objects of convenience as opposed to the ROOT CAUSE. It's sort of like using prescription drugs to counter the side effects of other drugs, and treating the symptoms as opposed to treating the actual root cause. In this life, it is entirely possible for anyone with the means and will to commit horrible acts if they so choose. It is a pretty distasteful thing to think about but, if a teacher really wanted to, if they were truly fed up, demented or what have you, they don't need a gun to harm your kids. Any number of sharp or blunt instruments in the classroom could be used nearly as swiftly and almost nearly as deadly in such a situation. That's the whole fallacy about people saying that it will lead to the teachers killing students out of anger due to easy access to a weapon. The reality is that the vast majority of people have far more of a tolerance of things, and most people are not nearly the psychopaths that the anti-gun crowd would have us believe. The root cause is certainly not the tool, but the user behind it. The vast majority of people I've met, in fact EVERY singly person I've met that has had a CHL have also been about the most respectful, most laid back, and most easy going people around. CHL holders as a whole generally realize their great responsibility, accept it, and seem to be better people for it. There are of course bad apples in every group, though there is never really any way to completely 100% eliminate the bad apples from society as that is just human nature. We really need to stop trying to cater to the lowest common denominator in this society (meaning idiots, criminals, etc etc).
     

    Owens

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    Mar 5, 2008
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    Levelland
    ...though there is never really any way to completely 100% eliminate the bad apples from society as that is just human nature.

    Agree.

    Safety is an illusion.
    What anti types need to realize is that there is no thing, place, or situation that is 100% safe either. To them they feel that things can be 100% safe...just eliminate all guns. But what about that small percentage of bad apples? They will do what they want with whatever they can make do with.
     

    atlas176176

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    Aug 8, 2008
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    DFW
    I applaud this district. I am getting fed up with the way local news and radio is covering this story though. They lead off by implying that, as others have said, all teachers would be issued a gun with no training.

    I almost called a local radio station here in Dallas this morning to set them straight, but decided not to waste my time.
     
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