Teachers and guns by Rochelle

I was ready to go off on this whole thing that is happening in Harrold, Texas with teachers being allowed to carry guns in the classroom. I mean, my brain was about to explode with all the scenarios playing out. As a former middle school teacher there have been times I would have liked to smack a kid upside the head but truly don't think I ever wanted to actually shoot one of them (OK, maybe just one but that was when I was a sub). Now the students' parents? Different story...

Seriously, I've been lucky. I know teachers that have been threatened and it is VERY SCARY. The thing is, this Texas thing is not about teachers needing to protect themselves from violent students. It is about a tiny school, in a tiny town, in the middle of nowhere. It's located on a highway which gives access to lunatics driving by. Police are 30 miles away which means they can't get to the school quickly. Apparently, the district is trying to use the teachers to protect the students (and themselves, natch) against outside intruders.

Oh, my fav quote:

"When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones, that's when all of these shootings started. 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," Superintendent Thweatt said in Friday's online edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

So in theory protection is good, but let's face it: teachers with guns is a Lifetime movie waiting to happen. Not to generalize, although that is exactly what I am doing, but doesn't everyone in Texas carry a gun already? So maybe with that particular school it will be OK. Try that up here in Mass. or N.Y. I give it a week before some kid has gotten some "cool" teacher's gun and either sold it, traded it, used it in a video for YouTube, used it to rob a liquor store (and gotten caught), or shot himself or his friend "accidentally." We are just not gun savvy here. Exception for those who hunt and actually have a clue about guns (shout out to Wendy, Danielle, and Shawn).

One more thing. I know outside intruders is a real thing, but aren't a lot of these school shootings the result of mentally unstable students who were abused and bullied to the point of a break down? How 'bout we just don't treat people badly enough so that they want to kill everyone?

*For some chuckles read the comments posted to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram article.

**To read previous "Mom & Dad" posts, click here.