Indiana school board to reexamine firearms policies

[Indy_Guy_77]

School board to change firearms policy - journalreview.com: News

 

[SteveM4A1]

Oh boy. While it may be taking a step in the right direction, this just reeks of "we are above the ordinary citizen".

 

[whitetailbowhunter]

A step in the right direction for sure. A long time family friend and neighbor of mine that I talk to regularly is an Indiana Superintendent and after Sandy Hook I asked him if he thought it was a good idea to allow voted on employees to CC after giving him my thoughts on it. He said he did not ever see it happening. Hopefully more corporations will follow if this goes through.

 

[Bill of Rights]

The article is full of fail.

Cases in point:

"The state policy’s criminal statute reads that those caught having a firearm on school property are subject to a class D felony. Law enforcement officers and administrators approved by the superintendent are exempt."

No, the state statute exempts LEOs and anyone the school board (not the superintendent) approves. Anyone, not just administrators.

“The objective is to eliminate a threat,” trustee Steven McLaughlin said. “If we are going to authorize someone to carry a firearm, they have to have the training to identify and stop a threat.”

No, they have to have the tools to do it and the will to use them. I support the training. I don't support it being required.

"The superintendent will have a set of guidelines that defines the training required for an administrator to carry a firearm on and inside school property."

Does that administrator have to have a set of guidelines defining how s/he speaks and writes too? How about taking a dump? Do they need a policy for that, too? Oh, wait... silly me.... potty training.

“We need an administrative guideline and specified training to approve administrators to carry a firearm,” board president Dale Petrie said. “They are carrying with the intent of acting as a police officer at that point.”

No, they are carrying with the intent of protecting themselves and others. They are carrying with the intent of being good citizens. If they wanted to act as police officers, they'd have gone into Law Enforcement, not Education. To say that people need administrative guidelines and required training is pure elitism: "We know better and we will tell you how you are permitted to act... even though we won't be there when the situation is FUBAR.

The board approved the policy changes 3-1, with board vice president Susan Albrecht voting against the changes.

“I am not comfortable with just saying administrators can carry,” Albrecht said. “We need to be more definitive in terms of what training would be required.”

Here's some training for you, Ms. Albrecht: You point the big hole on the end of the barrel at the bad guy. You look at him through your sights and when they're lined up, you squeeze the trigger and put the lead into his body. If he's still standing, repeat step three until he's not.

Put another way,
"

1. All firearms are always loaded.
2. Never point a firearm at anything you don't want to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target and you've decided to fire.
4. Know your target and know what's behind your target.

"
(Col. Cooper's Four Rules)

Obviously, that's oversimplified, but there's the basics. Eliminate the threat. If you can talk him down, do it. If you can't, you better be ready to fire or you better be ready to die.

Hope that helps. No charge.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Smokepole]

Well, it a least APPEARS to be a step in the right direction. There does appear to be a couple of misreads of the State Statute in the article and by School Officials. But, that's people for you.

 

[phylodog]

I don't necessarily agree that training should be required but there should absolutely be a measure of proficiency and minimum ability standards which have to be met.

 

[88GT]

If we are safe enough to turn loose in general population with a firearm, why are we not safe enough to be allowed in schools?

 

[phylodog]

If we are safe enough to turn loose in general population with a firearm, why are we not safe enough to be allowed in schools?

As soon as my 8 year old daughter is allowed to bring a gun to school to defend herself, I'll be in favor of allowing unrestricted access to anyone else to do the same.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I don't necessarily agree that training should be required but there should absolutely be a measure of proficiency and minimum ability standards which have to be met.

Insurance concerns will take care of that.

The simple answer is simply to exempt LTCH holders from the silly statute. Let each school decide if they wish to remain a governmentally-approved slaughter pen.

 

[Bunnykid68]

I don't necessarily agree that training should be required but there should absolutely be a measure of proficiency and minimum ability standards which have to be met.

No.

 

[phylodog]

No.

Yes. Perhaps the thought of uneducated, untrained strangers with guns having access to your children while they are out of your care doesn't bother you but it does me. I've already volunteered to provide training to school employees should they be authorized to carry in the schools. Perhaps I've seen a few too many people shot, perhaps I just don't trust people, probably a bit of both.

 

[flippiethehippie]

I am a new guy here, but found this very interesting because two weeks ago I requested permission from my local school board to conceal carry a handgun in and on school property. I am right in doing so according to Indiana State law IC 35-47-9-1. The school board is trying to railroad me on this and currently has no policy against it. However, it is still required that anyone can ask permission to the "School Board". I am trying to assemble the troops on this because our Superintendent does not want this to go to the school board and does not want any public opinion on this before it voted into policy. I encourage other communities to do the same requesting of their boards in Indiana. Most school boards and people don't realize that this law exists. I could use any support on this that anyone can offer to help me and my community. So far I am trying to get the most influential people in the county involved. I seem to have struck a nerve in favor of my efforts but still have to go up against a school board that is very anti-gun.

 

[Jarhead77]

Phylo...does she ride a bus? I mean no offense, but just saying.

 

[JimboCX]

There should be training and CC should not be done in a school. Kids can overpower a teacher or person regardless of the spewing machoism on this board. I am 5'5" and can hold my own with one person but several students. HS kids and even MS kids are pretty stout and strong. To be able to overpower a teacher is pretty easy. My first year teaching ( I was 39yrs old), I taught a 7' foot male 16yr old. He was huge. It wouldn't take much for a couple of farm boys or football players to corner a teacher and take their gun. I like how some schools have considered to place lock boxes with weapons throughout the school. They would only allow trained staff to access the safes. I am not thoroughly convinced just because people carry that they are capable of protecting others. It's easy to protect ourselves but very few people are willing to go above and beyond to save other people. I just saw on the news how some guy was hit by a car during rush hour and people kept driving by as he laid in the street. It wasn't until a physical therapist and nurse stopped. So I am not so sure that most people that carry are willing to put themselves in harms way to protect others. We are programmed to save our butts.----this is just my opinion

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

 

[cobber]

There should be training and CC should not be done in a school. Kids can overpower a teacher or person regardless of the spewing machoism on this board. I am 5'5" and can hold my own with one person but several students. HS kids and even MS kids are pretty stout and strong. To be able to overpower a teacher is pretty easy. My first year teaching ( I was 39yrs old), I taught a 7' foot male 16yr old. He was huge. It wouldn't take much for a couple of farm boys or football players to corner a teacher and take their gun. I like how some schools have considered to place lock boxes with weapons throughout the school. They would only allow trained staff to access the safes. I am not thoroughly convinced just because people carry that they are capable of protecting others. It's easy to protect ourselves but very few people are willing to go above and beyond to save other people. I just saw on the news how some guy was hit by a car during rush hour and people kept driving by as he laid in the street. It wasn't until a physical therapist and nurse stopped. So I am not so sure that most people that carry are willing to put themselves in harms way to protect others. We are programmed to save our butts.----this is just my opinion

The school you are positing above already has more problems than armed teachers could address.

Students overpowering teachers to take their guns? Are we talking the proverbial 6-year-old girl here?

I'll see your and raise you

 

[CTS]

There should be training and CC should not be done in a school. Kids can overpower a teacher or person regardless of the spewing machoism on this board. I am 5'5" and can hold my own with one person but several students. HS kids and even MS kids are pretty stout and strong. To be able to overpower a teacher is pretty easy. My first year teaching ( I was 39yrs old), I taught a 7' foot male 16yr old. He was huge. It wouldn't take much for a couple of farm boys or football players to corner a teacher and take their gun. I like how some schools have considered to place lock boxes with weapons throughout the school. They would only allow trained staff to access the safes. I am not thoroughly convinced just because people carry that they are capable of protecting others. It's easy to protect ourselves but very few people are willing to go above and beyond to save other people. I just saw on the news how some guy was hit by a car during rush hour and people kept driving by as he laid in the street. It wasn't until a physical therapist and nurse stopped. So I am not so sure that most people that carry are willing to put themselves in harms way to protect others. We are programmed to save our butts.----this is just my opinion

So "ordinary" non law enforcement types won't put their lives on the line to stop threats? Tell that to Dawn Hochsprung who (albeit foolishly) rushed Lanza at Sandy Hook. Tell that to David Benke who tackled a school shooter in Colorado and held him down until police arrived, tell that to Michael Landsberry who tried to talk down the shooter at Sparks Middle School and lost his life for it, tell that to Joel Myrick who ended Luke Woodham's spree by holding him at gunpoint after he had murdered his mother and several other students....I can keep this going for a REALLY long time unfortunately. Not to mention all of the people who volunteer to be firefighters, soldiers, police officers etc...it's not as if they were forced into it. It sounds like you're projecting.

Granted none of us know how we'll react until the time comes, and it is best to be prepared, but I personally hope I'm the kind of person who will step up if the need ever arises.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

Step in the right direction. They just need to take it out of the school boards hands. Yet another topic that they have little knowledge on.

 

[phylodog]

Phylo...does she ride a bus? I mean no offense, but just saying.

She does not.

To clarify here, I am not in favor of the no guns on school property law. What I am concerned with are those who will be at the school with the kids full time and choose to carry. I would very much like to see at least 1/2 of the staff make the decision to do so responsibly. Buying your first gun, loading it and taking it into a school thinking you will now be able to stop a threat is a dangerous pipe dream but there are a lot of intelligent people out there who believe what they see on television and in the movies. There are a lot of people who do just that on a daily basis. As I stated, I'd be more than happy to train teachers/administrators who would like to arm themselves in the schools free of charge. The idea of allowing those who think they don't need any training or at a minimum to demonstrate some level of proficiency will meet resistance from me.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

She does not.

To clarify here, I am not in favor of the no guns on school property law. What I am concerned with are those who will be at the school with the kids full time and choose to carry. I would very much like to see at least 1/2 of the staff make the decision to do so responsibly. Buying your first gun, loading it and taking it into a school thinking you will now be able to stop a threat is a dangerous pipe dream but there are a lot of intelligent people out there who believe what they see on television and in the movies. There are a lot of people who do just that on a daily basis. As I stated, I'd be more than happy to train teachers/administrators who would like to arm themselves in the schools free of charge. The idea of allowing those who think they don't need any training or at a minimum to demonstrate some level of proficiency will meet resistance from me.

So what is the difference between allowing law abiding citizens to carry in a school and other places where children are congregating?

ETA: Or is it you are concerned about teachers and administrators now assuming the roles and responsibilities without the training?