Armed and Dangerous

By reenee, Santa Maria

Okay, I'm back. I took a bit of a break for no reason in particular, since I never seem to run out of things to say over here. It's quite difficult to get any real local news since I quit reading the Santa Maria Times. It's so poorly put together that it shocks me that people still subscribe to it. I will usually read the Santa Barbara News Press, which is a bit better. I guess not every newspaper out there can be the New York Times, huh? The one good thing is that the Times does carry news from the Associated Press.

This one from the AP might just have people in Santa Maria buzzing, in particular the teachers. A district in Texas will be allowing teachers to carry a concealed weapon. This is their bright idea to deter and protect against school shootings. The impetus for this was the fact that the small community of Harrold is a 30 minute drive from the sheriff's office. Harrold Independent School District superintendent, David Thweat said that the campus sits near a heavily traveled highway which could make it a target.

Now on paper, this might sound like a fairly good idea. However, in the real world, I've seen good teachers and I've seen bad teachers. In fact, didn't we have a teacher in the Santa Maria Bonita School District that once tied a kid to a chair? Didn't we have another that assaulted a kid? Hasn't this school district had teachers who were discipline problems? Why yes, yes we have.

If we have these types of problems here, then every school district must also have them, or have the potential to have them. If you arm the teachers, what happens then?

Let's face it, not every teacher out there has both oars in the water. Nor does every teacher know how to behave in stressful situations. They are as flawed as the rest of us in certain situations.

I remember way back when I was but a tiny little blogger, one teacher rapped my knuckles with a ruler when I had the gall to use my left hand to write. Another time I watched a teacher throw a book at a kid and bean him in the head. I'm not sure that things have improved all that much when a teacher finds him/herself under fire from an unruly student. Therefore, I don't see it as a good idea to arm the teachers. Nonetheless, this part of Texas is armed and ready.

Barbara Williams, from the Texas Association of School Boards, said her organization did not know of another district with such a policy. Ken Trump, a Cleveland-based school security expert who advises districts nationwide, said Harrold is the first district with such a policy.

Trustees approved the policy change last year. For employees to carry a pistol, they must have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun; must be authorized to carry by the district; must receive training in crisis management and hostile situations; and must use ammunition designed to minimize the risk of ricocheting bullets.

Officials researched the policy and considered other options for about a year before approving the policy change. The district also has other measures in place to prevent a school shooting.

Superintendent Thweatt said, "The naysayers think a shooting won't happen here. If something were to happen here, I'd much rather be calling a parent to tell them that their child is OK."

No details on which teachers and assorted staff will be armed and dangerous. The supe wants that to be a surprise.