Support NeoGAF

[llien]

US President Donald Trump has expressed support for arming teachers and ending gun-free zones near schools at a White House event on gun violence.

He floated the proposal as survivors of last week's Florida school shooting implored him to make sure it never happens again.

The Republican president also backed calls for improved background checks for gun buyers.

Other survivors meanwhile lobbied Florida lawmakers on gun control.

"We'll be very strong on background checks, very strong emphasis on the mental health of somebody," Mr Trump told students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at the televised event at the White House on Wednesday.

"It's not going to be talk like it's been in the past," he added. "It's been going on too long, too many instances, we're going to get it done."

The US president also endorsed proposals that have long been backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), a powerful gun lobby group.

He pledged to look "very strongly" at a plan for teachers and other staff to be armed with guns.

"If you had a teacher who was adept at firearms," he said, "they could very well end the attack very quickly."

He added that "this would only be obviously for people who are very adept at handling a gun".

This plan has been endorsed by the NRA at state legislatures throughout the US.

Mr Trump also criticised gun-free zones in schools.

"A gun-free zone to a maniac - because they're all cowards - is, 'let's go in, and attack'," said Mr Trump.

Andrew Pollack, whose daughter, Meadow, was among the 17 killed in the Valentine's Day attack in Parkland vented his anger to the president.

"We're here because my daughter has no voice," said Mr Pollack.

"She was murdered last week and she was taken from us - shot nine times on the third floor. We, as a country, failed our children."

"I'm pissed!" he added.

On Wednesday, survivors of the shooting poured into the Florida state capital, Tallahassee, to demand lawmakers restrict sales of assault rifles.

Demonstrators joined protests in several US cities - from the streets of Washington DC, to Chicago, Illinois, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

BBC



NRA is too strong a lobby, I guess.


UPDATE:

 

[ickythingz]

This is good. There is more going on here then "muh guns". Leftists won't understand in general as they are either not conscious enough of reality (they eat everything CNN tells them happily) or don't posses the intelligence needed to understand deeper concpets and longer laid out plans.

 

[Musky_Cheese]

What’s the slogan? An apple on every desk, a cap in every ass! Has a ring to it.

 

[Vicetrailia]

Arming teachers, oh boy, so now there will be accidents at school. Guess who will be responsible for the training and oversight? The NRA. Doesn't that government money taste good, it matters not to a corporation.

On site defense only deters, it doesn't eliminate.

 

[mckmas8808]

This is good. There is more going on here then "muh guns". Leftists won't understand in general as they are either not conscious enough of reality (they eat everything CNN tells them happily) or don't posses the intelligence needed to understand deeper concpets and longer laid out plans.

So what happens if a teacher shoots a student on accident?

 

[Bleepey]

US President Donald Trump has expressed support for arming teachers and ending gun-free zones near schools at a White House event on gun violence.

He floated the proposal as survivors of last week's Florida school shooting implored him to make sure it never happens again.

The Republican president also backed calls for improved background checks for gun buyers.

Other survivors meanwhile lobbied Florida lawmakers on gun control.

"We'll be very strong on background checks, very strong emphasis on the mental health of somebody," Mr Trump told students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at the televised event at the White House on Wednesday.

"It's not going to be talk like it's been in the past," he added. "It's been going on too long, too many instances, we're going to get it done."

The US president also endorsed proposals that have long been backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), a powerful gun lobby group.

He pledged to look "very strongly" at a plan for teachers and other staff to be armed with guns.

"If you had a teacher who was adept at firearms," he said, "they could very well end the attack very quickly."

He added that "this would only be obviously for people who are very adept at handling a gun".

This plan has been endorsed by the NRA at state legislatures throughout the US.

Mr Trump also criticised gun-free zones in schools.

"A gun-free zone to a maniac - because they're all cowards - is, 'let's go in, and attack'," said Mr Trump.

Andrew Pollack, whose daughter, Meadow, was among the 17 killed in the Valentine's Day attack in Parkland vented his anger to the president.

"We're here because my daughter has no voice," said Mr Pollack.

"She was murdered last week and she was taken from us - shot nine times on the third floor. We, as a country, failed our children."

"I'm pissed!" he added.

On Wednesday, survivors of the shooting poured into the Florida state capital, Tallahassee, to demand lawmakers restrict sales of assault rifles.

Demonstrators joined protests in several US cities - from the streets of Washington DC, to Chicago, Illinois, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

BBC



NRA is too strong a lobby, I guess.

Honestly I am not against the idea. Don't get me wrong it's fucking terrible for reasons that range from it would be cheaper to pass effective gun legislation, insurance premiums will skyrocket, what if teachers don't wanna carry arms, and who will pay for the additional weapons and training. Maybe a tax on guns and bullets.

 

[Eotheod]

If we also arm the bears it'll stop school shootings. Just look at Australia, we arm our drop bears and not even Johnny Depp can get his dogs in!

 

[SDCowboy]

At the end of the day, I feel it would likely be more effective to enact sensible gun laws in the states that don't have them.

 

[Duxxy3]

Absolutely. The answer is MORE guns, not less. Because that has worked for any country, ever.

 

[Alx]

Yeah sorry it's not the task of a teacher to handle security, nor is there any reason to believe they'll be good at it. Putting armed guards in schools could make sense (even if it is sad that it has to come to that), but not giving guns to any adult in the area.

 

[Douche McBaggins The 3rd]

Does this mean I get paid more to wield a gun against my students when I become a teacher? Great. More shit to deal with. If I wanted to shoot people, I would have joined the police force. You dumb fucking orange.

 

[Warm Machine]

It is like people expect clarity during a school shooting. As if the shooter walks in and there is a wide berth of space around them and they are easy to shoot back at. It would be pure frantic hell in the hallways and we expect a teacher to have a clear shot and not accidentally hit a student? Do you think a teacher could live with themselves if they shot an innocent kid? Your society is intrinsically broken if you think guns in a school are acceptable in any way shape or form.

 

[Musky_Cheese]

Absolutely. The answer is MORE guns, not less. Because that has worked for any country, ever.

It does have a successful trial run already

 

[SoulUnison]

Huh, it's bad enough for morale and staff cohesion that suddenly a bunch of your peers you don't really know except as goofy-to-incompetent work acquaintances can be packing - can you imagine if it was mandatory for teaching staff to carry a sidearm?
Seems like a pretty good long con to create an inherent environment where it's more likely only conservatives would be comfortable teaching, that or just destabilize America's education system entirely and give a couple generations issues with learning and authority figures.

Would conservatives ruin generations of kids, possibly at the subconscious suggestion of a foreign power, for the possibility of some vague ideological wunderstate where "mutually assured destruction" occurs, not just in nation-to-nation affairs, but person-to-person in our day-to-day?

Probably, yeah.

 

[F0rneus]

Absolutely. The answer is MORE guns, not less. Because that has worked for any country, ever.

Didn't you hear? Other countries without any mass school shootings or only a fraction of them, all have armed guards, teachers and reinforced doors and windows.

Oh wait no they don't? Well that's weird. Why then?

On a more serious note, it's really sad that it's come to this. The idea of having to protect schools with armed guards.

 

[dlauv]

What happens when a kid in class takes a teacher's gun from their desk to fuck with them? Is every teacher going to have to get firearm training? Who is going to pay for this? Why not pay for better education of students?

This is so fucking stupid.

 

[Shamylov]

So the answer to guns being too easily available to mass murderers is to give guns to every school in America? The NRA and gun manufacturers just can't ever lose in America, can they?

When is this country ever going to seriously take steps to solve this problem?

 

[Moneal]

What happens when a kid in class takes a teacher's gun from their desk to fuck with them? Is every teacher going to have to get firearm training? Who is going to pay for this? Why not pay for better education of students?

This is so fucking stupid.

I would guess since he mentioned 20% its going to be a voluntary thing.

 

[Vicetrailia]

Ya'll know that the NRA will be doing the training right. They'll get government grants to do it

 

[Sosokrates]

I wouldn't take anything from that meeting as official policy statements.
He also gave the lady talking about teaching students and teachers about how to spot the signs of troubled students a reaffirming gesture at the end.

I personally think the actions he will do are:

• 21yrs age limit for AR15 Style guns
• A trained member of staff doing a concealed carry or concealed carry security guards at school
• Nationwide teaching of the teachers and students how to spot and report the signs of troubled students

 

[Sabotage]

Good, teachers should have the option to carry

 

[Corrik]

This is good. There is more going on here then "muh guns". Leftists won't understand in general as they are either not conscious enough of reality (they eat everything CNN tells them happily) or don't posses the intelligence needed to understand deeper concpets and longer laid out plans.

I disagree. Now you have guns on campus. Which can be stolen or if a teacher goes off the deep end or a student driver them wild.

I think arming teachers and ending gun free zones will have disasterous consequences. And I am a Republican.

 

[Frozen Bagel]

This is good. There is more going on here then "muh guns". Leftists won't understand in general as they are either not conscious enough of reality (they eat everything CNN tells them happily) or don't posses the intelligence needed to understand deeper concpets and longer laid out plans.

I can't tell if serious or sarcasm.

When is this country ever going to seriously take steps to solve this problem?

It's actually quite a simple, yet hard solution: one must disassociate the NRA from the 2nd amendment completely. What we're witnessing here is another step to the complete privatization of the 2nd amendment.

 

[JORMBO]

This is a bad idea for so many reasons. I don’t think we should expect teachers to be security.

 

[-MD-]

I can't think of a single teacher I had that I'd want to be carrying around a gun in school, they were all either young and way too cool or old as hell.

I saw a high school teacher break down and cry in class, these people don't need guns.

 

[Musky_Cheese]

I can't think of a single teacher I had that I'd want to be carrying around a gun in school, they were all either young and way too cool or old as hell.

I saw a high school teacher break down and cry in class, these people don't need guns.

I’m old now. I remember VHS in school classrooms lol. Guess who could work them? Or the DVD players? Not the people I’d want packing.

 

[Zomba13]

Obviously the real answer is to give every student a gun and gun training. That way they can defend themselves from shooters.

 

[KevinKeene]

It is like people expect clarity during a school shooting. As if the shooter walks in and there is a wide berth of space around them and they are easy to shoot back at. It would be pure frantic hell in the hallways and we expect a teacher to have a clear shot and not accidentally hit a student? Do you think a teacher could live with themselves if they shot an innocent kid? Your society is intrinsically broken if you think guns in a school are acceptable in any way shape or form.

All of the above.

Consequences of putting teachers in charge of armed combat:

- traumatized teachers who killed someone
- teachers shooting innocent kids because they fail to see which one is the 'bad kid'

What an outstandingly dumb idea.

 

[EBE]

Arming teachers?
Absolutely ridiculous.

 

[SatansReverence]

Arming teachers, oh boy, so now there will be accidents at school.

Yea, just going to have to assume you've never been near let alone fired a gun before...

 

[David___]

Arming teachers?
Absolutely ridiculous.

It's the American way.

Also l-o-fucken-l at arming every teacher when schools barely have, if at all, enough supplies for whats supposed to be used in school in the first place.

 

[x3sphere]

If the solution for increasing school safely is arming teachers with guns then we have a huge problem. That is completely ridiculous.

I would not trust most teachers with a gun, not to mention the liability aspect of students potentially stealing their firearm.

 

[xStoyax]

Teachers have been armed for years, probably on the down-low. I know the principle in Jr. High had a gun because i saw it once when he opened his desk. Also had another teacher who had one hidden. I think its a good idea - you have armed marshalls on airplanes. Have teachers go through vigorous training that happens multiple times per year & let people volunteer to do it.

In a DUI, we blame the driver. In a bombing, we blame the bomber. In a shooting, we blame the gun. Guns aren't going anywhere in the US - ever.

 

[Naudi]

First arm the teachers next arm the students. Then loop back around and make then carry 2 guns! Lmao

 

[David___]

First arm the teachers next arm the students. Then loop back around and make then carry 2 guns! Lmao

You forgot about arming the desks with built in holsters

 

[EBE]

You forgot about arming the desks with built in holsters

Schools are lucky if they get desks made in the last quarter century lol

 

[mrkgoo]

Teachers have been armed for years, probably on the down-low. I know the principle in Jr. High had a gun because i saw it once when he opened his desk. Also had another teacher who had one hidden. I think its a good idea - you have armed marshalls on airplanes. Have teachers go through vigorous training that happens multiple times per year & let people volunteer to do it.

In a DUI, we blame the driver. In a bombing, we blame the bomber. In a shooting, we blame the gun. Guns aren't going anywhere in the US - ever.

We don't blame the bombs and cars because in those incidents they are regular things built for other purposes that have been weaponised.

Guns are weapons in the first place. If in those incidents they were carried out with tanks and grenades, we would sure as hell blame those items and wonder how they got them.

 

[rokkerkory]

How do teachers feel about this added responsibility?

 

[Moneal]

We don't blame the bombs and cars because in those incidents they are regular things built for other purposes that have been weaponised.

Guns are weapons in the first place. If in those incidents they were carried out with tanks and grenades, we would sure as hell blame those items and wonder how they got them.

So when someone makes a homemade bomb to blow people up its built for other purposes?

 

[Lazy vs Crazy]

In a DUI, we blame the driver. In a bombing, we blame the bomber. In a shooting, we blame the gun. Guns aren't going anywhere in the US - ever.

Wait are you not aware that bombs aren't legal? Like, we regulate sale of fertilizer because it can be used to make bombs.

 

[Gavin Stevens]

When I was a teacher, I couldn’t afford anything. I had no support, or next to no support, for things that actually mattered. Actual honest to god needed things like learning books, had to be taken out of my own money most of the time. When I needed help I was pretty much on my own, unless it was something that either I was paying for, or would get the school something. Training wise, sure we got the regular health and safety or child protection rubbish every 20 seconds. But when it came to something big and important, suddenly the school had no funding. Every. School.

Also as a teacher, I’m sure many other teachers will agree with this... but most teachers are assholes. A lot of them you find are just... not very nice people. Don’t get me wrong, I knew and still know shit loads of lovely caring people. But I also know a load of people that just saw it as a job, regularly took their home and school stress out on the kids, and had no right being there but was there anyway for a pay check.

And I’m British.

Yet here we are, with people actually thinking arming teachers is a good idea!?

I’ve had my phone stolen. I’ve had my wallet stolen. I’ve had my drawers and lockers broken into. And this is at PRIMARY LEVEL. I’m talking 8 year olds.

But people honestly think that bringing a gun into a classroom is a good choice...? What in the flying fuck?

And you also think that the support, help and training will be there for these staff?!

I knew one teacher who got so angry at his home life, he told the kids to get out, and proceeded to smash his classroom up. But yeah let’s give him a gun!!!

Teaching is as fucking stressful as it is rewarding. It makes or it breaks people. Adding a gun into ANY equation, much less this, is insane...

Good fucking lord America what are you doing... the whole world is just looking at you shaking their heads, man...

 

[mrkgoo]

So when someone makes a homemade bomb to blow people up its built for other purposes?

Like a pressure cooker or fertiliser, or fuel?

Yes they are for other people purposes. You cannot just walk into a shop and buy a bomb (I hope. I don't live in the US)

 

[Naudi]

Im actually not totally against this but there would have to be extremely rigorous swat style training. Not just someone who knows how to shoot a gun lol. So there really isn't too many potential teachers nationwide let alone for every school to have a few, which it would need. Because if an armed teacher is miraculously close enough to the target to even take a shot they better know what the fuck they are doing otherwise it will only make the situation worse, and most likely just get them killed and another weapon in the killers hands.

Stiffer regulations and just generally less guns available seems like a more helpful although obviously not perfect solution .

 

[Vicetrailia]

33

Yea, just going to have to assume you've never been near let alone fired a gun before...

Well hey there accusatory liberal, where no guns have ever accidentally fired during training demonstrations, killed children because parents were negligent in storing them, cops having accidental fire and much more. No, accidents never, ever happen with guns.

And yes I've fired guns at ranges. They're easy to fire, which is why I don't think that you need pre-training in the same way we need drivers ed for cars. They get other specific regulations.

 

[Gavin Stevens]

The point is, you buy fertiliser to, you know, fertilise. If you make it into a bomb, something that isn’t it’s use, then it becomes lethal. It’s sole purpose however remains the same - it’s fertiliser. It was made for that purpose.

A car is the same. It’s sole purpose is that of travel. You can use it as a deadly weapon and it becomes lethal. But it’s sole created purpose, is that it’s a vehicle.

Let’s try something else.

A baseball bat. It’s sole purpose is for sport, to hit a ball. You can use it to kill somebody, but it was created for sport.

Now, a gun... any gun.

What was it created for? To kill. Sure people use it at the range. But it’s creation was born out of the need to kill. It’s sole defining purpose is that it was created to kill. It serves no other purpose. It was made for death.

So let’s not argue the toss about why cars aren’t banned. It’s a simple equation: what was the object made for and what’s its sole or most used purpose. If the answer to any of these is death then... oh look...

 

[Gavin Stevens]

Oh and I’ve fired a gun. I’m a Brit, so as you know the UK isn’t a total shit biscuit when it comes to guns. So I did what anybody here would do. I went with friends to a firing range as a special occasion to feel like a bad ass.

And I came away feeling bored. Because it’s just not even any fun firing them. Uncomfortable, boring, and about as much fun as firing my old potato gun at toy soldiers when I was a kid.

 

[Moneal]

The point is, you buy fertiliser to, you know, fertilise. If you make it into a bomb, something that isn’t it’s use, then it becomes lethal. It’s sole purpose however remains the same - it’s fertiliser. It was made for that purpose.

A car is the same. It’s sole purpose is that of travel. You can use it as a deadly weapon and it becomes lethal. But it’s sole created purpose, is that it’s a vehicle.

Let’s try something else.

A baseball bat. It’s sole purpose is for sport, to hit a ball. You can use it to kill somebody, but it was created for sport.

Now, a gun... any gun.

What was it created for? To kill. Sure people use it at the range. But it’s creation was born out of the need to kill. It’s sole defining purpose is that it was created to kill. It serves no other purpose. It was made for death.

So let’s not argue the toss about why cars aren’t banned. It’s a simple equation: what was the object made for and what’s its sole or most used purpose. If the answer to any of these is death then... oh look...

How about a bow and arrows? those are built as killing tools. sure you can take one to a range, but their sole purpose was crated to kill. I can't find a single state that prohibits felons from purchasing a bow and they don't require any background checks at all.

 

[Vicetrailia]

How about a bow and arrows? those are built as killing tools. sure you can take one to a range, but their sole purpose was crated to kill. I can't find a single state that prohibits felons from purchasing a bow and they don't require any background checks at all.

Bows and Arrows aren't an epidemic right now. We can afford to wait and see on that one.

 

[WaterAstro]

Next mass shooting will be done by a teacher armed by Trump.

 

[David___]