Previous Post
Next Post

Previous Post
Next Post

59 COMMENTS

  1. You can see the resistance to having armed personnel in the schools. The same resistance to arming pilots after 9/11; a program which is still under attack from some legislators.

    • Actually, I think there are now more people (not just GOP politicians) bringing up the subject for discussion. There will be those gun phobics outraged by the suggestion yet I can see many parents when confronted with a choice of not having a paid armed guard (who can’t be everywhere) or arming trained teachers will go along with arming teachers.

    • I have found a few points against arming teachers that I agree with, although I do not believe that any of them are strong enough to disqualify the idea. What I believe is needed is:

      1) Open a path to legal concealed carry on school grounds by staff at at the k-12 level, and to all adults at colleges and universities. Perhaps a specific certification and training program for school staff would be reasonable? Some may find this to be an unacceptable infringement on the 2A, so perhaps there is another way to limit negligence by persons who are carrying on school grounds? I do think that the way schools congregate children makes the chance of serious injury or death caused by stupidity very real. Maybe the answer is to limit on-campus guns to “safe” models that are proven to not discharge when dropped, struck, or otherwise incorrectly handled?

      2) Train all school staff in the proper handling of , and response to, firearms. I’m not saying take everyone down to the range and have them squeeze a few hundred rounds out, but do put a real firearm into the hands of the teachers (no loaded of course), teach them the Four Rules, teach them basic loading and unloading, and teach them some tactical responses to guns in schools; ie what is likely to be penetrated and what is unlikely to be penetrated, how to move to make a smaller target, etc.

      3) Design and distribute a non-lethal alternative to firearms that can be stored in the classroom, is as safe while stored as an electrical outlet or fire extinguisher (we should not underestimate the danger of these, and yet kids are perceived to be safe with them in the classroom), is accessible and manageable by someone of small stature and low physical strength, and is of course inexpensive and low-maintenance. Not everyone is meant to be a warrior, we need solutions to school violence that also take into account people who can not bring themselves to commit violence even in the defense of children. Maybe a pepper spray shower over every classroom door that can be activated in an emergency and then goes off when the door is opened?

      4)

      • “I do think that the way schools congregate children makes the chance of serious injury or death caused by stupidity very real.”

        Check out the injury rate at child-centered events like 4-H shooting sports, Boy Scout riflery, summer camp shooting programs, and Appleseed programs. Kids are in more danger at school PE classes.

        “Maybe the answer is to limit on-campus guns to “safe” models that are proven to not discharge when dropped, struck, or otherwise incorrectly handled?”

        The California Legislature tried this approach as gun control, mandating that firearms couldn’t be sold in the state unless they passed rigorous safety tests. They were greatly disappointed that no modern firearms are “unsafe.”

        “Train all school staff in the proper handling of , and response to, firearms.”

        Well, sure. But over the years I’ve been teaching, I’ve met lots of teachers and school administrators who are already knowledgeable about firearms. The idea that everyone in public education is a hoplophobe is false.

        “Design and distribute a non-lethal alternative to firearms that can be stored in the classroom, is as safe while stored as an electrical outlet or fire extinguisher (we should not underestimate the danger of these, and yet kids are perceived to be safe with them in the classroom), is accessible and manageable by someone of small stature and low physical strength, and is of course inexpensive and low-maintenance.”

        Wonderful idea. If such existed I’d order one for my home.

        I’m sorry this sounds snarky, but there are a lot of myths out there about teachers, schools, and firearms, and we need to be smarter.

        • The Rifle Shotgun and Archery ranges at the boyscout camp that i work at are the safest places in camp. They have been completely injury free. The places that I worry about is the swimming area and the ecology area.

  2. I can’t stand Barbara Walters and the View. Every time (about six or seven) that I have watched the View it turns into a cackling match with one person the guest attempting to speak calmly and rationally giving facts with four or five liberal hens constantly jumping in asking questions and repeatedly commenting before the guest can respond to something asked a couple minutes earlier. The show should be re-named ‘women that need muzzles’.

    The video was funny with how the lone man was trying to practically and logically focus on what is known, can be learned, and a few basics to reduce or eliminate future school and public area shootings. Those women were obviously ignorant stooges who were out of their league is discussing guns, society, and politics.

  3. Color me surprised. This is the last place I would have expected a reasonable discussion of gun control. Good for the View.

  4. Wow. The headline has it exactly right. This will be The Best Mainstream Media Gun Control Analysis you will see. You could see them physically reacting to what he was saying, because they disliked it. A couple of them tried to put the blame solely on the guns, but he wasn’t letting them. And they didn’t shout him down like they often do because they clearly hold him in high regard. It was pretty amazing. I doubt it will do anything, but it was interesting to watch.

  5. Agreed. Good dialogue. I know a few of those hosts were biting their tongues, but at least they let the guy make some very salient points. Hate to admit it, but hats off to them.

  6. Notice that chick next to Whoopi even after being educated by this guy for several minutes still resorts to it being all about guns? There is no compromise when it comes to liberals. They don’t care about facts or reality, those just get in the way of their agenda.

    • I asked the same question, Sammy. At the end, when Whoopi said word to the effect of “and maybe it’s the press we give them,” I really hoped she’d point at the screen and say, “Like that? Why was that necessary?”

  7. Good on the View, but more so on Chris Cuomo. He was level-headed, respectful and persuasive. I doubt that any of those points would have been brought up by the hosts in the absence of Cuomo. It’s really heartening to see so many people on network TV (I’ve seen three interviews with different people) calling for arming adults in schools. No one likes the idea that our children can be subjected to a violent attack at ANY TIME, but that is the reality.

  8. What stuck out to me was, after it was established many of these sickos kill themselves before or at the sight of first responders, the redhead’s argument was for a hotline but against armed guards aka immediate responders. Basically she argued that possibly a few less kids killed is more acceptable than possibly none through either deterrence or immediate on-site response of armed security.

  9. Sell all public schools to private institutions. Repeal all taxes that fund schools. Let parents home school or send children to private schools. If you choose to send your children to a private school, you can pick one that arms the teachers or has parents/relatives that provide security. In high schools you can teach the older/mature students to do the same. This will not only resolve the problem of free fire zones we currently have but will give us better education of our children and teachers and schools will have to earn their money by producing well taught students. No government solution to a govt. created problem and it will cost less. A lot less. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9PEqmpGK9k

    • Not every parent is at good at teaching their own children as you think they are. Banning public education in favor of purely home schooling in the US undermines our democracy.

      If you don’t approve of what your local school does, get involved. Volunteer and join the PTA. Run for school board. Or…

      *GASP*

      …become a teacher.

    • The thing about a monopoly is that monopolists will die before they give up their control. Because the state owns and controls the mean of education, they own the curriculum and can advance any agenda that they wish to push. See, for example, the textbook entitled “Heather Has Two Mommies.”

      And gay people, please don’t get your knickers in a twist. I’m in favor of all your rights. But really, in grade school? How about “Kody Has Four Wives and Seventeen Children?” Would that be appropriate, too?

      • Ralph,

        You’re brilliant. Unfortunately, for anyone who is PC, a school book teaching/supporting Kody having more than one wife (as one more lifestyle) is not OK though Mrs. Kody having more than one husband and an extra-lover or two is probably fine.

  10. Wow. The View, of all places.

    It’s good to see at least one bigtime TV journalist taking a levelheaded and realistic view. I hope a lot of people saw that and understood what he was saying (yeah, I know…but we can hope).

  11. The reasons why we have a culture of violence are 1) capitalism-it’s good for business and 2) we are THE defenders of the free-world. What would become of America if we mostly turned to pacifists?

  12. FoxNew is reporting this:

    EXCLUSIVE: Fear of being committed may have caused Connecticut gunman to snap

    Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/18/fear-being-committed-may-have-caused-connecticut-madman-to-snap/#ixzz2FRaWN7a8

    They are saying he snapped because the mother was going through the court process of forcing him into mental institution and that the boy thought that his mother loved the school more than she loved him which is why he attacked the school.

    Along with armed schools and mental health reforms, I see one of the following happening;

    1) They close the “gun show loophole” — most likely — the Brady Camp has been loud about this one since the shootings
    2) Their is a ban on large capacity mags – probable
    3) There is a reinstatement of the AWB — I don’t see the votes although Di Fi will stump for it.

    “something” will be sacraficed and the “loophole” I see the easiest to be sacraficed since so many states do not allow private sales without registration already.

    • What’s funny about that is that #1 has no relevance to this incident. #2 has tenuous relevance. But the best part, we save for last… #3 also has no relevance!

      Point 1: He used a Bushmaster .223 AR-type rifle.
      Point 2: CT has a state-level assault weapons ban.
      Point 3: The Bushmaster was legally purchased and legally possessed by his mother.
      Conclusion: If the rifle was legally purchased and possessed under the CT Assault Weapons Ban, then by their very definition, the rifle used was not an Assault Weapon.

  13. He said this doesn’t happen in other countries. I call BS on that, these spree killings happen every year in every single region, be in West Europe, North Europe, Asia, South Asia, the Americas, etc (ok, maybe not the Vatican).

  14. I have to say “Way to go Chris Cuomo!” I appreciated his very fair and honest debate. He was not trying to demonize anyone. And his ultimate conclusion of an armed presence in the schools is the most logical and effective solutions considering that criminals will not allow themselves to be disarmed by existing or even new laws.

  15. End government schools. Let the free-market provide the choice for schools with high security, low security, religious, not religious, etc.

  16. Didn’t have a chance to watch this until just now — that pesky “day job” thing gets in the way of watching 8-minute video clips…

    This guy Chris Cuomo is a freaking MASTER of discussion-group rhetoric. There were times watching this that I was just floored by his ability to redirect the discussion, to depersonalize it and keep it objective, and most importantly, to softly, gently neutralize the arguments while driving his points home.

    I wanted to stand up and clap for his performance by the end. But that would look a bit stupid since I was watching this in my office with the headphones on, so I’ll settle for shouting “Bravo! Bravo!” here in the comments.

  17. Maybe we’re a culture of violence because we haven’t really had any extended period of peacetime. I think we have about 40 or 50 years total since 1789, and never more than five years in a row.

  18. SON OF A B***H!!! Stop saying “automatic”!!! If you are a so called journalist or talking head that thinks they are giving a moral lesson, then get your facts straight. Evil is Evil no matter what label you place on it or what syndrome/disease you name it. To every action, there is an equal opposing reaction. Legislation is not equal to the actions of evil. Firing back is equal to being fired upon.

  19. I have an idea (and no, it won’t stop these massacres, but give it a think anyway).

    There is something like 12,000,000 military veterans in this country, and every one of us have been trained to some degree how to handle weapons.

    I retired from the U. S. Air Force rated as a small arms expert for almost 20 years. I also have several years of law enforcement experience, like a LOT of vets do.

    Why not set up a cadre of volunteers amongst our ranks to provide security for the schools? As a father, and a grandfather with a beautiful almost 6 year old granddaughter in school, a 3 year old grandson the way up and another one on the way, I’d gladly donate my time, experience, and most of all LOVE of children, to protect them to the best of my ability against whackjobs like this punk that murdered these innocent little angels.

    I believe we could easily form an association with law enforement and communities, arrange for whatever level of training we would need to satisfy the naysayers, and actually do what “gun control” has miserably failed to do: PROTECT THE CHILDREN. I’d bet my life on them. Any takers?

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here