Incoming Washington lawmaker proposes arming teachers
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SALMON CREEK, Wash. – An incoming state representative from Camas is considering a proposal to change state law to allow guns in schools.
Republican Liz Pike wants to bring up a bill that would let teachers carry concealed guns in the classroom.
Under Pike's proposal, teachers at schools like Salmon Creek Elementary could volunteer to go through mental evaluations and week-long gun training at their own expense. They would also buy their own guns to bring into their classes and wear on a belt or in a holster – not in a purse or drawer.
Every school district would get to choose if teachers can carry weapons. Pike said it would be confidential and only law enforcement and the superintendent would know which teachers have weapons.
"They're designed to be concealed, and in a perfect situation a student will never see that gun," Pike said.
She posted her idea on her Facebook page, asking for feedback. She said it would be like the federal program for pilots that started after 9/11 where they can volunteer to train and carry.
Pike believes that mentally ill people would then understand that schools are not gun-free zones and they would not want to attack them like the shooter did in Sandy Hook.
"There is a possibility that there will be a teacher protecting those children and there might be somebody (the teacher) shooting back," Pike said. "It's basically a message to the mentally ill people that would do these terrible things to our children in our schools."
But some other state representatives disagree.
"I think we just need to be better prepared to handle the mental health issues that come up," said Rep.-elect Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver. "People who are looking for ways to hurt other people will do that whether there is a gun around or not. So we need to be approaching that from a mental health perspective."
Stonier said she supports the Second Amendment but believes guns in schools would not make kids safer.
"That's not fool proof, and to have guns in a classroom with my children, or anybody's children, when the focus isn't on gun safety and education. And focus is supposed to be on education. That's a problem for me."
She said there's not enough focus on dealing with mental health issues.
Pike said she also supports mental health solutions but said that will take a long time and there's no time to wait.
Pike will start her work in the Legislature Jan. 14. She said at least five other lawmakers in Washington have come up with similar ideas.
Finally a real American and not just another commie pinke pretending to be a politician...
find out which kids are on psyche meds and have guns in the house. Â This subject is like beating a dead dog. Â All the mass killings were done by kids and young adults under the supervision of pill pushing shrinks. Â Unless we address the real issue more Colorado's, Columbines, W. Virginia, Thurston, Kincully, are sure to happen. Â Psyche meds are dangerous when handed out like halloween candy.
Three cheers for Rep. Pike !!    Common sense isn't so common these days, this woman demonstrates it.   Wish we had some like her here in Oregon.
I would love to see teachers armed. I am compleatly for this.
Lets face it..Our society has changed and we must change with it.We now have people who feel they can walk into any mall,school, or public place and just let loose and shoot and kill other people.We need to be able to protect ourselves and our children. The police cannot be there 24/7 and the response time is so slow that innocent people are dead and piling up.As Bob Dylan once sang."The times they are a changing"Its time for change people!
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@RelaxThereIsNoGod If you are anti-second amendment then you are pro-rape and therefore disgust me.
 @Whitehawk  @RelaxThereIsNoGod Did you not see my giant list above of school shootings from the 1900's?? What would you attribute these shootings to?
 @PleaseBeSmart  @RelaxThereIsNoGod I have no problem with a kid getting shot if he brought a gun to school. But let's look at how many police involved shootings have happened over kids with fake guns. What if a teacher who didn't get enough sleep the night before mistakes a cell phone for a gun? Then it's lights out for Timmy. Mistakes can be made, and I don't believe we should throw more guns at the problem. We need to look at where the problems come from in the first place. 90% of these shooters are mentally ill, yet they have incredibly easy access to firearms.Â
 @Whitehawk A lot of video games come with an M rating for a reason. They aren't for kids, and no way should we be censoring content simply to keep it away from children. Either way, I'm pretty certain the 10 years we've spent sending our fresh-faced 18 and 19 year-olds to war has desensitized them to killing far more than any video game ever will, and yet disassociation and lack of empathy is generally not all the outcome of years at war. But psychopathy and "disorders" brought on by a lack of proper socialization and discipline develop long before video games or war.
 @RelaxThereIsNoGod You're right about times having not changed; it's been happening for a very long time. But you say he's "giving a teacher the right to kill a child" like the preferred option is to let the kid kill the teacher or other children. =/ If they're old enough to kill, they're old enough to be killed in self-defense.Â
 @RelaxThereIsNoGod One can't help but pay attention what with news blasted all over the media day and night.I still feel video games contribute to the disassociation of modern youth from feeling any empathy towards others when it come to killing.I am all for arming teachers in all schools,contrary to your liberal beliefs.
The times haven't changed,you just finally started paying attention.When the last school shooting happened you blamed it on video games,so why did all of these people kill kids? You are giving a teacher the right to kill a child and that is disgusting.We already know that the last shooters Mother was an avid gun nut who took her kid shooting ll the time,all while she knew he was mental and needed help.