March 02, 2018
Friday PM

Editor-Sitnews,

For the public that wishes to read current articles regarding the arming of school personnel.

Below are direct quotes from three of the four provided sources. Two quotes are not know as supporters of conservative thinking on most anything including firearms, however they do quote statements a bit more accurately than the author of the Taking the Law into your Own Hands is not an "Individual Freedom" would have you believing. One would ask the author of the letter to the editor to provide a bit more specifics on the basis for opinions offered as Fact.

In rebuttal, training of teachers (Personnel) quoting LaPierre, is based on Volunteering teachers NOT ALL.

Quote: LaPierre had suggested allowing armed volunteers in school buildings to protect students .
https://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/nra-school-shield-safety-program-089542


Quote: "From armed security to building design and access control to information technology to student and teacher training, this multi-faceted program will be developed by the very best experts in their fields."
https://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/nras-bizarre-press-conference-more-guns-now

Quote: He said the NRA will provide free support through its School Shield program to help any school place armed security guards in its hallways.

The good guy with a gun philosophy is also being advanced by the White House. President Trump this week talked about offering bonuses to teachers who are willing to take training and then arm themselves on school grounds. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/feb/22/wayne-lapierre-nra-ceo-cpac-calls-more-armed-secur/

The point of this letter to Sitnews is making clarification what Mr.La Pierre's stated in print vs. the emotional to be believed 'statement r lacking substantiation of the prior letter on the subject.

Ketchikan several years ago, instituted having a full time assigned patrolman assigned to the high school. The incident or cause that brought this assignment to the school those past years is to be assumed. More so now than ever, the concept of having a armed patrol office in house is taking on a national tone. Due to society's ever changing acceptance of deviances of many colors, one being the lack of value of human life, either before birth or during life. Savage, forceful taking of life to the degree, of become numbing as an event by those on either side profess.,except when the reality of having a similar happening to or around one personally as these mass killings portray.

With the history of our high school's use of the assigned officer, who incidentally, provides more than the safety factor desired, serving as a mentor to many of our students who look to the officer as a symbol of good proves Ketchikan ahead of the times.

If a suggested mode of school safety were sought the following article provides a realistic formula to address building safety. In many ways, Ketchikan had used the model. Can we or should we extend this to all the educational buildings in the district? Beyond my pay scale to proffer however one that may develop as a result of public input.

(Clarification regarding this article: It is not President Trump as the author rather a very different Trump . )

Educator's reaction to training : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsy7sGCp7qo

Excerpt: Trump(Not President Trump!) has long supported school districts having school resource officers (SROs) who are city or county law enforcement officers assigned to work in schools. He also supports properly organized and operated school police departments, which are in-house school district police officers that are trained, commissioned, and certified professional peace officers in school districts where state law allows districts to have such departments.

Trump (Not President Trump!) says that the arming of teachers and school staff goes is a significantly different issue that goes beyond simply the issue of an individual s right in a number of states to be licensed to carry a concealed weapon. Unlike an individual being trained and licensed under a state law to carry a firearm for personal protection at their home or on the streets, school districts that permit teachers and school staff to carry firearms on campus are in essence deploying those school employees in a public safety capacity to protect the masses with the expectation and assumption that they can and will provide a firearms-related level of public safety protection services to students and other staff. By tasking those employees with those responsibilities, Trump notes, the school district is also accepting responsibility and potential liability for implementation of such policies.

And finally: "The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." - Thomas Jefferson, Commonplace Book (quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria), 1774-1776

Regards,

A.M.Johnson-
Member-NRA
Ketchikan, Alaska

About: Conclude:The Constitution doesn't need to be rewritten, - it needs to be reread.

Editor's Note:

The text of this letter was NOT edited by the SitNews Editor.

Received February 27, 2018 - Published March 02, 2018

Related Viewpoint:

Taking the Law into your Own Hands is not an "Individual Freedom" By Michael Spence

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