By Milt Harris ——Bio and Archives--April 25, 2024
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Democrats are triggered by certain words one of which is the word “gun.” They can’t grasp that guns are not inherently bad, but good and evil are determined by the hand holding them. They stubbornly refuse to understand this simple and obvious fact. Instead, their solution is to try and outlaw all guns, which, as we know, will never happen. Denying that a gun is an inanimate object that can also be used for good is a flawed argument that puts the public in danger.
Criminals have admitted that they consider stores, restaurants, or other public places that are labeled as "gun-free zones" to be easy targets. This is because they perceive that there is less resistance in such areas. However, a responsible person with a gun in such a place can offer enough resistance to deter many criminals from attempting something criminal.
Unfortunately, one of the most vulnerable places that a demented person may target is a school. We now know that locked doors are insufficient to stop a school shooter. By the time law enforcement arrives, even if only a few minutes have passed, many innocent people may have already died.
Yesterday, the Tennessee legislature passed a bill permitting teachers and school staff members to carry concealed handguns on school premises. This decision has been widely debated and is seen as a controversial step taken by Republican leaders in response to the tragic incident that took place in Nashville last year, where six individuals lost their lives due to a shooter attack.
The state of Tennessee is taking one of its most expansive pro-gun steps by allowing school staff to carry firearms. This move comes after the tragic shooting at Covenant School in March 2023, where a former student killed three students and three adults. The shooter targeted the school because it was a soft target and wrote a manifesto before carrying out the attack. The Tennessee bill allows properly trained teachers to possess firearms, which will help them protect their students and stop any potential attackers.
The argument presented here is quite straightforward. Even if it were possible to provide armed guards in every school, or if off-duty police officers and veterans volunteered, plenty of examples remind us that a guard cannot be everywhere at all times. Furthermore, if a guard is caught unready and becomes the first casualty, the students and others are left vulnerable and helpless until the police can arrive and neutralize the threat.
The bill was passed after it had already been approved by the state Senate, causing another heated moment in the ongoing argument over firearms and school safety in the state. During yesterday's session, protesters who chanted "Blood on Your Hands" disrupted the proceedings at times, adding to the chaos.
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The bill mandates that teachers and staff who want to carry a firearm for the safety of students must complete 40 hours of gun training and undergo a psychological evaluation. This ensures that only those comfortable with handling firearms will be authorized to do so. Even if they have prior training, they will still need to take the additional training and pass the evaluation.
Those teachers and staff carrying guns would be personally liable if anything went wrong. Under the legislation, school districts and law enforcement agencies would be immune from any claims of monetary damages, even if a teacher intentionally carried out a shooting, or if a student was accidentally shot.
The left responded to the bill’s passage with a moronic “Die In” that included Rep. Justin Jones. Left-wing activists, pretending to be dead, were lying around on the floors and benches.
Much to the left's chagrin, lawmakers in both parties expect Gov. Bill Lee (R) to sign the bill. He should, there has never been an attack on a school campus that publicly announced a program of arming the school’s staff. Sadly, the left can’t see the forest for the trees because the word “gun” is involved. Their narrow-minded thought process on this issue frightens them, even when it will save the lives of children.
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Milt spent thirty years as a sales and operations manager for an international manufacturing company. He is also a four-time published author on a variety of subjects. Now, he spends most of his time researching and writing about conservative politics and liberal folly.