Teachers and guns (and now Narcan in my state), what do you think?

[debbie in seattle]

Me? I think teachers Are there to teach, not have to carry a gun in school. Today I was reading our state is considering having the teachers/schools have Narcan readily available for the kids who OD during the school day. I see not many folks wanting to be teachers (nor cops) in the future. Sad, sad state of affairs nowadays.

 

[James]

Agree. Law Enforcement/Military ran in my family for generations. None of my 4 children are the least bit interested, nor are my brothers children. The tradition has been broken.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Our state has a program that makes Narcan available to schools that request it.

I agree with you about arming teachers, I think that if school security is needed it should be provided by using young military veterans or law enforcement people provided with specialized training unique to protecting schools, malls, stadiums, churches, etc...

 

[Warrigal]

Teachers and school office staff are trained in the use of epipens in the event of anaphylaxis so I guess administering NARCAN to save a life wouldn't be too much of a stretch. The only trouble would be if it has to delivered via a vein and the patient was not being co-operative. They would need to be restrained first.

 

[Shalimar]

Agree. Law Enforcement/Military ran in my family for generations. None of my 4 children are the least bit interested, nor are my brothers children. The tradition has been broken.

Sometimes these traditions skip a generation or two. One of my oldest clients, a multidecorated WW2 vet, who was part of the liberation of Holland, laughed when he told me that neither his children nor grandkids were remotely interested in joining the military. However, out of six great grands, four are in the military, the other two are police officers. Three men and three women.

 

[James]

This is how crazy it has become here in my part of Canada. There are no less than 3 Civilian Oversight Investigative Agencies that investigates complaints made against Police Officers, plus the usual Internal investigators.

One of those agencies has also been mandated to investigate any "serious injury or death" of a Civilian that involves the Police. They also have the power to lay Criminal Charges against officers.

Well now that we've all been trained to administer NarCan, they have announced that if someone dies after being administered NarCan by a Police Officer, that officer will be the subject of a criminal investigation.

Just nuts. This agency also will begin criminal investigations on incidents of suicide if the Police are involved. So if I'm standing outside on the street trying to negotiate with someone not to kill themselves, but they do, then I become the subject of a criminal investigation.

A good friend of mine and his partner were in separate cars looking for a domestic assault suspect. His partner found and stopped the suspect and he radioed for backup. As my friend rolled up he witnessed the suspect blowing his partners head off with an rifle.

My friend then gets into a 5 minute gun battle with the suspect and he ends up killing him. It was in a rural area but happened just feet away from a farmhouse where a family watched the entire thing unfold
.
This agency of course opens up a criminal investigation against my friend for homicide and it takes them over 18 months to eventually clear him.

I get and understand the need for transparency and accountability but things have swung so far to the left that its now turned into a circus. One of the biggest reasons for me getting out..

 

[Warrigal]

James, I hear you about the problem, by why do you characterise it in terms of left/right politics?
Surely any death in custody, which is what we call these instances over here, requires a full investigation?
In the past there were too many deaths in cells and in the back of police vans and this is the reason for the new protocols.
I cannot see that politics is the driving motivation in any way.

 

[C'est Moi]

Me? I think teachers Are there to teach, not have to carry a gun in school. Today I was reading our state is considering having the teachers/schools have Narcan readily available for the kids who OD during the school day. I see not many folks wanting to be teachers (nor cops) in the future. Sad, sad state of affairs nowadays.

I totally agree. I know I would not want to be a teacher AT ALL.

 

[James]

Oh, I agree whole heartedly about transparency and accountability, however the leaps and bounds, that imho exceed basic common sense in the name of political correctness is ridiculous.

Firefighters aren't investigated for NarCan administration, Paramedics aren't investigated, teachers aren't investigated but if you wear a gun and a badge, you are immediately under suspicion.

Btw, the amount of oversight was driven by special interest groups who STILL complain about the lack of transparency whenever an incident involves part of that particular group.

In fact now we have seen a trend of this agency laying criminal charges at random only to withdraw them before they go to trial. It boils down to the shotgun approach where they lay charges regardless of what the evidence shows just to satisfy a political agenda.

This and the related negative media attention causes an unbelievable amount of unnecessary stress for the officers, their families and the department.

When the charges are withdrawn your lucky if its buried somewhere on page 20 of the local rag that no one reads anymore.

 

[Warrigal]

Speaking of special interest groups, the disproportionate number of indigenous men dying in police custody in Australia was so bad that a Royal Commission was held. It would not have happened had not special interest groups - Aborigines and churches - put pressure on whichever party was in power at the time. The RC made numerous recommendations to address the problems and the same interest groups had to keep pressing to have them implemented. Eventually reforms were legislated and now less deaths occur in custody and this benefits not just indigenous men, it benefits all prisoners. It also benefits the police and prison staff to have clear protocols. Deaths still occur because you cannot prevent all of them but things are a bit better now.

 

[HipGnosis]

To suggest that teachers should be armed is a thoughtless, knee-jerk reaction.

From http://theweek.com/speedreads/75703...-kindergarten-teachers-carrying-guns-holsters ;
In a statement Thursday, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said her union's position is firm, even among teachers who are gun owners: "Teachers don't want to be armed, we want to teach."

 

[James]

Yes and you've hit the nail on the head. Deaths unfortunately still occur and will always occur but here that obvious logic falls upon deaf ears.