Medford School Board member opposes armed educators idea

The Mail Tribune ^ | December 23, 2012 | Damian Mann

[2ndDivisionVet]

A Medford School Board member has criticized state Rep. Dennis Richardson's call to arm educators at local campuses to help prevent a mass shooting in Oregon.

"I respect Dennis Richardson, but I don't always agree with him," said Paulie Brading, a former principal at three Oregon schools who has been on the board since 2008. "It's almost a knee-jerk reaction that has politicized this situation."

Richardson, R-Central Point, has proposed arming and training two to three school officials at each school in the state to help prevent the kind of mass killing that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn., where 26 people died, 20 of them children.

"I'm not politicizing this," said Richardson, who has gained some national attention for his suggestion. "I'm not running for office."

The National Rifle Association on Friday also called for armed school guards on campuses.

Brading, who wrote her opinions on the liberal website BlueOregon, said Richardson ignores the fact that Medford's two high schools and two middle schools already have full-time armed officers on each site who are part of the Medford Police Department. In addition, the district has two unarmed community service officers trained by the police department.

The armed presence is paid out of the police department's budget. The school district contributes $50,000 annually for the community service officers.

Since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, Medford schools have beefed up security at campuses, she said...

[cripplecreek]

Personally I think janitors would be the ideal security people. They tend to have more common sense than teachers or administrators anyway.

[Stegall Tx]

So, let me see if I understand what is happening. In Medford, OR right now, it is illegal for a school employee to carry a firearm on campus. BUT it is OK for a non-employee to carry a weapon on campus provided they have the proper paperwork filed with the state. And, since those who go through the trouble to file the paperwork tend to also check out the laws, there can be no doubt that some of them are exercising this ability.

So far, how much trouble has this caused? How many of the licensed non-employees who are carrying firearms on campus have caused a ruckus? How many have lost their weapons to a crazed student? How many have had a shoot out with the local law enforcement officers who are patrolling the school?

Of all of the nightmare scenarios that are proposed should a school employee be allowed to carry a weapon on campus, none of them has EVER HAPPENED for as long as the current law has been in place.

If people who are licensed to carry concealed weapons haven’t caused trouble, what is it about teachers that make them more likely to cause a problem? I understand that teachers generally aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer, but we aren’t a bunch of yahoos, either.

[Stegall Tx]

Alternative Headline - “Medford School Board: Employees too Stupid to Handle Weapons”

[alloysteel]

And the cultural rot continues to spread.

There is a powerful mindset that regards ANY reference to the possession of sidearms or ammunition as total anathema. Little boys are not allowed to have toy guns, or even point their forefingers and say, “Bang! You’re dead”, or pick up sticks and have “swordfights”. Little boys, (and some little girls) have been doing this since time immemorial, and apparently grew up to be functioning adults.

So what kind of message would it send to the liddle kiddles to learn of armed people in their school? They would be asking, why they are forbidden to even employ this sort of role model in their playtime?

Not that schools even ALLOW playtime any more.

[Cementjungle]

A Medford School Board member has criticized state Rep. Dennis Richardson's call to arm educators

Just one board member? What do the other board members have to say on the issue?

[ogen hal]

A few years ago in Annapolis MD a grade school boy drew a crude gun on a piece of paper. On the school bus he had it out and was saying bang bang to friends. He was suspended. He's probably gay and in therapy now. Maryland is THE Freak state.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Because gun free schools have proven to be so effective.

[Jean S]

Personally I think janitors would be the ideal security people. They tend to have more common sense than teachers or administrators anyway.

I like that idea, best that I've heard. Janitors are usually men and usually strong due to the nature of their job.

And they don't have a designated spot in a school like a teacher. They could be anywhere.

[SkyDancer]

Beefed up security with more telephone lists and a who to call list.

[cripplecreek]

I worked school janitorial/maintenance for a few years and nobody knows their way around a building better. We carried all the keys for every door in the building, knew which storage rooms interconnected with which rooms etc. A janitor is expected to be unobtrusive and observant.

Its the perfect security position. Someone who isn’t expected to interact or interfere with students much but is aware of who belongs and who doesn’t.

[Jean S]

I like it. Much better than an armed cop in uniform standing at the door of a school.