Gun-friendly School Zone?

Schools should be a safe learning environment. Our children shouldn’t have to be concerned with getting hurt at school - by bullies or shootings. Yet teachers and parents alike, worry about the students’ physical safety on a daily basis.

Herb Kohl (D-WI) introduced the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 and President Bush signed it into law to keep bad guys with guns away from schools.

As we have seen in the almost 30 years since the law was enacted, bad guys with guns aren’t big on following laws.

From the blog post:
https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/blog/gun-free-school-zones-act-of-1990-what-is-it/

Fortunately, GOP congressmen, led by Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky), have introduced H.R.3200 — The Safe Students Act — in an effort to roll back Kohl’s Gun-Free School Zones Acts. Citing statistics from a report by John Lott, Massie issued a press release stating:

“Gun-free zones are ineffective and make our schools less safe […] 98 percent of mass public shootings since 1950 have occurred in places where citizens are banned from having guns. Banks, churches, sports stadiums and many of my colleagues in Congress are protected with firearms. Yet children inside the classroom are too frequently left vulnerable.”

Massie introduced H.R.3200 on June 11, 2019. It has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security.

What prerequisites, if any, would you like to see before someone can carry a firearm in a school?

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If they can legally carry a gun, I say party on. Yes, I’m including Constitutional Carry. I’m less worried about people around kids with guns, than I am about how people drive in the school parking lot.

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If people are legally licensed to carry a firearm and have the proper training then yes. If they’re in one of those few constitutional carrier state then I say fine, There’s many young veterans that that could handle this task easily.

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“Shooting USA” just aired a episode called “Faster in the Schools” on a program that has trained 1,500 Ohio teachers to carry at school. The training included range time and actual simulations in a school building. Anyone who could pass that course would be qualified to carry at a school.

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I understand the truth that Gun Free zones don’t stop those intent on committing violent acts. In fact, they make it easier for them to succeed. That being said there are other considerations that need to be brought up.

After 20+ years of teaching in a very gun friendly State, I’ve seen my share of incidents gone bad, that might have been much worse had firearms been involved. Schools often must deliver bad news to parents, i.e. Jonny started a fire in the restroom or Mary is not keeping up with her classwork. This kind of news can often cause an emotional response (understandably) and can for a few moments cloud one’s judgment. Schools are aware of this and usually are prepared go help diffuse the situation.

As a CC person I would never carry into a school. Part of being responsible is knowing when I personally should and should not carry. Keeping my emotions in check is crucial go being responsible and knowing when they might become out of check is my signal to leave my firearm at home.

It’s a shame that law can’t be done away with!!!

In Oregon, all you need is a CHL to legally carry concealed (only allowed to carry concealed) in a Public School.

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Reasonable school zone legislation would look like this

  1. X% of administrative stuff MUST carry, in addition to the SRO on the grounds. Duty to defend children from attack is spelled out as job requirement.
  2. Teachers may elect to carry.
  3. School district may require certain level of training before allowing carry.

I am OK with firearms made illegal on anyone else who is on school grounds, but remove the moronic requirement that makes parents park a block away, because they have a weapon locked in their car.

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Why are ok with this infringement? I work in a pharmacy chain warehouse, and have ISP and DEA background checks done on me. I coach 4H, so, another go round of ISP, with DCFS background checks. So, I have substantially more “background” clearance than the teachers. Throw in the 360 background checks on my FOID card, and another 360 for my Illinois ccw license (each one checked every day by New Years, the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). With all that, why shouldn’t it be legal for me to carry in a school?

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You ask a legitimate question. I feel there is no excuse for gun free victimization zones, yet zones where staff carries and general public is not allowed to are legitimate as well - schools, sports arenas, bars, casinos, court houses, police stations to mention a few examples.

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That was like my former father-in-law he worked at ‘Dr. Reddys’ and had checks like that as well.

When I was an asst. coach for kids football/basketball I had to have a background check every year too. Point—[Sorry of all the rambling] You are right @45IPAC! We should be able to as people who have been thoroughly checked inside and out. [Not that I believe in backgrounds but just saying they know us in and out]

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Then who decides which people are qualified, and which are not. Teachers, police officers, etc aren’t superheroes. We have seen officers make bad judgment calls, and shoot the wrong person. I’ve been vetted, certified, and proved my competence with a firearm. I should be free to carry in my kids school, at the park, in a casino, a bar, etc. I’ll give you the police department, jails, prisons.

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I don’t dispute your point, and have no doubt there are LEO, not to mention teachers, who are not half as trustworthy and qualified as you are. In practice though, you can decide to either 1)trust all public, qualified, poorly qualified and outright psychos, or 2) trust no public with carrying in, lets call it “exclusion zone”.

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I’ll take dangerous freedom, over safe servitude for 500 Alex. I do understand your point, but, even in the absence of firearms, bad people do bad things. Since bad people ignore “The Sign” then it shows it’s ineffectiveness. I’m of the opinion, if you can own a gun, you can carry a gun. If, an individual is negligent with their gun, then the liability, and consequences fall squarely on them.

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I am curious. Forget the schools for a minute, as well as bars and stadiums and other “places of nuisance” (as FL law puts it). What about police stations, court houses and polling places -do you support or oppose firearm restrictions for public in these places?

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As far as I’m concerned all gun-free zone should be repealed.

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Court houses, with one amendment. They need a secure gun check in. I shouldn’t be unprotected walking to and from, nor should I need to “lock” my gun in my vehicle in the parking lot. Same with a police station. A secure check in/check out so I’m not unarmed on the way to and from the building. I have no problem with someone being armed in a polling place. Carrying in a polling place is legal, unless the state law prohibits it. The only reason I can’t, is my polling place is in the town high school.

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Deff Oppose!

For me[And this is personal opinion and it actually swayed one time] but any—all—restrictions or law is infringement…

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This is going to sound bad…but when I was 19-20 I freaking opened carry into a polling place! :scream: :scream:

Nobody ever said anything…But see how my ignorance of law could have got me jammed up!

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The FBI has done background investigations on me at least twice that I know of.

First time I was in 1979 for a US Army nuclear weapons clearance (CTSA series 4000 BI is what it was called at the time).

The second time was when I was working for the UW Madison after 9/11. Depending on what you had access to on campus dictated if you had to have the background investigation or not. I was one of the locksmiths on campus and had access to everywhere so needless to say we all had to go through the process.

You would think that would count for something (but it doesn’t).

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