Why not arm teachers with AR15s?

 

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To stop school shooters with AR-15s and body armor: teachers with AR-15s and body armor?

Pictured Marjorie Taylor-Greene and Lauren Boebert imagined as teachers guarding their elementary school

Once again the idea of arming teachers to thwart would-be school shooters is a “thing” among Republicans. After the Parkland shootings Trump proposed this:

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President Donald Trump’s suggestion that teachers should be armed and trained to combat school shooters was widely criticized Wednesday. 

Meeting with students and parents affected by school shootings at the White House, Trump listened to emotional stories and pleas to enhance school safety. He suggested that armed teachers might be able to neutralize shooters like the former student who fatally shot 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last week. 

“If you had a teacher who was adept the firearm, they could end the attack very quickly,” he said Wednesday, stating that schools could arm up to 20% of their teachers to stop “maniacs” who may try and attack them.

“I’m not here to debate, but I lost my sister,” said Hunter Pollack, whose sister Meadow was killed in last week’s shooting. 

“And like Mr. President said, if you could find 20% of maybe retired law enforcement officers, or a teacher who could go through discreet training to carry a firearm around his waist, it could’ve been a very different situation.”  CNN

Once again we are hearing this from Trump and others in the GOP. Here’s what Trump said when he addressed the NRA convention:

Former President Donald Trump called for an overhaul of school security in the aftermath of the Uvalde shooting and demanded that teachers be armed during a speech to National Rifle Association members on Friday.

'Surely we can all agree our schools should not be the softest target our school should be the single hardest target in our country,' he said to applause.

'And that's why as part of a comprehensive school safety plan, it's time to finally allow highly trained teachers to safely and discreetly concealed carry, let them concealed carry.' Daily Mail

This is so patently wrong-headed, so practically impossible, that I am sure even Wayne LaPierre knows that the arming teachers proposal is a heaping pile of bullcrap. He knows it is a diversionary idea to pony up to avoid any actual regulation regulating guns. It doesn’t bear an explanation as to why in any number of scenarios even a highly trained teacher with a handgun wouldn’t have been able to stop the Uvalde and similar school massacres.

The NRA mantra that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun is more accurately stated as the only way to stop a school shooter with an AR-15 and body armor by a teacher is if they are armed with an AR-15 and are wearing body armor. 

The Poll:

Sen. Murphy says there's  ‘growing momentum’ on gun violence legislation after latest meeting of bipartisan group (article The Hill). Do you agree?

Here are then main provisions the Democrats propose (from House Democrats Have a Gun Control Proposal That's Painfully in Touch With Reality):

• raising the purchasing age for semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21

• banning the import, sale, manufacture, and possession of large-capacity magazines

• putting in place safe-storage requirements within the home

• creating criminal penalties for storage violations.

Poll from Daily Kos

81 votes

How likely to you think there will be any meaningful legislation about gun control? 0 = Very unlikely to 10 = Very likely

 

 

McConnell channels Bert the Turtle's Duck and Cover drills of 1950's

 

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For those of you too young to have experienced the actual duck and cover drills during the 1950’s which I remember well, or haven’t read about them, here’s a bit of history:

“Duck and Cover” – Futile Measures, or a Life-Saving Plan?

Here’s the nine minute video those of us in school at the time were shown in our assemblies:

During the Cold War period we were all afraid of a nuclear attack. I lived in a New York City suburb and remember thinking that drains my bedroom shades at night might protect me if the Russian bombed the city.

I won't show the photos in this diary of children hiding under desks because they are really too upsetting for some people to look at. You can see one example here. Not to state the obvious, but hiding under a desk if there’s a shooter armed with an assault rifle in a school would be about as effective in saving lives as it would be is there was a nuclear attack.

To extend the analogy, McConnell and the GOP solutions to mass shootings which don't address access to assault guns would be similar to saying that the way to have resolved the world coming to the brink of nuclear war was to have everyone have quick access to a bomb shelter instead of working on a nuclear disarmament treaty. Considering the mindset of Republicans I suppose the likes of Marjorie peach tree Greene and Lorena Boebert might argue that it was mutual assured destruction that saved the world so this would justify having teachers wear body armor and carry AR-15’s.

Of course McConnell blamed a "maniac" for Texas killings, doesn’t address possible solutions to recurring mass shootings that might actually be effective and in his three minute Senate speech didn’t even mention guns.

McConnell has several nicknames and just earned himself a new one: 

Massacre Mitch

The backstory: In the aftermath of two mass shootings in Texas and Ohio in August 2019, the hashtag #MassacreMitch trended on Twitter.

The nickname came from critics who placed much of the blame for the shootings, which claimed 22 lives in El Paso, Texas, and nine more in Dayton, Ohio, at the feet of McConnell, who has blocked gun control legislation in the past.

How McConnell reacted: Following the El Paso shooting, McConnell wrote in a tweet on Aug. 3 that the the "entire nation is horrified" by the "senseless violence." A few days later, McConnell said in a statement that Senate Republicans were ready to "engage in bipartisan discussions of potential solutions to help protect our communities without infringing on Americans’ constitutional rights."

McConnell did not directly comment on the "Massacre Mitch" nickname.

'Massacre Mitch':McConnell gets new nickname after mass shootings

From 'Moscow Mitch' to 'Massacre Mitch': McConnell gets new nickname after mass shootings (article in Kentucky newspaper).

There are many reports like this of what happens to the body when hit by an AR-15 bullet compared to a pistol round. I think every member of Congress should be shown videos like this one of an AR-15 bullet being fired into ballistic gel. .

GOP total hypocrites on preventing mass shooting

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As you’ve probably heard, Gov. Greg Abbott said the following: "We as a state, we as a society need to do a better job with mental health. Anybody who shoots somebody else has a mental health challenge. Period. We as a government need to find a way to target that mental health challenge and to do something about it." Texas ranks as the worst state in providing mental health services. (ABC News). Abbott just serves as an example which is typical of Republican governors when it comes to how they spend their states money. For example (from The Washington Post):  “In April, Abbott transferred $211 million away from the state’s Health and Human Services Commission, which oversees mental health programs, as NBC News has noted. The money was transferred to support Operation Lone Star, the governor’s controversial deployment of National Guard and law enforcement resources to the border.”

All the sensible actions actually addressing guns should be taken. For example: make the AR-15 type assault rifles and high capacity magazines illegal, mandate background checks for all firearms sales, not allow people judged to be dangerous to buy any guns, and stop sales to anyone under 21. Even if such action were taken tomorrow, and others like assault weapon buyback programs, the results would take a long time to show an effect.

The Republican proposal of what they call “hardening schools” is just a symbolic gesture that would have only one benefit: it would give children a sense of security. It would not stop resourceful potential school and other mass shooters who could still decide to thwart security measures inside of schools or make their attacks elsewhere. 

The substantial increase in mental health services both in the community and counseling in the schools would have an almost immediate impact. 

Although parents may see signs of developing violent tendencies in their children they are sometimes in denial. When they do see this they should have resources readily available to them. Teachers are often the first people who see signs in a child that could be indicative of a mental health condition that could lead to violent acting out.

Regardless of whether anyone sees more obvious signs of violent behavior such as bullying, or precursors to violence such as being bullied, developing, school based services for other behaviors which should be assessed such as being withdrawn, anxious, or easily distracted should be also referred to the counseling department. Sometimes the squeakiest wheel gets the grease, but this shouldn’t lead to others in need being underserved.

Teachers should be able to be able to refer the children to a well staffed school counseling programs, and the counselors in those programs should be able to refer children who need more extensive treatment to mental health programs in the community that have enough therapists to provide optimal services which will sometimes include both individual child therapy and family therapy. 

Addendum:

Based on my own experience as the director of community mental health programs I’ve concluded that at a minimum community mental health program and school counseling programs ought to have close relationships and ideally liaison people who meet together on a frequent basis and whenever there’s a problem. Ideally every community should have a program like Clinton County, Michigan had when the heads of all agencies serving children met together to work on addressing issues related to children. This was called the CAN Council (for Child and Neglect). The members were the mental health center director, the director of Protective Services, the chief assistant prosecutor for the county, the Friend of the Court, the head of the school counseling  department, the chief county detective, and the juvenile court director. This cost nothing but an hour of each agency’s time but was crucial in assuring excellent services to at risk children and families.

Clackamas County Parks to visit

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The parks we visit are either state or city parks. These (click photo) are county parks. We've yet to visit these any of these parks. Stay tuned for photo essays when we do

Texas school shooting

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I thought my version of the NRA logo might be too extreme for Facebook, Twitter

Below: Before I added the dollar signs.

From Sweet Free Clip Art

When I added the little crying boy to my version of the NRA logo which I originally made just by adding the AR-15's  I thought it might be too extreme to post on Facebook and Twitter. Then I looked at the images posted on the Duty to Warn page on Facebook. Yesterday I used the illustration in my diary The NRA, Jesus, and a stark reminder of US gun obsession on the way for lunch in lovely Estacada, OR.

Some of the editorial cartoons about the NRA and the GOP are far more graphic than my image. 

Knowing that my idea wasn’t particularly brilliant and others may have modified the logo in a similar way, I figured I might as well do my very small bit.

By using some of the hashtags that came up when I typed #NRA into Twitter I increased the chances people might see it.

The NRA, Jesus, and a stark reminder of US gun obsession on the way for lunch in lovely Estacada, OR

Above, just before turning off the main road to go to the lovely out of the way village of Estatada, a 45 minute drive along a scenic winding road from where I live we pulled up next to this car at a traffic light. Sitting on the passenger side I saw the logo and managed to take one quick iPhone photo before the light changed to green. While non-members of the organization may not easily recognize the NRA logo just from the colors I was pretty certain this is what it was so I took the photo and then enlarged it and sure enough that is what it was.

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Yesterday, for relief from the news coming out of Texas, it seemed like a good idea to visit Estacada for lunch at New Panda, a favorite Chinese restaurant, and to walk around to browse and shop at the variety of boutiques, arts and crafts, and gift stores there.

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(See photos from Estacada on my blog taken on a previous visit.)

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Seeing the NRA sticker was a stark reminder of what my friend and I were trying to escape. We wanted a respite from the tragic news and the right-wing bullcrap coming from the likes of Gov. Abbott, Sen. Cruz, and Tucker Carlson who said this:

Tucker Carlson reacts to President Joe Biden's address to the nation following the school shooting in Texas: "The President of the United States, frail, confused, bitterly partisan, desecrating the memory of recently murdered children with tired talking points of the Democratic party, dividing the country in a moment of deep pain rather than uniting. His voice raising and amplified only as he repeats the talking points he repeated for over 35 years in the United States Senate, partisan politics being the only thing that animates him. Unfit for leadership of this country." Real Clear Politics

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Along the way to Estacada this little sign on a utility pole made me think about how religious beliefs won’t do a damn think to stop gun violence. For believers hopefully it is some solace to trust that the souls of their lost children are resting in Heaven, but not to be too cynical it is a stretch to trust Jesus to do anything to change the minds of Republicans about pandering to the NRA let alone passing legislation that might actually have an impact on such shootings.

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Addendum:

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Here’s the NRA logo which has an eagle grasping two two rifles in its talons. 

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The guns in the logo bear only slight resemblance to the muskets being used when the Second Amendment was written in 1791.

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I expect that some cartoonists have already redrawn the logo to show the old fashioned rifles replaced with modern military style guns and, as an afterthought I added the little crying boy. I can’t draw well so here’s the version I created with InPixio:

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Oregon governor race

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Oregon: Let's hope Republican and (really right-wing) unaffiliated gov. candidate can assure Democrat Tina Kotek wins

Hopefully Betsy Johnson (U/A) and Christine Drazan ( R ) will split the conservative vote so Tina Kotek (D) will win the Oregon governor race which will be between the three candidates. Their positions on transgender athletics in public shcools tells a lot about them. It shows the kinds of voters they are trying to attract.

This is from Wilamette Week:

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Christine Drazan ( R )

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We need to respect the dignity of every individual, but that does not mean we should accept that biological males competing in women’s sports is fair or appropriate. Women have fought for—and earned— respect and support for themselves in sports and have made incredible gains in doing so. We must defend that progress and stand up for fairness.

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Betsy Johnson (unaffiliated)

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I don’t believe it’s fair to force female athletes to compete against biological men. Sports should be about fair competition, not social engineering.

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Tina Kotek (D)

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I believe in supporting all children to be their authentic selves. Unfortunately, some politicians are racing to stigmatize vulnerable trans kids in order to divide people and distract us from real issues. When we talk about our trans community, we should be talking about how to prevent assaults on trans people, especially trans women of color, who are more likely to be assaulted. While other politicians work to bring harm to the LGBTQ+ community, I’m going to focus on the work that matters: ensuring all Oregonians are safe and protected.

From her ads I see that Betsy Johnson wants voters to believe she can bring Democrats and Republicans together to get Oregon's problems, like homelessness, resolved.

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Lots of luck with this.

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If Johnson believes she can do this she's engaging in wishful thinking and deluding herself, though it's quite possible this is just a political ploy to get votes form naive voters. In her ad about homelessness she says that she agrees with Democrats about approaching the problem with compassion but then says she will eliminate tent encampments without saying how she's going do this, and worse from my perspective she goes on to say she agrees with the Republicans that homeless people should take personal responsibility.

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Here's her most recent ad.

Here’s her ad about how she says she’ll solve the homelessness problem:

In the latter, it is the height of ignorance about the reasons people end up homeless, including mental illness and substance abuse as well as poverty, that individuals end up homeless. This is classic Republican "they should pull themselves up by their bootstraps" rhetoric which for decades has been used to try to derail social programs.

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These are Republican Drazen’s positions including her oposition to mask mandates. Here’s her view on solving the homeless problem:

“As Governor, I will address the root causes of homelessness – addiction, mental health, and affordability – and work with our nonprofits, the faith community, and local governments to get people off the streets. We must help those looking for assistance. And when people commit criminal behavior, I will ensure they are prosecuted instead of given a pass. We cannot continue to enable this any longer.” 

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As if non-profits and faith communities aren't doing whatever they can with little significant success. Also, she manages to demonize homeless people by suggesting with the word “when” that many of them are criminals who are getting a pass. This is reminiscent of Trump’s comment “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. […] They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people” 

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 No surprises here.

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Compare Tina Kotek’s priorities and positions.

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Update, Wednesday, May 25, 2022 · 6:01:48 PM +00:00 · 

And then there’s this (emphasis added)

“Former State Senator Johnson will not tell Oregonians about her positions against the environment and the fight against climate change, her working to thwart common-sense gun safety measures, her attacking the interests and well-being of working families and more,” said Debby Garman, a Hillsboro resident who is listed as the committee’s director. “We believe that for democracy to work, it is vital that voters have the facts. Over the course of the election, we will work to provide those facts to Oregon voters.”

from Democrat-backed committee plans to highlight Betsy Johnson’s conservative record in Oregon

Fields Bridge Park in W Linn, OR

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Fields Bridge park....

... is a beautiful 19 acres located on the Tualatin River in West Linn. It is not too far from Willamette Park on the Willamette and Tualatin River (see map below). This is a favorite picnic spot because it has tables right along the river. There are no similar picnic tables at Fields Park. There is a lovely scenic walk next to the river though and story walk signs for kids to follow on a bear hunt.

From their website:  Fields Park was constructed in 2006 and currently consists of community gardens, ball fields, basketball courts, walking paths along the Tualatin River, WiFi and playground. 

Progress on development of Fields Bridge Park moves forward with the removal of the old house on the property. With an approved mitigation plan from the State of Oregon the development will include a small picnic shelter to reflect some of the design characteristics of the house. The approved master plan also includes a canoe/kayak launch and the connection of pathways in the park.

The original Master Plan can be referenced for some details. Now that the house has been removed a plan will be developed that will take advantage of the new vacated area and include the addition of amenities listed above. Reference

The Willamette Meteorite on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City (below)

Wikipedia: The Willamette Meteorite, officially named Willamette and originally known as Tomanowos by the Clackamas Chinook^[Native American tribe, is an iron-nickel meteoritefound in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the largest meteorite found in the United States and the sixth largest in the world.^[6][7] There was no impact crater at the discovery site; researchers believe the meteorite landed in what is now Canada or Montana, and was transported as a glacial erratic to the Willamette Valley during the Missoula Floods at the end of the last Ice Age (~13,000 years ago). It has long been held sacred by indigenous peoples of the Willamette Valley, including the federally recognized Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (CTGRC). 

The meteorite is on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, which acquired it in 1906. Having been seen by an estimated 40 million people over the years, and given its striking appearance, it is among the most famous meteorites. In 2005, the CTGRC sued to have the meteorite returned to their control, ultimately reaching an agreement that gave the tribe access to the meteorite while allowing the museum to keep it as long as they are exhibiting it.  

A historical marker in the Willamette area of West Linn, Oregon. The plaque reads: "In 1902 Ellis Hughes discovered the 15+1⁄2 ton Willamette Meteorite, the largest ever found in the United States, about 2 miles N.W. of this place. Marker erected August 4, 1962 by West Linn Fair Board."

More about the meteorite including video.