SWAT says No to Self-Defense in Schools

A former Marine and member of the Saginaw Police Department's SWAT team, Arthur O'Neal has undergone hundreds of hours of handgun training and fired thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Given the risk of having relatively untrained citizens bearing firearms, would the Saginaw School District's chief of security ever approve of teachers packing heat on campus

?

No, not by a long shot, O'Neal said.

"It won't help stop crime, it may lead to more," O'Neal said. "Too many people with guns doesn't help an issue."

A western Michigan lawmaker has proposed legislation to allow school staff to carry weapons. Arming teachers with handguns would make students and terrorists think twice before attacking a school, said David Agema, a Grandville Republican.

"Right now, the only people who enter school with guns are people who intend to do harm," Agema said.

"I believe it will save lives if a kid or somebody comes into a school and starts shooting again."

Ok, first things first. "Packing heat"??? What is this, some black & white noir-detective flick? Come on, if you are going to belittle this plan, at least use a good put-down.

Second, how will this plan lead to more crime? It can't. Guns don't make people break laws.

Third, SWAT and standard cops aren't much good after some whack-job shoots out a school and then kills himself. Did they help in Columbine? VA Tech?

Guns may make some people feel uncomfortable. So should terrorists and random nut-cases. It's time to stop burying the head in the sand and waiting for the police to take care of the problem. In a school shooting situation - it's just plain fact: the cops won't arrive until it is too late. This is not a slam - they can't arrive until someone reports a crime. Even after the phone call, police cars don't magically show up. It takes time - lots of time in some neighborhoods.