3 ms·

Gov. Greg Abbott signs new law mandating armed security at all Texas schools

22 points by g42gregory 3y ago

cratermoon 3y ago
There was an armed school resource officer at Columbine. He exchanged shots with one of the shooters there. The armed officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas infamously hid for the duration of the incident. Armed security is theater at best.
- DougEiffel 3y ago
  Nevermind the risk of a student stealing the gun from the armed guard, or the risk of the armed guard going through a rough divorce and deciding to go postal themselves. The latter really scares me as a teacher. Imagine what the security guy could do with some planning time and full access to all locked doors as well as the camera and alarm systems.
  - cratermoon 3y ago
    > risk of a student stealing the gun Never mind stealing, armed guards sometimes just forget and leave their weapons in the bathroom. A list: <https://giffords.org/lawcenter/report/every-incident-of-mishandled-guns-in-schools/ https://giffords.org/lawcenter/report/every-incident-of-mish...>
  - lamontcg 3y ago
    Or the armed guard going Derek Chauvin on a student and killing them.
clipsy 3y ago
I'm sure they'll be just as effective as the Uvalde SWAT team was.
- nathanaldensr 3y ago
  Why are you sure of this? Armed security is not the same thing as city police. Would you rather there be no defensive presence whatsoever? I'm trying to figure out what point you are making.
  - notacoward 3y ago
    > Armed security is not the same thing as city police. You're right. They're probably less trained than city police, therefore less likely to follow protocols or make wise choices in the heat of the moment. That's certainly true of the rent-a-cops that schools can afford, and even more true of all-too-eager volunteers.
Whatarethese 3y ago
And this will change absolutely nothing except funnel money into third party security firms. I'm sure this will be met by multiple lawsuits. Parkland police officer is just one example of why this doesn't deter shooters.
- notacoward 3y ago
  > funnel money into third party security firms The question is whether Abbott is more motivated by that, by gun fetishism, or by the outrage (and national exposure) it's likely to generate. Probably about equal parts of all three IMO. A real trifecta of malfeasance.
kungfufrog 3y ago
If I lived in the US, I'd seriously consider moving just to give my kids a different schooling experience that doesn't involve the daily fear of being murdered. It's just unfathomable to me that a large portion of the populace is okay with guns being woven into the social fabric and culture despite the direct and terminal negative impact on children's lives.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- clipsy 3y ago
  Easier said than done, unfortunately. I understand the sentiment, though; I have no children of my own, but it pains me to watch my nieces and nephews be brought up in a country that treats mass school shootings the same as fires or unpredictable natural disasters.
- g42gregory 3y ago
  In Europe, Switzerland seemingly has low murder rate and relatively high gun ownership rate, 27.6 guns per 100 residents [1]. I am curious as to why the difference. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearms_regulation_in_Switzerland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearms_regulation_in_Switzer...
  - p-e-w 3y ago
    Culture. Gun violence is a function of gun ownership, gun culture, and overall culture. Nobody who has visited both Switzerland and the US can fail to notice the huge cultural differences, and how they relate to interpersonal violence. In the United States, hyperaggressive encounters between individuals (mostly not involving guns) happen at a rate that would be unimaginable in most European countries. I'm aware that there are other factors at play (such as most Swiss gunowners having military training, open carry being generally prohibited etc.), but the way people deal with each other is so starkly different that I strongly suspect it to be the main cause.
    - 3y ago
bradknowles 3y ago
Yeah, like more guns solves every problem on the planet. /s Maybe we should give all the kids guns, too? Is that where he's trying to go?
AHOHA 3y ago
80s/90s school movies: it’s all about bullying etc. Nowadays: literal war zone!
- eesmith 3y ago
  Ahem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dawn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dawn ;)

22 points by g42gregory 3y ago

There was an armed school resource officer at Columbine. He exchanged shots with one of the shooters there. The armed officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas infamously hid for the duration of the incident. Armed security is theater at best.

DougEiffel 3y ago
Nevermind the risk of a student stealing the gun from the armed guard, or the risk of the armed guard going through a rough divorce and deciding to go postal themselves. The latter really scares me as a teacher. Imagine what the security guy could do with some planning time and full access to all locked doors as well as the camera and alarm systems.
- cratermoon 3y ago
  > risk of a student stealing the gun Never mind stealing, armed guards sometimes just forget and leave their weapons in the bathroom. A list: <https://giffords.org/lawcenter/report/every-incident-of-mishandled-guns-in-schools/ https://giffords.org/lawcenter/report/every-incident-of-mish...>
- lamontcg 3y ago
  Or the armed guard going Derek Chauvin on a student and killing them.

clipsy 3y ago

I'm sure they'll be just as effective as the Uvalde SWAT team was.

nathanaldensr 3y ago
Why are you sure of this? Armed security is not the same thing as city police. Would you rather there be no defensive presence whatsoever? I'm trying to figure out what point you are making.
- notacoward 3y ago
  > Armed security is not the same thing as city police. You're right. They're probably less trained than city police, therefore less likely to follow protocols or make wise choices in the heat of the moment. That's certainly true of the rent-a-cops that schools can afford, and even more true of all-too-eager volunteers.

Whatarethese 3y ago

And this will change absolutely nothing except funnel money into third party security firms. I'm sure this will be met by multiple lawsuits. Parkland police officer is just one example of why this doesn't deter shooters.

notacoward 3y ago
> funnel money into third party security firms The question is whether Abbott is more motivated by that, by gun fetishism, or by the outrage (and national exposure) it's likely to generate. Probably about equal parts of all three IMO. A real trifecta of malfeasance.

kungfufrog 3y ago

If I lived in the US, I'd seriously consider moving just to give my kids a different schooling experience that doesn't involve the daily fear of being murdered. It's just unfathomable to me that a large portion of the populace is okay with guns being woven into the social fabric and culture despite the direct and terminal negative impact on children's lives.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
clipsy 3y ago
Easier said than done, unfortunately. I understand the sentiment, though; I have no children of my own, but it pains me to watch my nieces and nephews be brought up in a country that treats mass school shootings the same as fires or unpredictable natural disasters.
g42gregory 3y ago
In Europe, Switzerland seemingly has low murder rate and relatively high gun ownership rate, 27.6 guns per 100 residents [1]. I am curious as to why the difference. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearms_regulation_in_Switzerland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearms_regulation_in_Switzer...
- p-e-w 3y ago
  Culture. Gun violence is a function of gun ownership, gun culture, and overall culture. Nobody who has visited both Switzerland and the US can fail to notice the huge cultural differences, and how they relate to interpersonal violence. In the United States, hyperaggressive encounters between individuals (mostly not involving guns) happen at a rate that would be unimaginable in most European countries. I'm aware that there are other factors at play (such as most Swiss gunowners having military training, open carry being generally prohibited etc.), but the way people deal with each other is so starkly different that I strongly suspect it to be the main cause.
  - 3y ago

bradknowles 3y ago

Yeah, like more guns solves every problem on the planet. /s Maybe we should give all the kids guns, too? Is that where he's trying to go?

AHOHA 3y ago

80s/90s school movies: it’s all about bullying etc. Nowadays: literal war zone!

eesmith 3y ago
Ahem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dawn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dawn ;)