BEARING ARMS…Posted at 8:30 am on September 8, 2017 by Tom Knighton
We get that California isn’t generally a pro-gun state. It’s not Arizona or Kansas, for example. However, one thing they did that was somewhat pro-gun was allow school superintendents to grant teachers permission to carry firearms if they have a valid concealed carry permit.
Despite the law being in effect for a couple of years now, and despite zero problems as the result of armed teachers, there’s a bill in the state that seeks to take away that ability.
One of the most egregious controls currently under consideration is Democrat Assemblyman Kevin McCarty’s AB 424. That measure would guarantee that law-abiding teachers cannot shoot back if under attack.
California has nearly 1,000 school districts. State Democrats previously secured a law prohibiting teachers from being armed for self-defense except in districts where the superintendent grants permission for teachers with concealed-carry permits to carry at K-12 schools. The result? Five districts allow teachers and/or teachers and staff to be armed for self-defense, as long as those teachers and/or staff have a concealed-carry permit.
Have there been crimes committed by armed teachers? No.
Have there been crimes committed by armed staff members? No.
Yet McCarty wants to remove the exemption that gives superintendents the authority to allow teachers to be armed for self-defense in the event of an attack on the school. His bill has already passed the state Assembly and is ready for a vote on the Senate floor.
While gun laws are generally wrong-headed, it’s at least easy to understand the emotions that drive them following a tragedy. While Second Amendment advocates opposed the various new assault weapon ban proposals following the Newtown shooting, we could at least understand why people were wanting to ban scary-looking black rifles.
But this? There have been no problems with it at all. None. Armed teachers aren’t gunning down students in fits of rage or anything. Staff members with concealed carry permits aren’t holding up students for their lunch money.
Literally, nothing is happening in these schools. That was kind of the point.
The mere hint of the presence of a firearm is often sufficient to deter crime. Knowing that a school may be loaded with armed staff may have dissuaded who knows how many potential school shootings.
Or not.
That’s the issue with potentialities.
What we do know is that armed faculty and staff at California schools–in schools all over the nation that allow such things, actually–have had absolutely no problems. Teachers and staff are armed and students are safe. Period.
But that leaves the question of just why would California grant superintendents the authority to grant permission to carry on school campuses and then take it away?
I can’t help but believe it was because they were convinced that no superintendents actually would grant this permission. How could any educator be anything other than a raging progressive when it comes to guns? But they were wrong. Some superintendents had enough sense to know that guns in the hands of good guys–namely teachers and staff with concealed carry permits who have gone through multiple background checks–could make all the difference in a bad situation.
Now, California’s gun grabbers want to snatch that authority away simply because some superintendents actually exercised it. The nerve!
If you’re a California resident, call your state senator and let them know you want them to vote no on AB 424 before it’s too late.
My personal comments… California once again proves it is against anything associated with guns. The State of California, Kevin McCarty in this case, feels ONLY the elite in Sacramento are trustworthy to deal with any subject associated with guns. His intent with AB 424 is arrogant, controlling and a misplacement of power. We trust our “educators” to provide our children with a quality education that will help them survive in our world. However, according to Mr. McCarthy, we can no-longer trust them to make good choices or decisions when it comes to anything associated with guns. Why? Because out of the 1,000 school districts in California, five districts allow teachers and/or teachers and staff to be armed for self-defense, as long as those teachers and/or staff have a concealed-carry permit. Therefore, Mr. McCarthy would prefer to have teachers and/or staff as puppets ONLY doing what Sacramento’s elite sees appropriate. As Kevin McCarthy’s AB 424 would indicate Sacramento knows best what is good and appropriate for our children, not the School Superintendents, the parents or anyone else. Unfortunately, this might be true in California today. Why? Because we have developed an environment where we NEVER take ownership for our own actions but instead, we shift the blame on to someone or something else. e.g. “The devil made me do it!”