Tag Archives: discussion

Time’s Up – We Need Change

Bear with me, this is a bit long with no pictures, no affiliate links, etc.  Links are bold, italicized, bright blue and are done so purely for reference purposes only – Maggie

A number of years ago due to my work situation and a related assault, my ex-husband insisted that I get my carry permit.  When I got my concealed carry permit, I had to have fingerprints on file with state & fed, a federal background check and fire 100 rounds along with a 12-hour class.

For some of the people, in my opinion, it was a joke.  You have to fire the gun but there’s no proficiency required. Then a few years back I had a former friend invite me to her house (she didn’t know that I was licensed) for Concealed Handgun License training.

She lived in a rougher area of town but in a pocket of a nice, quiet,  residential area, in other words – no shooting allowed.  She then proceeded to tell me that it was only going to be 4 hours and when I asked about the shooting requirement, she said that if anyone wanted range training that he would meet them at the range. That’s bullshit, only to be made worse by the fact that the “instructor” was a county sheriff’s deputy.

I’m not dogging on Concealed Handgun License holders, far from it, but I don’t think that it’s thorough enough and I can’t see where that training or something like it shouldn’t be required when purchasing your first firearm and require renewal testing every couple of years, like a driver’s license.  Frankly, it took more training to become a Leave No Trace trainer, and to be a trainer of adult volunteers for my area Girl Scout council!

Before anyone opts to flame me about the second amendment, please understand that I’m suggesting training for the shooter, not licensing of the firearm.  Even a shooting range that I used to go to required all new customers to go through a half-hour training about proper gun safety, shooting stance as well as their specific policies.

As for the recent mass Florida (which is where I was licensed), I personally believe that charges should be the ones who knew and did nothing with an accessory charge. I heard on one of the news broadcasts that the FBI notified the school about this kid being a credible threat but didn’t follow him, the teacher can’t carry, etc…

Every school has counselors, guidance counselors, etc.  was he sent to the counselor’s office for sessions to evaluate his state?  I mean up and above the shooting, this kid was constantly having issues before being finally expelled, how did this school handle him?  Did they take steps to deal with him or did the fail him isolating him with a progression of detention, suspension, and expulsion

In lieu of this, my view has modified considerably.  Many states had enacted what’s called Duty To Rescue laws, which are largely applied or prosecuted, but they are specific to a one-on-one situation.  Clearly, it’s not necessarily applied to the situation, but I think some variation of it should apply here.

I am of the opinion that teachers should be *allowed* to carry – but that doesn’t mean that they would be required.  Just the enactment carries with it a deterrent because any potential shooter would not know who (if any) teachers can shoot back.  Further, I also feel that schools should be fenced with an armed guard posted at the entrance during school hours to restrict who comes in during the school day. 

The schools in my area all had the (ridiculous) sign stating that visitors must sign in at the office, but I was able to enter from side entrances, walk in and past the office and in one school the office was down the hall and around the corner.  Anyone could walk in unnoticed.  I also feel that schools should be fenced with an armed guard posted at the entrance during school hours. 

When I first started elementary school in Queens, NYC, the classrooms were/could be locked from the inside, there were phones in the classroom that connected to the office.  I’m not if it connected to the PA system then but that technology is available now.  The doors had glass with chicken wire in them further preventing someone from breaking the glass but allowed teachers to see what was going on outside the classroom without being at risk.

Rather than having a security guard, which was only happened during my public school career when I was in high school, we had an actual police officer.  They had the training and know how to handle situations, be it a shooter, someone getting violent, etc rather than the minimum wage security guard with a uniform and minimal or no training.

Using the past few school shootings as an example, were their classrooms equipped the same way, at the first sign of trouble, the kids could pile up at the far corner of the room or along the wall with the door and be completely out of danger with the exception of anything coming through the wall.  

Without similar precaution I also feel that schools should be fenced with an armed guard posted at the entrance during school hours, monitoring and restricting entrance to the school; preferably police or military.  That would be an employment boon for reservists and a perfect solution for much of veteran unemployment   Hell just making someone buzz you in would be a vast improvement.  

I now think that  AK-7, AR-15, M-16, etc purchases be a licensed ownership requiring extensive training and evaluation. Look at Commercial Driver’s License training or better yet a pilot’s license and how extensive the required training is before licensing not only it is a very involved piece of machinery, but the potential for harm.  You can get a driver’s license once you’re an adult without drivers ed (a whole other conversation) but you’re required to have additional training and road practice for a motorcycle license. 

So why isn’t there training for the safety, handling, and usage for automatic weapons?  Trainers have time to evaluate a potential owner during this process and if necessary refuse to sign off on their training and refer them for further evaluation.   I applied for disability and the first step was spending an hour with a psychiatrist that was contracted by the Social Security Administration, why can’t this be an option for those who are “iffy” during their extended training.  Hell I’m still trying to figure out what happened to the Brady Bill, I mean how in the world was that allowed to expire??

Image result for Second Amendment

Yes, the 2nd Amendment mandates that we have the right to have firearms, which was sidearms and long guns. The founders could not anticipate the eventual development of automatic weapons.  Remember, at the inception of the Constitution being the law of the land there was no military to protect the civilians – everyone was a civilian at the time.  So the second amendment was intended to allow civilians to band together to protect our country from foreign invaders (aka the British), as well as to protect the Constitution and make sure that we remained a democracy and didn’t turn into an autocracy or oligarchy, in other words, to protect us from the government

Frankly, someone should have anticipated this and acted on it during the first period in our country’s history that dealt with mass shootings, which was prohibition using Tommy guns.

As I said, my views on this subject have changed considerably.  As with most people, these school shootings have initiated conversations and thoughts of what can be done to prevent them.  I am no exception.  However due this recent school shooting, the numerous warning signs as well as an actual law enforcement agency warning, my thoughts are now not only thinking of the shooter, but the staff and surroundings, and the elements needed.

I hope this current polarized country can find some common ground to bring these to halt and allow something to come out of these that promote change and at least offers something positive to come out of this so that these individuals haven’t lost their lives for nothing.  Again, this is just my opinion, in hopes of joining the discussion to enact change.

May the victims and their families find peace.

Maggie ॐ 

I’m amending this because I neglected a few comments

First, most of the mass shootings have taken place in Gun-Free Zones so there’s no way that anyone can defend and possibly remove the threat.  This is not just anyone open carrying (in those states that allow it which I find to be ridiculous) but it’s concealed carry license holders as well.

In an attempt to make the point of my concern, let me share the story of Nikki Goeser whose stalker shot her and fatally wounded her husband while in a restaurant where she was forced to leave her weapon in the car and her stalker knew that she’d follow the law, leaving her wide open for assault with no chance to defend herself.

My second point is that background checks are done, but what they amount to is a rap sheet.  It is a list of arrests and convictions.  Kudos for not getting in trouble…yet.  But what about the stuff you’re doing that you haven’t gotten caught for…. alcohol or drug addiction, domestic violence, chronic road rage, fluctuating mental illness issues that aren’t remaining balanced through the use of therapy and medication, etc… ?  It’s got to be more than just a print out from the police department.