Friday, March 16, 2018

Ed Emery: Teachers love their students and would love to fire back at school shooters

(From Sen. Ed Emery, R-Lamar)

You may have observed this week’s student demonstrations against guns – verifying the frequent assertion that state schools are frequently more about indoctrination than education. 

Instead of using the school day for reasoned debate in student assemblies or classrooms, students were released to “hit the streets” for public demonstrations – “my way or the highway.” Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” but demonstrations that are more about loud than logic are not education. They are more aligned with tyranny and propaganda than deliberation.

This office has received a flurry of emails from those who fear the defamation of honest, law abiding citizens because of a crazed killer seeking infamy and of the possibility of attacks on constitutional liberties. We have assured them that my office supports stopping the shooter, not banning the instrument of their evil. 

If a drunk semi-truck driver ignored a stop light and killed a family, it would be unreasonable to demand the elimination of all 18-wheelers from our roads. America has millions of law-abiding gun owners who have broken no laws nor do they intend to. In fact, it is not infrequent that these law-abiding citizens protect themselves and others by their ownership and responsible use of firearms.

I recently attended a public school demonstration of security options. Two non-mutually exclusive approaches were illustrated. One was a lockdown device designed to keep an aggressor out of the classroom. It was definitely better than a typical door lock but still breachable. The other was a live intervention that I would like to describe. 

First, an employee was posted to a building where a school security officer would be most likely to be stationed. A call was made from an adjacent building to dispatch the “security officer” as if there was a live shooter incident occurring. The officer arrived at the location in approximately four minutes – an eternity in the event of a shooter. The second trial was pretending that there were armed teachers in the building, and the same signal was given over the building radios. The “faux” staff was not given a location, only that an incident was taking place. Staff arrived in under 30 seconds - quite a difference from four minutes.

Some Missouri schools already train and arm designated staff in the hopes of intercepting a school shooter in 30 seconds rather than four minutes. Specialized training for school employees is available that can extend even to engaging trainees in mock live-shooter encounters. A terrorist is distracted from his objective if one or more weapons are firing back.

Teachers love their students, and love is the purist and most reliable source of heroism. Why should throwing themselves into the line of fire be their only option? My wife just retired this year from teaching kindergarten and she is a better shot than I am. I can assure you she would have done anything to protect "her" kindergarteners.

No doubt the attacks on guns and gun owners will continue both here in Jefferson City and in Washington, D.C. Those of us who love the Constitution and liberty will push back in debate, hopefully with reason, truth and conscience. If only that was the process in our state schools instead of shouting and demonstrations on school time.

This week the Senate defeated an anti-gun amendment with a party-line vote. The Senate also began debate on Senate Bills 617, 611 and 667 which represents major tax reform. Debate on the tax bill will continue when we return from the spring recess. The Missouri House of Representatives perfected a large number of bills this week and those bills will now begin making their way through the Missouri Senate.

Thank you for reading this legislative report. You can contact my office at (573) 751-2108 if you have any questions. We welcome your prayers for the proper application of state government.

12 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:55 PM


    Now it begins .... two reports of the same recent incident. The teacher is also a reserve police officer.

    Teacher’s Gun Is Accidentally Fired During Public Safety Class, Injuring 3

    https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/14/us/teacher-gun-accidental-discharge.html


    Gun-trained teacher accidentally discharges firearm in Calif. classroom, injuring student

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/14/teacher-accidentally-discharges-firearm-in-calif-classroom-he-was-trained-in-gun-use/?utm_term=.dcfcfdfcd3d7

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  2. Anonymous4:59 PM

    I’m not convinced arming teachers is the right thing to do. In this day and age I can’t 100% trust a teacher to not molest a child. Why would I trust them with guns? Arming teachers would need to be seriously studied, not a knee jerk reaction.

    Otherwise, this article is just the same old party rhetoric. As long as both sides of the debate insist on standing their ground, some type of solution isn’t likely to happen.

    If the peaceful demonstrations don’t cause change, I predict people are going to start rioting, if not after the next shooting, the one after that. This issue isn’t going to go away, just like the issues of slavery, civil rights, equal rights and prohibition didn’t go away. (and whatever else I can’t think of at the moment)

    Americans are getting tired of mass shootings and when the majority of Americans get tired of it, something WILL change.

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  3. Anonymous11:19 AM

    Propaganda works though. By scapegoating the NRA and diverting the attention away from the incompetence of the FBI and local authorities in the Florida shooting, people are now protesting to have their rights taken away. Wrap your head around that. Doesn't get much more un-American if you ask me.

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  4. Anonymous5:57 AM

    I can't even wrap my head around what it would be like to send my child to school and have him gunned down like shooting fish in a barrel. I can't wrap my mind around planning a fun trip to Vegas and seeing my wife/child/boyfriend gunned down at a concert.

    I believe this issue is gaining momentum that will be bigger than NRA, FBI incompetence, republican or democrat. Who would have ever thought a time would come in this country when NO ONE, NO WHERE is safe from being a victim of a mass shooting??

    I certainly don't know the solution. I do know what we're doing isn't working. One of these days we're going to turn on the news and AGAIN witness parents, families and friends experiencing the horror. How many have to die before we put our biases and finger pointing aside and truly look for a solution.

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  5. Anonymous7:32 AM

    "If a drunk semi-truck driver ignored a stop light and killed a family, it would be unreasonable to demand the elimination of all 18-wheelers from our roads." - Emory

    Strange argument. Which is the problem the "drunk" or the "18-wheeler" ignoring the stop light?

    Semi drivers are specially trained, regulated, licensed professionals. An 18-wheeler isn't a weapon of war with a bump-stock to make it more efficient available to the untrained public ...

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  6. Anonymous9:32 AM

    Again, NO ONE, NO WHERE in the United States can feel safe at any public gathering. I've not heard anyone express concern or fear of mass casualties from a drunk semi driver. It's like comparing apples and oranges.

    After the Oklahoma City bombing, measures were taken to hopefully prevent a repeat. After 911, same thing.

    Im not advocating taking away our guns. I'm advocating figuring out a way to stop this. Perhaps the motto should be "Make America Safe Again".

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  7. Anonymous7:14 PM

    I can see it now. A teacher and a shooter start spraying bullets at each other and kill all the children in the room.

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  8. Anonymous7:15 PM

    And what if a SWAT team kills a teacher with a gun in his hand by mistake?

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  9. Anonymous5:30 AM

    Guns are only part of the problem. The people who care out these acts just use the tools available. Take away or limit guns and they will find some other way. Look at Austin, Texas right now. Someone wants to hurt random people and they aren't using a gun to do it. Instead of attacking the tools used we need to attack the mindset that people have that lead them to want to carry out. These actions.

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  10. Anonymous4:50 PM

    True, you are not going to stop it, however, a ban of assault weapons would limit the carnage.

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  11. Anonymous7:50 AM

    It’s already legal for teachers in Missouri to carry concealed weapons if they have permit and approval of school authority.
    Google it, that’s how I found out.

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  12. Anonymous10:53 AM

    "They are more aligned with tyranny and propaganda than deliberation." I think you are getting the present White House administration tactics confused with the issue of allowing the common civilian to purchase military/assault weapons.

    "If a drunk semi-truck driver ignored a stop light and killed a family, it would be unreasonable to demand the elimination of all 18-wheelers from our roads. This feeble attempt at comparison is utterly asinine. No one is clamoring to eliminate all weapons, just ban the purchase of assault/military style weapons that only military or law personnel should carry. Do you actually believe hunters need AR-15s? Maybe we can start hunting the elusive and devilishly clever deer with RPGs. That'll learn 'em. By the way, isn't it against the law to drink and drive? So there is a law against that, but anyone can buy a semi-automatic military style weapon. Get past your ignorant "R" rhetoric and try thinking for yourself. Do what your constituents tell you to do, not what your owners at the NRA are paying you to do.

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