The education committee of the Florida State legislature in
Tallahassee approved a measure that5 would permit certain designated school
officials to carry concealed weapons on school grounds. The committee vote was
10-1 and included bipartisan approval. The measure, which has been indorsed by
the Florida Sheriff’s Association, would have the school superintendent designate
someone to carry a gun. The bill, if enacted would require the designated
person be a former military member or law enforcement official and have a state
concealed weapons permit. The one lone dissenting committee member stated that he felt
that a better course of action would be to increase the number of school
resource officers in schools, especially in elementary schools.
It is certainly not illogical to think along these lines
especially when one considers the events at Columbine High School in Colorado or the
tragedy in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. But the greater issue is school security at what cost?
Does having an armed teacher or other employee in school put students at risk?
What message does it send to students who for many years believed that school
was the one safe and nurturing place in a hostile and violent world?
This is not the first time that the Florida legislature has
attempted to enact such legislation. It has been tried, unsuccessfully on two
other occasions in past years.
Your comments on this issue are welcome. For those of you residing or teaching in
other states, please let us know if similar measures are on the docket in your
state legislatures.
c.2015 J.P. Margolis
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