October 9th, 2007
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[email protected]Oregon Teacher Wants to Take
Deadly Concealed Handgun to School For Fear of Her Ex-Husband
An AP story from southern Oregon, in Medford, noted a disturbing push by a female teacher who wants to carry a
deadly concealed handgun in her school to protect herself from her ex-husband who she claims is threatening her:
High school English teacher Shirley Katz insists she needs to take her pistol with her to work because she fears her ex-husband could show up and try to harm her. She's also worried about a Columbine-style attack.
We have a lot of things to say about this.
First,
the mistaken notion that a concealed handgun is a viable means of protection has been completely discredited. But that is not why Gun Guys is up in arms.
Since when does a teacher get to unilaterally decide -- over state law, a community's wishes, and a school board -- to put an entire classroom of other people's children at risk because that teacher thinks his or her own safety is more important? Katz's demands represent the height of selfishness.
If Shirley Katz truly believes that her ex-husband is so violent that he might come into her school and shoot up the place and murder her, then she should request a temporary administrative leave or police protection at school. For Shirley Katz not to do so -- if she feels so threatened by her ex-husband -- is putting her students' lives at risk by inviting a potential tragedy on school grounds.
By bringing a gun to school also puts Ms. Katz's students at risk if it were to fall out of her holster or get left somewhere in the school for another student to find.