The Badger Herald: Opinion: Lasee misses target

Opinion

Lasee misses target

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By Badger Herald Editorial Board
Monday, October 9, 2006 12:00 a.m.

3 Vote 0 Votes

In a response to the recent string of school shootings nationwide, including the murder of a principal in Cazenovia, Wisc., state Rep. Frank Lasee, R-Bellevue, will introduce legislation allowing teachers and school administrators to carry concealed guns in school. We believe the rationale for this proposal is egregiously flawed, and the implementation of such an extreme measure would be wholly counterproductive.

In an Oct. 4 release announcing his plans, Rep. Lasee's office acknowledged the proposal is not politically correct and cited the success of similar ideas in Israel and Thailand. However, Mr. Lasee fails to recognize the difference between protecting children from terrorists as opposed to disturbed children plotting to kill their classmates and faculty.

The proposal sets a poor example for children and endangers them by introducing guns into an environment where fights can quickly escalate. The feasibility of a teacher risking his life to confront an armed student in a closed environment is questionable at best. The invalid allusions to terrorism in the Middle East seem to be a smokescreen for a political ploy in which Mr. Lasee attempts to endear himself to radical elements within his district. The exploitation of violence in the form of legislation with little chance of passing represents a knee-jerk reaction to a problem that requires far more thoughtful dialogue.

State Sen. Alan Lasee, a distant cousin of Frank Lasee, has already spoken out against the proposal, telling the Green Bay Press-Gazette that he has no plans to schedule the legislation in the Senate.

While the problem of violence in schools needs to be addressed, it must be done in a more comprehensive, thoughtful manner than the arming of teachers. We hope the overwhelmingly negative reaction to this proposal will inspire Rep. Lasee to dedicate himself to more reasonable proposals in the future.

3 Comments | Leave a comment

Anonymous | October 9, 2006 1:01 AM | Reply

Here's a solution: let's just give everyone (including future criminals) guns, and teach them how to use them. Then, when present-day criminals use guns in crimes, they can be stopped. That'll reduce crime to zero.

...Right?

Anonymous | October 9, 2006 8:00 AM | Reply

"While the problem of violence in schools needs to be addressed, it must be done in a more comprehensive, thoughtful manner than the arming of teachers."

Arming students, perhaps?

I mean, if the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, aren't we really just saying that students aren't people? And as a student newspaper, shouldn't the BH be sticking up for students as they fight for full realization of the 14th Amendment?

As far as I'm concerned, every jungle-gym in America ought to have a built-in firing range. Screw nap time; if Amish schoolchildren can't lock and load by the time they're learning the vowels, how can we reasonably expect to win the global war against Islamofascism?

As for Bucky, give him a sawed-off shotgun and military-grade uzi, then let's see just how much unruly fan behavior disrupts the quiet solitude of Camp Randall.

-Victor Blake Marx

Anonymous | October 10, 2006 6:43 AM | Reply

Quote However, Mr. Lasee fails to recognize the difference between protecting children from terrorists as opposed to disturbed children plotting to kill their classmates and faculty.

The proposal sets a poor example for children and endangers them by introducing guns into an environment where fights can quickly escalate. UNQUOTE

What? Disturbed or not, children or adult ... if they have a gun and are trying to kill others, they are terrorists in one way or the other. How they got to that point is another matter, but once they are there, they're killers.

You go on to say QUOTE The feasibility of a teacher risking his life to confront an armed student in a closed environment is questionable at best. UNQUOTE

DUH! But they do it everytime some deranged kid comes in with a gun ... it just happened again in Joplin. Kid has gun, kid is confronted by staff. Why shouldn't the staff have the capability to defend themselves? Vice walking up to the potential killer and saying "You need to put the gun down". They told the kid that and he fired a round into the ceiling ... could just have been into the teacher.

Is it a terrible fact that our children are being driven to this - the answer is a resounding yes. Apparently the parents, the school and society at large have in deed failed these children. We should have been there up front to help. But when those that we have failed make the decision to kill others they must be stopped ... the earlier the better.

It's better to have one killer dead than any number of innocents.

L. Allen