Illinois Gun Rights Group Wants More Guns In Schools
By aaroncynic in News on Dec 18, 2012 8:20PM
In the wake of the horrifying tragedy in Newtown, gun enthusiasts are slowly but surely trying to make a push to get more guns in the hands of the public. The Illinois State Rifle Association is now advocating for legislation which would allow school districts to arm almost all of their employees. The Sun Times reports the ISRA wants a “school-safety” bill passed next spring which would allow teachers, principals and custodial staff to pack heat.
Richard Pearson, executive for the ISRA told the Sun Times:
“The problem we have is a gun-free zone. We have a gun-free zone around a school. Every crazy person knows that. And so, the gun-free zone is like a magnet for the lunatics. He or she knows there won’t be any resistance there.”
Pearson also said of the shooting in Newtown “Had there been a teacher who was armed, this wouldn’t have happened.” While the ISRA said they don’t favor a blanket standard to arm school employees, they said every school should have an armed security guard, with the option to arm other employees.
Like many others who have advocated for more guns on school grounds in the wake of yet another tragic school shooting, Pearson mentioned armed employees should meet some kind of training. He did not specify what kind or how much training would be necessary, nor did he say how the school would keep weapons solely in the hands of teachers.
The ISRA was quick to criticize politicians' call for more gun control. In a separate statement shortly after the shooting in Connecticut, the ISRA wrote:
The heartfelt compassion we feel for the victims of this crime is matched only by the deep disdain we feel for Governor Pat Quinn, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the rest of the political opportunists who have swooped down on Newtown like a flock of vultures hungry to devour the 2nd Amendment.