Armed Janitors Approved By Montpelier, Ohio, School Board To Stop School Shootings

[Lakhota]

By Jason Linkins

One of the big questions we've been asking ourselves in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting is what group of warm bodies are going to be flung into the path of the armed-to-the-teeth gunmen of tomorrow. Will it have to be the children themselves? It's been suggested! (The huskier, the better, apparently.)

At this point, the most popular proposal seems to be to have armed guards in the schools. If this notion has a problem, it's just a teensy, little practical matter of ... you know -- the fact that it doesn't work. But as always, "stuff that doesn't work" becomes "the best idea" once it becomes clear that all sides want to do it. And "armed guards in schools" fits the bill. The NRA wants more armed guards in schools because their primary focus is helping gun manufacturers sell the guns they manufacture to people, and a whole new workforce that requires firearms would be terrific from their perspective. The White House seems amenable to the idea because it means they get to create jobs and stimulate the economy and also have an extra layer of "CYA-lacquer" on their rear-ends the next time there is a tragedy like this.

Of course, there are a number of reasons why this idea could fall apart despite the fact that both sides of the debate are seemingly open to it. Just off the top of the dome, here are the fault lines that will probably crack under the White House's support for this idea:

1. It represents tax money going to public schools.
2. It creates more public sector jobs.
3. The people who take those jobs might want to be a part of a labor union.
4. That means union members with guns, so that will be a non-starter.
5. So these armed guards will probably look like the Transportation Security Administration agents you see at the airport.
6. Everybody hates the TSA.
7. In general, the GOP manages to discover how much they've already secretly loathed something within ten minutes of President Barack Obama coming out for it. (See also: Chuck Hagel.)

Fortunately, the people of the Montpelier Exempted Village Schools Board of Education of Montpelier, Ohio, may have hit on the idea that squares this circle:

The Montpelier Exempted Village Schools Board of Education has approved the carrying of handguns by its custodial staff.

The 5-0 vote of the board Wednesday night to allow handgun training for four custodians to be able to tote weapons at the K-12 campus at the Williams County school came after last month's deadly shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

School officials say that having armed personnel -- believed to be the first for any school system in Ohio -- is designed to thwart incidents of violence and prevent what happened in Newtown, Conn., from occurring here.​

More: Armed Janitors Approved By Montpelier, Ohio, School Board To Stop School Shootings

 

[Lakhota]

This story conjures up many mixed emotions...

 

[Lakhota]

 

[Dot Com]

 

[OODA_Loop]

The shameful part of this is the disclosure.

 

[uscitizen]

Umm many janitors are not known for their shall we say brilliance and now they are essientially making them cops who carry guns?
Those darned buckeyes, what will they think of next?

 

[Dot Com]

Umm many janitors are not known for their shall we say brilliance and now they are essientially making them cops who carry guns?
Those darned buckeyes, what will they think of next?

they better not increase their salary as a result!!!

 

[PaulS1950]

Not just armed teachers and janitors but TRAINED teachers and janitors. The training is offered by the NRA for free.
They are actually doing something that may save lives!
If the feds had listened to the NRA twenty some years ago when they recommended puting police in schools to protect the children none of this would be news today!

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Doesn't this violate the federal ban on firearms in and around school zones?

 

[JustTheFacts]

By Jason Linkins

One of the big questions we've been asking ourselves in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting is what group of warm bodies are going to be flung into the path of the armed-to-the-teeth gunmen of tomorrow. Will it have to be the children themselves? It's been suggested! (The huskier, the better, apparently.)

At this point, the most popular proposal seems to be to have armed guards in the schools. If this notion has a problem, it's just a teensy, little practical matter of ... you know -- the fact that it doesn't work. But as always, "stuff that doesn't work" becomes "the best idea" once it becomes clear that all sides want to do it. And "armed guards in schools" fits the bill. The NRA wants more armed guards in schools because their primary focus is helping gun manufacturers sell the guns they manufacture to people, and a whole new workforce that requires firearms would be terrific from their perspective. The White House seems amenable to the idea because it means they get to create jobs and stimulate the economy and also have an extra layer of "CYA-lacquer" on their rear-ends the next time there is a tragedy like this.

Of course, there are a number of reasons why this idea could fall apart despite the fact that both sides of the debate are seemingly open to it. Just off the top of the dome, here are the fault lines that will probably crack under the White House's support for this idea:

1. It represents tax money going to public schools.
2. It creates more public sector jobs.
3. The people who take those jobs might want to be a part of a labor union.
4. That means union members with guns, so that will be a non-starter.
5. So these armed guards will probably look like the Transportation Security Administration agents you see at the airport.
6. Everybody hates the TSA.
7. In general, the GOP manages to discover how much they've already secretly loathed something within ten minutes of President Barack Obama coming out for it. (See also: Chuck Hagel.)

Fortunately, the people of the Montpelier Exempted Village Schools Board of Education of Montpelier, Ohio, may have hit on the idea that squares this circle:

The Montpelier Exempted Village Schools Board of Education has approved the carrying of handguns by its custodial staff.

The 5-0 vote of the board Wednesday night to allow handgun training for four custodians to be able to tote weapons at the K-12 campus at the Williams County school came after last month's deadly shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

School officials say that having armed personnel -- believed to be the first for any school system in Ohio -- is designed to thwart incidents of violence and prevent what happened in Newtown, Conn., from occurring here.​

More: Armed Janitors Approved By Montpelier, Ohio, School Board To Stop School Shootings

so a guy who's only qualified to clean a school building is now gonna be trusted with a gun at school? Brilliant idea.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

so a guy who's only qualified to clean a school building is now gonna be trusted with a gun at school? Brilliant idea.

I fail to see why his occupation is at all relevant.

 

[JustTheFacts]

so a guy who's only qualified to clean a school building is now gonna be trusted with a gun at school? Brilliant idea.

I fail to see why his occupation is at all relevant.

its not the occupation so much as it is the fact that janitors aren't exactly deep thinkers for the most part. I mean let's just be honest.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

so a guy who's only qualified to clean a school building is now gonna be trusted with a gun at school? Brilliant idea.

I fail to see why his occupation is at all relevant.

its not the occupation so much as it is the fact that janitors aren't exactly deep thinkers for the most part. I mean let's just be honest.

If they're trained to carry, they're trained to carry. Doctor, construction worker, bus driver, what's the difference?

 

[JustTheFacts]

I fail to see why his occupation is at all relevant.

its not the occupation so much as it is the fact that janitors aren't exactly deep thinkers for the most part. I mean let's just be honest.

If they're trained to carry, they're trained to carry. Doctor, construction worker, bus driver, what's the difference?

well for one I'm concerned with the decision making skills of people who carry guns , especially around children.

Sorry, but a person who has ended up being a school janitor has not exactly shown sound decision making in their life.

 

[Wolfsister77]

Armed janitors? Are they gonna do mental health and criminal background checks on them? Do they have to go through police training to know how to deal with situations when armed gunmen are present? Do they think there is going to be any chance at all that someone is gonna get accidentally shot?

I mean c'mon-this is a stupid idea around the kids. Just dumb.

 

[Lakhota]

Seems to me that a well-trained security guard would certainly command more compensation than a janitor. Hence, who's gonna mop the floor...?

 

[Cowman]

So are we going to blame the janitors when people still die?

 

[Cowman]

If you're going to go this route, at least hire some fucking armed security guards, not pushing the responsibilities on the janitors.

 

[JustTheFacts]

i don't even get this line of thinking anyway. Our schools around here have an armed on duty police officer on campus. I thought that was normal for public schools.

 

[PaulS1950]

I don't know about where you live but in order to get a janatorial position in our schools you have to have a college education....
The janitors will be trained as guards - TRAINED in the proper use of the guns they carry. TRAINED in the methods of use and the instances of the use of deadly force. TRAINED just like the ones that protect your bank, your president, your city, and your state.