Schools and video games

[usmbguest5318]

The notion of arming teachers in schools seems like an idea hatched by someone who plays too many FPS or action video games. I mean really. People are even talking about the teachers as though they're the instructors at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

Quite simply, teachers are not going to morph into real-life comic book superheros. Yet that is, in essence, what this proposal of arming teachers presumes teachers will do. Plain and simple: a typical person is not given to the notion of shooting another human being.


It's easy to abstract that teachers with guns would put themselves at risk to shoot a gunman to protect students. In practice, well, things are very different. What sort of things? Well, a huge factor is this: human beings are "wired" for compassion, for empathy.

• The Neuroscience of Empathy
  
• The Compassionate Instinct

While the capacity for empathy varies by individual, I think we all have enough experience with teachers to know generally they are, shall we say, empathetically "off the charts." Empathy, compassion among teachers is not a selective thing; moreover, teachers have zero experience with turning off their "empathy switch." Indeed, a material skill for a good teacher is one's ability to empathize; turning off their "empathy switch" is the very opposite of what they've developed careers doing.

• Teaching Strategies: The Importance of Empathy
  
• Empathy and Education
• Empathy in the Classroom: Why Should I Care? | Edutopia

Aside:

BTW, where all of a sudden are states and counties to find all the money to put guns in teachers' hands and give them all the training it takes to get a person tactically and emotionally capable of shooting another human being, yet they have no money to give teachers better pay in general?​

 

[Crixus]

Without All the long windedness, agree. A teachers responsibility is to teach. Judging by how stupid American kids are compared to those in third world countries teachers really don’t need a responsibility like being an armed officer of some type.


Hire real security. Parents can pay tax’s for sports complexes and shit, parents (me included) would gladly pay extreme for a well trained professional security, not fat ragged out cops riding the gravy train till retirement or some poor 20’something who just wants to teach kids.

 

[Tijn Von Ingersleben]

While the capacity for empathy varies by individual, I think we all have enough experience with teachers to know generally they are, shall we say, empathetically "off the charts."

Are you attempting to draw a corollary between empathy and a lack of survival instinct? Would you not agree that mothers are highly empathetic toward their young. Ever seen a mother defending her young?

BTW, where all of a sudden are states and counties to find all the money to put guns in teachers' hands and give them all the training it takes to get a person tactically and emotionally capable of shooting another human being, yet they have no money to give teachers better pay in general?

I imagine this would be completely voluntary. As such, the teachers would foot the bill for their own weapon and training. I dont know if government could mandate that a teacher carried a weapon.

 

[usmbguest5318]

While the capacity for empathy varies by individual, I think we all have enough experience with teachers to know generally they are, shall we say, empathetically "off the charts."

Are you attempting to draw a corollary between empathy and a lack of survival instinct? Would you not agree that mothers are highly empathetic toward their young. Ever seen a mother defending her young?

BTW, where all of a sudden are states and counties to find all the money to put guns in teachers' hands and give them all the training it takes to get a person tactically and emotionally capable of shooting another human being, yet they have no money to give teachers better pay in general?

I imagine this would be completely voluntary. As such, the teachers would foot the bill for their own weapon and training. I dont know if government could mandate that a teacher carried a weapon.

Are you attempting to draw a corollary between empathy and a lack of survival instinct?

No. In fact, there's no corollary of any sort in the statement about which you asked.

 

[Tijn Von Ingersleben]

While the capacity for empathy varies by individual, I think we all have enough experience with teachers to know generally they are, shall we say, empathetically "off the charts."

Are you attempting to draw a corollary between empathy and a lack of survival instinct? Would you not agree that mothers are highly empathetic toward their young. Ever seen a mother defending her young?

BTW, where all of a sudden are states and counties to find all the money to put guns in teachers' hands and give them all the training it takes to get a person tactically and emotionally capable of shooting another human being, yet they have no money to give teachers better pay in general?

I imagine this would be completely voluntary. As such, the teachers would foot the bill for their own weapon and training. I dont know if government could mandate that a teacher carried a weapon.

Are you attempting to draw a corollary between empathy and a lack of survival instinct?

No. In fact, there's no corollary of any sort in the statement about which you asked.

Ok, so are you attempting to draw any correlation between a teacher's high level of empathy and their ability to defend their students with firearms?

 

[usmbguest5318]

While the capacity for empathy varies by individual, I think we all have enough experience with teachers to know generally they are, shall we say, empathetically "off the charts."

Are you attempting to draw a corollary between empathy and a lack of survival instinct? Would you not agree that mothers are highly empathetic toward their young. Ever seen a mother defending her young?

BTW, where all of a sudden are states and counties to find all the money to put guns in teachers' hands and give them all the training it takes to get a person tactically and emotionally capable of shooting another human being, yet they have no money to give teachers better pay in general?

I imagine this would be completely voluntary. As such, the teachers would foot the bill for their own weapon and training. I dont know if government could mandate that a teacher carried a weapon.

Are you attempting to draw a corollary between empathy and a lack of survival instinct?

No. In fact, there's no corollary of any sort in the statement about which you asked.

Ok, so are you attempting to draw a correlation between a teacher's high level of empathy and their ability to defend their students with firearms?

No. The OP does the very opposite of drawing a correlation; it highlights a dichotomy. Read the whole post, including the linked content. It's in the OP so readers who, for whatever reason, "don't get it," can "get it.

 

[OldLady]

The notion of arming teachers in schools seems like an idea hatched by someone who plays too many FPS or action video games. I mean really. People are even talking about the teachers as though they're the instructors at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

Quite simply, teachers are not going to morph into real-life comic book superheros. Yet that is, in essence, what this proposal of arming teachers presumes teachers will do. Plain and simple: a typical person is not given to the notion of shooting another human being.


It's easy to abstract that teachers with guns would put themselves at risk to shoot a gunman to protect students. In practice, well, things are very different. What sort of things? Well, a huge factor is this: human beings are "wired" for compassion, for empathy.

• The Neuroscience of Empathy
  
• The Compassionate Instinct

While the capacity for empathy varies by individual, I think we all have enough experience with teachers to know generally they are, shall we say, empathetically "off the charts." Empathy, compassion among teachers is not a selective thing; moreover, teachers have zero experience with turning off their "empathy switch." Indeed, a material skill for a good teacher is one's ability to empathize; turning off their "empathy switch" is the very opposite of what they've developed careers doing.

• Teaching Strategies: The Importance of Empathy
  
• Empathy and Education
• Empathy in the Classroom: Why Should I Care? | Edutopia

Aside:

BTW, where all of a sudden are states and counties to find all the money to put guns in teachers' hands and give them all the training it takes to get a person tactically and emotionally capable of shooting another human being, yet they have no money to give teachers better pay in general?​

I think this idea of Trump's is a nice distraction from laws that could actually pass in Congress. It gets people arguing over something that (1) some states have already done, (2) has no need for national legislation, and (3) allows him to pretend he wants reform. Win win for him. The media is spending way too much time and energy on a totally stupid issue that is only deflecting from common sense discussion.

 

[toobfreak]

Quite simply, teachers are not going to morph into real-life comic book superheros. Plain and simple: a typical person is not given to the notion of shooting another human being.

Plain and simple without all of the unnecessary over-analysis, ordinary citizens come to the aid of others all the time and in a survival situation where your life is being threatened, you will shoot back in order to live. Teachers who are already CCW should be allowed to carry in school if they wish and others who do not now but wish to learn, buy a gun and carry ought to be allowed. It is a local issue that ought to be considered and decided on a district by district basis. Or are you Libs so hung up on your 'guns bad' mantra that you would rather let more kids die than consider it and let it be seen that guns can save lives? Having even a few teachers in the school who are armed and trained will go a long way in ameliorating a situation where the main problem is a total lack of defensive capability. The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun. Or are you going to tell me that while all this talk of no one wanting to see these kids get shot, no one actually wants to protect them? Or will the Left continue to stroke its meat calling for government to magically produce some imaginary action while the rest of you sit by on your duffs waiting for them to solve all your problems neatly FOR you, then when none of it works and more kids are killed, you can whine some more?