Trump - Arm Teachers, rais gun buying age to 21

[zenkai]

Source

President Trump on Thursday defended his call to arm some teachers as a way to stop a “savage sicko” from causing mass casualties, while also calling for gun control measures -- including raising the age for purchasing firearms to 21.

In a flurry of tweets, the president hit back at media coverage of his comments about arming teachers the day before. He suggested his remarks were mischaracterized, but made clear he supports allowing some trained teachers to carry concealed weapons.

“I never said ‘give teachers guns’ like was stated on Fake News @CNN & @NBC. What I said was to look at the possibility of giving ‘concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience- only the best,” Trump tweeted.

“20% of teachers, a lot, would now be able to immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions. Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that do this. Far more assets at much less cost than guards,” Trump added. “A ‘gun free’ school is a magnet for bad people. ATTACKS WOULD END!”

The president’s tweets followed a listening session at the White House Wednesday afternoon with students, parents and teachers affected by the Parkland, Fla., high school shooting last week which left 17 dead. He also invited parents affected by the Sandy Hook and Columbine massacres.

During the almost two-hour session, Trump left the floor open for suggestions to prevent school shootings. One parent floated the idea of concealed-carry for teachers—an idea the president discussed at length with support, noting the administration would look “very strongly” at the option. His Thursday morning tweets seemed to double down on his earlier comments, even as he criticized media coverage.

At the same time, Trump made clear Thursday that he will urge several new gun law restrictions -- including raising the age for purchasing firearms, something sources said he was considering.

“I will be strongly pushing Comprehensive Background Checks with an emphasis on Mental Health,” Trump tweeted Thursday. “Raise age to 21 and end sale of Bump Stocks! Congress is in a mood to finally do something on this issue—I hope!”

TRUMP ON PREVENTING MASS SHOOTINGS: 'WE'RE GOING TO GET IT DONE'

But Trump especially sought to clarify and defend his comments about guns in schools.

Trump said Wednesday that “a gun-free zone to a maniac, they’re all cowards, is 'let’s go in and attack because bullets aren’t coming at us.'”

On Thursday, he tweeted: “History shows that a school shooting lasts, on average 3 minutes. It takes police & first responders approximately 5 to 8 minutes to get to site of crime. Highly trained, gun adept, teachers/ coaches would solve the problem instantly, before police arrive. GREAT DETERRENT!”

Minutes later, Trump added: “If a potential ‘sicko shooter’ knows that a school has a large number of very weapons talented teachers (and others) who will be instantly shooting, the sicko will NEVER attack that school. Cowards won’t go there…problem solved. Must be offensive, defense alone won’t work.”

Earlier this week, the president directed Attorney General Jeff Sessions to create new regulations to ban firearm modifiers, including the “bump stock” used in the Las Vegas massacre in October 2017.

Under current federal law, licensed firearm dealers cannot sell handguns to people under 21 and cannot sell long guns to people under 18, according to the Giffords Law Center, which tracks gun laws and advocates for more restrictions. Some states already impose laws with tighter minimum age requirements.

The National Rifle Association, which endorsed Trump in the 2016 presidential election, quickly rejected any talk of raising the age for buying long guns to 21.

“Legislative proposals that prevent law-abiding adults aged 18-20 years old from acquiring rifles and shotguns effectively prohibits them for purchasing any firearm, thus depriving them of their constitutional right to self-protection,” the NRA said in a statement.

It is unclear at this point, however, whether Trump will push for a change in federal law or encourage a change at the state level.

I don't agree with arming teachers, only because it makes it easier for a violent child to take their gun, but I am fine with raising the gun buying page to 21. Kids these days are a lot more immature and most can't handle the responsibility of owning a firearm.

[Kujako]

Because teachers will NEVER snap and kill all of the smart ass SOBs.

[NYC17]

Yea those kids speaking out against being murdered in their school sure are showing how immature they are...

[Jastall]

Raising age to 21- Seems good, I doubt it's going to do that much but it's a step in the right direction. Trump has a good idea...

...and he immediately blows it up with the notion of arming teachers. Because quite obviously, the underpaid and overworked teachers in the US need mandatory gun training and safety courses on top of everything else they have to deal with. And obviously teachers are always the exact kind of people to like guns, be ready to use them well and react calmly to a crisis. Obviously having a gun in reach of a teacher in a classroom is a brilliant idea that cannot ever go wrong. And obviously, in a time of crisis where there's a shooter on the loose and tons of people panicking, the best way to solve the situation is to add a poorly trained person or persons with a gun trying to shoot someone in a school filled with children.

[Xeones]

So spend money on something I find very difficult to support and do nothing about 300 million guns for 316 million people.

Sounds like an effective way to appear to do something while accomplishing little if anything.

[Machismo]

The NRA does not appear to be in support of it, so there isn't mush way for it to happen (increasing the age). That cuts into the profits of their constituency.

As for arming teachers, I'm still not sold on such an idea, and it would largely depend on how it was implemented. Ideally, teachers would simply be allowed to carry, and the districts would determine the requirements for owning and maintaining them.

[Dontrike]

I can't wait to see what the zealots do when the NRA fights back against Trump. It'll be like Sophie's Choice.

[Kallisto]

Ah yes Trump now pulling the always debunked Hero with a gun bullshit.

[Felya]

How does the age limit work with military enlistment?

[zenkai]

Ah yes Trump now pulling the always debunked Hero with a gun bullshit.

You mean like the CO school shooter who was stopped by an armed deputy sheriff?

[Kujako]

Ah yes Trump now pulling the always debunked Hero with a gun bullshit.

Here's what I've never understood about that. You see someone else with a gun, do you decide you're the hero and they're the bad guy and shoot them? What if they're the hero, and you just shot them, wouldn't that make you the bad guy? Do you wait till they shoot first, and then somehow your bullets go faster and stop his?

[Mic_128]

How does the age limit work with military enlistment?

Their firearms don't leave the military base.

It's pretty insane really that you can't drink until you're 21, but can buy a weapon designed to kill many people very fast.

Here's what I've never understood about that. You see someone else with a gun, do you decide you're the hero and they're the bad guy and shoot them? What if they're the hero, and you just shot them, wouldn't that make you the bad guy? Do you wait till they shoot first, and then somehow your bullets go faster and stop his?

Not to mention someone else sees you with a gun out, thinks you're the shooter and shoots you?

[Felya]

Their firearms don't leave the military base.

It's pretty insane really that you can't drink until you're 21, but can buy a weapon designed to kill many people very fast.

Yes, and you are trusted with a gun at 18... 17 with parent permisssion. That’s the argument that dropped the voting age to 18.

[kail]

I actually agree with half of what Trump says/suggests. That's rare.

Also surprised you didn't bold this part.

“I will be strongly pushing Comprehensive Background Checks with an emphasis on Mental Health,” Trump tweeted Thursday. “Raise age to 21 and end sale of Bump Stocks! Congress is in a mood to finally do something on this issue—I hope!”

He's already looking more pro-gun control than Obama.

[cubby]

I don't agree with arming teachers, only because it makes it easier for a violent child to take their gun, but I am fine with raising the gun buying page to 21. Kids these days are a lot more immature and most can't handle the responsibility of owning a firearm.

I agree - don't arm the teachers, but definitely raise the legal gun buying age to 21. Interesting that Trump even mentioned being behind this - and no shock at all that the NRA is against it.

[Blade Wolf]

That'll just mean the teachers will be the first target for shooters. Every shooter will always have the element of suprise since teachers cannot be 100% prepared to shoot every minute.

[Deleted]

Arm teachers? LOL

You know you have an issue when you're suggesting teachers need to carry guns... Like seriously WTF

[Santti]

“I will be strongly pushing Comprehensive Background Checks with an emphasis on Mental Health,” Trump tweeted Thursday. “Raise age to 21 and end sale of Bump Stocks! Congress is in a mood to finally do something on this issue—I hope!”

That's just sad, coming from Trump. He literally just made the problem worse, by repealing what Obama put in place.

Other than that, I agree that you should do something about it. I doubt you'll do anything that will actually end up mattering, though.

[Kanariya]

I think most of us have had at least one teacher in our lifetime that should never have access to a gun, especially on school grounds.

[Dontrike]

You mean like the CO school shooter who was stopped by an armed deputy sheriff?

So an officer stopped a gunman? Well duh, that's what they're supposed to do.