3 Boxes of BS

That was one of the questions that came up Saturday in the Concealed Handgun License (CHL) class that I took. Since I knew the instructor and my brother was getting his license (finally!), I sat through a full CHL class instead of the shorter renewal class.

One of the people in the class asked a simple question that at first glance doesn’t sound complicated. He asked “If I’m in a situation where it looks like I may have to draw and/or use my firearm; what should I say the the criminal?”

The instructor answered with the absolute truth; there is no set answer, no requirements for what you have to say such as “I have a gun”.

After listening to the discussion; I added my two cents. For me it was important to remember the idea that anything said could or would be used at a trial; either his or mine.

So…thought I would throw it out there. What would you say if you were about to or did draw a firearm in order to protect yourself?

School districts that are going to allow teachers, administrators and staff to carry concealed weapons on campus.

VAN, Texas — Van Independent School District green-lighted a concealed carry proposal this week, saying it will help protect the district’s 2,000-plus students.

“The sad reality is, [a shooting] could happen here,” said VISD Superintendent Don Dunn.

The district already locks school doors. But most of the parents News 8 talked to Thursday said that wasn’t enough anymore.

“This makes it better,” said parent Kassy Gandy.

The district said it is outlining strict guidelines, including mandatory hostage and crisis training with local police for any staff member that wants to carry.

Many parents are in favor of such actions. I plan on attending Arlington I.S.D. school board meeting next week to encourage the district to adopt such a policy.

Dunn wouldn’t say how many of the 350 staff are interested, only saying “there is a list.” Ultimately, it will be at the administration’s discretion to decide which interested personnel could carry.

I like the fact that the number of people interested is so long they had to write down all the names. Good job Van I.S.D. workers

of districts taking sensible precautions to keep kids safe.

A small East Texas school district has become at least the second in Texas to implement a policy to allow select teachers and staff to carry concealed firearms on campus for school security.

Seems like maybe the ‘crazy’ idea of having armed personnel at schools isn’t so ‘extremist’ as the anti-rights cultists say.

PLANO — Tuesday’s Plano ISD board meeting started with a moment of silence and a prayer for the victims of the Connecticut elementary school shooting.

Trustees then agreed that keeping students safe is a priority, endorsing a proposal to add armed guards at district facilities.

Superintendent Richard Matkin said it’s sad that he even has to propose armed security officers at every campus.

“Times have changed,” he said. “It’s time for a sensible and reasonable conversation about how you provide security at school.”

Yep, a large metropolitan school district considering armed guards at each and every school; just like the N.R.A. recommended. Imagine that.

Of course the anti-rights cultist don’t mention that many school districts, like Arlington Texas, already have armed police officers on campuses.

North District – Sergeant Curtis Petties – Supervisor (North & West)

Officer Thomas McPhail – Lamar High

Officer David Kruckemeyer – Gunn/Bailey Junior High
Officer Clint Adam – Nichols Junior High

  West District – Sergeant Curtis Petties – (North & West)

Officer Sylvester Brown – Arlington High
Officer Richard Morrison – Martin High
Officer Teresa Lopez – Boles/Young Junior High

Officer Lakita Cox – Shackelford Junior High

Officer Victor Hadash – North & West Rover

  East District – Sergeant Scott Vickers – Supervisor (South & East) Officer Jeff Holloway – Sam Houston High
Officer VaNessa Harrison – Carter Junior High
Officer Jeff Lee – Hutcheson Junior High
Officer Gus Moreno – Workman Junior High
South District – Sergeant Scott Vickers – Supervisor (South & East) Officer Charles Gilbert – Bowie High
Varandas Washington – Seguin High
Officer Kirk Dunlap – Barnett Junior High
Officer Allen Alford – Ousley/Ferguson Junior High

Officer Barry Samples – South & East Rover

And once again,  let’s turn to the numbers to get a better picture on just how many school districts/cities have such programs.

In the late 1990s approximately a third of local police and sheriffs’ departments employed SROs. By 2003 an estimated 43 percent of local police departments and 47 percent of sheriffs’ departments in the United States employed full-time SROs. School resource officers are especially common in larger jurisdictions. Roughly 80 percent of police departments and 73 percent of sheriffs’ offices serving jurisdictions of 100,000 or more residents maintain an SRO program; in cities with populations between 250,000 and 499,999 residents, more than 90 percent of departments employ full-time SROs. Altogether, local police and sheriffs’ departments employ an estimated 20,000 SROs. (In all states except Alaska and Hawaii, sheriffs’ departments are responsible for the provision of police services in unincorporated areas.)

Maybe, just maybe, Mr. or Ms. Anti-rights cultists, the N.R.A. aren’t being the fanatics here, eh?

Please join the discussion.

Great video, unintentionally, on the dangers of ElectroStatic Discharge

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I’m not saying I’ve ever made any of those mistakes; not saying that I haven’t either.

Talking about High School graduation rates.

Texas and five other states have tied for America’s third-best high school graduation rate under a new system that makes nationwide dataeasier to compare.

Preliminary U.S. Department of Education data released Tuesday reported Texas’ four-year graduation rate was 86 percent for the Class of 2011.

That’s the same as Tennessee, New Hampshire, Indiana, Nebraska and North Dakota.

 It was one percentage point behind Vermont and Wisconsin, while Iowa led the nation with 88 percent.

Washington, D.C., had the worst high school graduation rate in the country in 2011, according to state-by-state statistics released Monday by the U.S. Department of Education.

Only 59 percent of high school students who started as freshmen in the 2006-2007 school year graduated four years later from District of Columbia schools, according to the data, which details state four-year high school graduation rates in the 2010-11 school year.

Voice inside my head: Hey Bob, have you seen Snoop Dogs’ list of reasons not to vote for Obama?

Me: Yes Bob. I saw it.

Voice inside my head: So Bob; tell me again why we think it is bad idea to require some sort of test before we let people vote?

{{{{ crickets chirping }}}}