David Berliner issued the following call for a national teachers’ strike on May 1. Teachers are now first responders, trained to protect their students if a shooter gets in the building. Some have given their lives for their students. Parents should join teachers. Enough is enough.
Berliner writes:
”It is way past time. Between now and May 1st teachers have to agree on the gun legislation they want. They can consult with Giffords and Kelly, and others who have suffered, such as the parents who have already lost children to this horrible characteristic of our culture. If by May 1st they have not received assurance that their legislation for sanity in gun ownership will be acted on soon, they need to walk out of our schools. It would be May Day, when workers should exert their strength.
“Our country’s legislators, and the voters who send them to make our laws, can then choose: Teachers and (most) parents for sane gun laws, or, the NRA that provides our legislators money to avoid making the laws that could reduce the carnage we see too frequently.
“Almost all of America’s 3 million teachers— nurturers and guardians of our youth– want sensible gun laws. They deserve that. But they have to be ready to exert the power they have by walking out of their schools if they do not get what they want. They have to exert the reputational power that 3 million of our most admired voters have. Neither the NRA nor their legislative puppets will be able stand up to that. My advice is to start meeting now, write model legislation, submit it to state and federal legislators, and if rebuffed, close down our schools until you get what you (and the rest of us) deserve.”
Save our children.
PS: There is no link. He sent this message to me. We are in despair.
Funny- I posted the same plan on my FB page. I too have no idea how to get this done, but this is a great place to start. I think a March on Washington would also help to get attention. Parents would certainly support it. Overwhelming disruption is necessary to get a change made. I am a retired teacher and would never accept working in a school in which a known concealed weapon is being worn by anyone. Horrible. Regarding jailing teachers for striking- if everyone walks, they’d need a lot of jails. It’s time.
We who are retired could volunteer to help with working parents to cover the home front!
Here is a video from the NYT on what propaganda the R is using to justify nothing being done to control the insane number of guns in this country. [You can click on the link and the video becomes available to anyone, even non-subscribers.]
………………………………….
A G.O.P. Guide to Mass ShootingsVideoVIDEO: A G.O.P. Guide to Mass Shootings
By MATTEEN MOKALLA
The simple plan for the N.R.A’s servants to follow if they want to avoid doing anything about gun violence.
https://graphics8.nytimes.com/video/players/offsite/index.html?videoId=100000005742985
This would be a momentary walk out, not a strike.
A May Day March on Washington should get their attention. If only a third of us can make it, that’s a Million Teacher March!
Hi, would it be possible to get hundreds of yellow school buses, with the names of gun murdered children, to park along the Mall and Capitol Hill? Would it be possible to get families to walk and demonstrated in DC, demanding a radical change?
Has the people got the power?
great idea!
Bus idea is great! That would make a big statement i think
This year a mass school shooting is taking place once every 60 hours. Why wait until May? How many more have to die and or be permanently injured for life? Why not begin a national strike this Monday and refuse to end the strike until regulation controlling who can own weapons of war outside of the military is passed?
Our action will be April 20.
4/20 is the kids marijuana smoke out day. Wouldn’t want to confuse these issues.
4/20 will be the Day of Action Against Gun Violence in Schools
It is also the day chosen for the National Student Walkout, led by high school students.
I think this is a wonderful idea, but it leaves the children vulnerable in classrooms with no adults. Since the children are planning a walkout on April 20, why not coordinate it with them?
We will coordinate with the students who plan a national walkout on April 20.
Massachusetts schools are on vacation on April 20th… I’m wondering if others are too and if so, whether/when we can also participate. I think we absolutely should march on Washington. Maybe we should all “walk out” by marching on DC.
There are a number of comments here about doing something if Congress won’t act by a certain time…well, Congress is not going to act on any meaningful gun safety legislation, not as long as both chambers are controlled by the gop. The ONLY way we will ever get any changes from Congress is to vote in people who stand for our beliefs..this is the ONLY way we’ll see meaningful gun safety legislation. What really needs to happen at this point is to turn Congress blue, preferably with a super majority. We need to vote people in who do not take money from the NRA, and who will vote for common sense gun safely legislation. A nationwide student walkout (a momentary walkout, not a strike), will be of great help in bringing attention to this. We need to encourage people to vote, get people registered to vote, help them get ID’s to vote if they need them, encourage people to run for office, focus on election integrity (we can’t underestimate the importance of that this election cycle). This year there are a number of fronts in the fight to turn Congress blue, but that is the only way we can start to stop gun violence in America. There are a lot of people who have said that they would support these walkouts. Maybe this will be the catalyst that finally moves lots of people to meaningful action.
For anyone suggesting April 20 as a strike date know that this is over April vacation for many schools/states. There would be significantly less impact. May 1 is a more logistically practical date.
April 20 is the date of the National Day of Action. If you care about gun violence, you will be at the school to take action.
Don’t walk out of school during school vacation, that will have no impact on parents. You need to inconvenience parents for them to put pressure on legislators. Walk out when all states are not on vacation.
I had this same thought. I am interested in hearing how we can make maximum impact if 4/20 is the National Day of Action (my husband and I are educators in MA, where we are on vacation on 4/20). I agree with you that walking out when school is in session puts a lot more pressure on legislators.
Hold a march, join with parents and others. Think big.
The liberals want to snatch and grab all guns and this isn’t going to happen. There are plenty of laws and the FBI dropped the ball on this nut case. We need to arm the teachers janitorial staff and administrators as they do in Israel which has had no issues since they did.
Jimmy,
You can’t combat an AR 15 with a handgun. Do you suggest that every teacher and custodian and all staff carry AR 15s at all times?
Ok, Jimmy Kilpatrick, that I just crazy. Teachers should not have to have police training to teach our children. It’s counterintuitive to the types of people that generally go into the profession, and it also assumes that it is acceptable or normal for gunman to shoot up schools on a regular basis. Guess what. This doesn’t happen in other developed countries, so here’s an idea: Let’s take a look at what they’re doing and do the same thing. Bet that involves gun restrictions instead of arming janitors and teachers to protect elementary school children in the new dystopian America that you seem to prefer.
“the liberals want …”
Kilpatrick, you just revealed that your thinking is easy to manipulate — at least be the Alt-Right lying media machine designed to mislead and destroy.
Where is your proof other than conspiracy theory generating Alt-Right media, for instance, Breitbart and Alex Jones, that those so-called “liberals” want to snatch and grab all guns?
The last time I voted for a Republican was when Regan ran for governor of California the first time. In fact, I support a woman’s right to make her own decisions about having an abortion.
Does that label me a liberal when I own a weapons safe full of firearms? Do I own them to hunt wild game — no, because I’m a vegan …
Why do I have all those firearms locked up in my weapons safe? Because I’m a former Marine, combat vet and indie voter that is not registered with either major party, that wants to at least be ready to fight, if I’m given a chance when someone that thinking like you (or that school shooter in Florida) obviously thinks comes for me.
And even in California with the strictest firearms laws in the country, those so-called liberals are not attempting to take away firearms from those Californians that own them legally.
You want to arm every teacher, janitor and staff member of our schools. I’m sure the weapons industry agrees with you. Think of the profits to be made for the weapons industry that has lagging sales right now if legislation forced teachers to arm themselves.
But what are the odds that a school will be shot up by a nut case that thinks like you?
There are about 98,000 public schools in the United States with about 50,000,000 students, and in 2017, nine of those public schools had school shootings with 19 deaths and 26 injured.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_shootings_in_the_United_States#2017
In 2017, the odds of being in the wrong school at the wrong time were 0.009-percent and the odds of being killed or injured including teachers and students was 0.00008411214-percent, and you think we must arm all teachers and staff members of public schools with firearms.
The U.S. is not Israel. Israel’s population is about 8.5 million surrounded by Muslim countries numbers hundreds of millions that want them dead and gone.
The biggest threat to people in the U.S. is heart disease and cancer — both 1 in 7 because the U.S. is the fattest country in the world.
The threat of being murdered in the U.S. is 1 in 249
The threat of an assault by a firearm in the U.S. is 1 in 358
Threats from foreign-born terrorists is 1 in 45,808.
Threats from refugee terrorists is 1 in 46,192,893
Threats from illegal immigrant terrorists is 1 in 138,324,873 ( since most of them are Christians or Catholics coming from south of the U.S. border to escape poverty and find a job that pays a survivable income even if they have to work two or more jobs.)
http://www.businessinsider.com/death-risk-statistics-terrorism-disease-accidents-2017-1
No we don’t want to SNATCH ALL GUNS. Just the ones with bump stocks and AR -15s IS A GOOD STARTING POINT..
National Student Walkout April 20th
Teacher walk out May 1st.
Our National Day of Action is April 20.
Walk out indefinitely until something is done. We can start fundraising to pay your salaries. I’m serious.
The Women’s March has already put together a national coalition on this an announced a Walk-Out for March 14th. Please connect with them. This movement is too important for multiple small protests that are not organized and connected. One massive protest will make more news.
We have worked out plans with the AFT, the NEA, the BATS, and the AASA. Many more will be joining. Two protests, three, four, five are great!
Ok ladies and gentlemen. Lots of talk happening, and so far not one seems, realistic, feasible or practical.
What about having a “SICK OF IT” day. It is safe, and within teacher contracts. Students and staff are encouraged to show their dissent by staying home SICK. Maybe fer a couple of days?
Janet,
A sick-out won’t get attention. DO SOMETHING!
Walkouts are NOT safe. You make yourself a TARGET formthe gun carrying nuts. And politically it is not legal for teachers to walk out, in AZ anyways.
Janet, if you don’t want to walk out, do something else. Have a teach-in. Work with the parents and students to brainstorm your action.
I am all for a NATIONAL SICK OUT.
But if you are not in school, you won’t be noticed.
I urge you all strongly to read and share this everywhere
http://anaussieintheworld.blogspot.com.au/2018/02/school-shootings-working-title.html
I Am a parent of teacher and high school student, I will be there for both days need be, just take action!!! We just need to stop the violence, bullying,and the drugs in our school. I could lose both of my daughters for just being at school!
A MOM
Aloha ive been trying to encourage that the teenagers protest. With their love for anything digital it should be possible to create a day of teenage protest. It would be natiowide and very powerful. Lets hear from the victims!
Legislation to include you must be 21 have a psychologist card and nooooooo rifles. If you want a rifle you must belong to a militia as the constitution States. It could be the powder puff militia or the I hate bananas militia but the point is you would have to have a registered militia card to get a rifle. Now for the war guns only the military may have them and it will be their responsible to police these war arms.
I don’t have the wherewithal to get the word out so if you agree please start the ball running.
I think this is an excellent idea. As the parent of two elementary school children, I can promise I will be out there marching with their teachers!
Rise, like lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number!
Shake your chains to earth, like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you:
Ye are many—they are few! ~~~Percy Bysshe Shelley
Yes, but not just teachers. Students and parents from across the nation can walk out of schools and work. Shut the cities down, even for a day, to show the power we have and to demand policies and legislation be addressed immediately. Parents are required by state law to take their children to school and we demand that they be kept ALIVE while there! When is it okay to murder a schoolchild and to do NOTHING about it?! We all must force the hands of greedy congressmen/women to do their jobs and keep our children safe at school!
Get the date confirmed and support from teacher groups. I’m a teacher. I’ll walk out
Sammy,
The date is April 20. The NEA and AFT have signed on. Join us.
Cool, Diane Ravitch. The fact that AFT and NEA have signed on to the Apr. 20 date means a lot, and will be persuasive w my principal. Already one of our local State elected officials (Minneapolis) has expressed high interest in attending and speaking at our school event. Already teacher leaders at our school are discussing how we will involve kids and their families in our march and protest around our school building. We are also co-planning with other nearby public elementary schools that serve a large Hispanic population as we do. I hope we can issue a press release, but this will need to be delicately done with parent buy-in and permission and may feature only student spokespeople whose families strongly support this effort. This will all be challenging yet energizing, due to the young age of elementary kids, and the fact that inner cities are awash in guns because we are more densely populated. There will be caution that threatens to dampen enthusiasm, so any and all simple talking points would be welcome!!
Mary Ford,
That is great. Every parent puts the safety of their child first.
I am not down for a strike or for students taking a day off—losing ADA cuts our own throats. National Day of action sounds good. If my students walk out, I will go with them. It needs to be real action, not just a photo op. W all need to write letters, invite congressmen, etc.
I have read all 250 posts, including the inane ones, that suggest arming every teacher.
Putting those aside, I believe that certain things must be agreed upon if this is going to succeed.
1) May 1st is the perfect date and April 20th is not – it’s Hitler’s birth date, a number of schools will be on spring break and 420 is National Marijuana Day. This will see several large celebrations, including at least 250,000 in Denver and who knows how many will take place in California, given that marijuana was not legal there on April 20, 2017. And for those who protest that this date is May Day, and thus connected to unions and socialism, they should be reminded that “MAY DAY” is the international call indicating serious distress on boats and in planes, which makes it totally appropriate. Let the demonstrations planned to for 4/20 take place but make sure that people are able to differentiate between the two dates.
2) I fail to understand why people keep referring to this as a strike. Almost everyone will be able to take a sick day. For those who won’t get paid if they are not at work on 5/1 I’m sure that some kind of fund can be set up to reimburse them for lost wages.
3) Large marches have become old hat and usually accomplish little, if anything. Can anyone tell me the benefits accrued from the last two Women’s Marches. How about the “Million Man March.”
4) I think almost everyone will agree that if change is going to take place it will have to be via legislation. Therefore the key people who need to be impacted are the elected officials. At least 1,000 people should do a “lie in” in front of every congressman’s local office and at least 10,000 surrounding senator’s local offices. For any of the kids in the crowd they can have a few spots of red paint on their t-shirts.
5) Huge crowds should assemble around the appropriate buildings in Washington and the biggest crowd should surround the NRA’s office in Virginia.
6) There should be no physical confrontations, or verbal abuse. This should be a slightly different form of “civil disobedience” – and remember, there are two meanings to the word “civil,” and that one of them relates to behavior.
7) If the authorities show up, and try to arrest anyone, don’t put up a fight. I was arrested for demonstrating against the Viet Nam war and was released two hours later, with no charges filed. And they certainly can’t remove 10,000 people (or even 1,000) from a particular location.
8) These should be totally silent demonstrations, except for interviews with the media, but signs would be great – i.e. “My son misbehaved and needed to be punished, so I sent him to school. I pray that he’s only wounded,” or “The NRA is the worst of the worst, because they seem to have no problem with kids being killed in school.”‘
9) I am a technology Neanderthal but there are many of you who are not. 5/1 should be publicized on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and in as many blogs as possible. And, a week before the event, lot’s of e-mails, texts and voice-mail messages.
10) The media should eat this up, especially because of all the local demonstrations. And there should be no problem booking people, like David Berliner, on all the Sunday talk shows, the daily network news, and the evening shows. People such as Seth Meyers and Trevor Noah might devote half of their shows to this subject. And videos should be sent in to every TV station.
11) There must be a PR campaign – lots of clever press releases and iconic YouTube videos.
12) ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE. If the fringes insist on changing the story either ignore them or “disinvite” them. There should be only one message.
Sorry, the date is April 20.
We are taking the date away from Hitler and marijuana.
It now belongs to the National Day of Action Against Gun Violence in Schools.
It has the support of NPE, the National Student zealkoit, the AFT, NEA, BATS, and AASA.
Besides, it is my younger brother’s birthday and he is a great guy.
It is Michael Moses (MM)’s birthday.
A great day for demonstrations and protests!
Boy, you caved really quickly by moving things to 4/20. First of all I’ll bet that no more than 5% of union members have any idea what May Day represents, whereas anyone who has ever seen a movie about a plane or ship in trouble knows what “MAY DAY, MAY DAY” means. And, aside from the number of teachers who will not be able to make a statement because their schools’ are on Spring Break, you are going to end up being just another small duck in a very large pond. Putting all these organizations together will cause chaos and mixed messages. And forget about marches because almost can tell you what they accomplished. Surround every elected official’s with thousand of people. Surround the NRA headquarters with 100,000 people and the appropriate buildings in DC with 250,000. Everyone near the entrance to the NRA building should take out their cell phones and snap photos of everyone walking in. That will give them food for thought.
Civil/Silent disobedience (except for being interviewed by the media). Let the messages be conveyed by a myriad of very clever signs, beginning with MAGA – Mothers Against Guns and Ammunition.
I can guarantee you that if there are marches, with loud protests, a lot of people will tune out before they tune in, and everything will be old news 24 hours later.
I am a historian. I know very well what May Day signifies. It is a distress call, and it is also International Workers day.
The choice was not made by one person but by many who believed it was appropriate to have protests on the day commemorating the Columbine Massacre, April 20,1999.. It also coincides with a high school student-initiated National Walkout Day.
Instead of carping, get involved.
Please don’t pat yourself on the back because you are aware of the dual meaning of May Day. Even if you weren’t an historian, you are 79 years old and had an outstanding education (I am 75, I majored in American History at Hobart College, and was arrested on the Columbia University campus, while demonstrating against the Viet Nam war) so if we aren’t aware of what “Onternational” (that’s what you wrote – don’t you have Spell Check?) Workers (it should be Workers’ day (it should be Day) represents we should be ashamed of ourselves. It takes some work to make three mistakes in three consecutive words.
And please don’t lecture me about carping, and not getting involved. I suspect that at least 5,000 people have now read my e-mails (contacts contacting their contacts, etc.) pointing out the importance of this issue. Of course I then had to send “Please disregard previous message” e-mails sent out when you agreed to change the date.
Putting all this aside, let me get to the gist of the matter. There are going to be student marches/demonstrations on 3/24 and then all of the activities planned for 4/20 (when a large number of teachers will not be making not making really meaningful impacts because their schools will not be in session).
I just heard Rush Limbaugh (one of the most despicable men in this country, along with people like Wayne LaPierre) on one of the Sunday talk shows. As expected, he blamed the media for almost everything. However, I totally agreed with one (and only one) of his comments – that marches or parades will accomplish nothing, except nice overhead shots from blimps and three minutes of coverage on the news shows. Since you are an historian perhaps you can tell me the impact of such things as the Million Man March, or any of those related to women’s issues. In fact, can you tell me what the purpose of these marches were, in the first place.
3/24 will involve far more people than just students and 4/20 will have an amalgam of so many groups that the messages will get totally mixed. There will be groups supporting LGBT issues and there will be others objecting to sexual harassment. There will be signs related to equal pay for equal work and hundreds anti Trump and pro Trump placards (some of which will lead to verbal abuse and even violence).
The only people who need to be “influenced” are the 535 people who can pass legislation, and the NRA. Take hundreds of pictures of those entering their headquarters and they might quickly become paranoid.
Those who are demanding better gun control laws should be surrounding the local offices of all of our congressmen/congresswomen and senators, along with their “homes away from home,” the buildings where they are currently doing nothing and their residences (if they have them) in Washington, DC. Thousands at each location (250,000 in the nation’s capitol and 100,000 surrounding the NRA headquarters in Virginia. Everyone should be wearing the exact same thing – white t-shirts smeared with ketchup and/or red paint and the words “STOP THE BLEEDING” along with hats that say MAGA (Mothers Against Guns and Ammunition).
Diane, I am the eternal optimist but I expect chaos on 4/20. More important, nothing will end up being accomplished. “WHAT DO WE WANT? NO GUNS! WHEN DO WE WANT THIS? NOW” will fall on deaf ears. Far more important would be registering new voters directly outside the various buildings mentioned above, with banners that read “You can change the world, just by voting. Register here.”
I have read virtually every posting on your blog but have yet to see anyone mention the goals – what needs to be accomplished. These should be just a few bullet points (an appropriate choice of words) with very short sentences stating the goals.
And, I have seen almost nothing related who it is that can accomplish this.
If there is a march in Phoenix I will not attend. However, I do plan to be outside the offices of John McCain, Jeff Flake and/or Krysten Sinema. These are the people who effectuate the changes you never mention.
Philip Barnett
Phillip,
You are a bitter man. Yes, I made a spelling error. I work alone. I fixed it as soon as I saw it.
Either get involved or don’t. It’s your choice.
Since you apparently live in Arizona, join and help SOS Arizona, a great local group.
Dear Ms. Ravitch,
Philip
Sorry, Philip, but the first rule of this blog is that no one insults me and gets posted.
I have just been advised that the unions object to 5/1 (some of you will have to go back to some old textbooks to figure out why). So, the new date is 4/20, so we will be joining several other demonstrations planned for then. I just hope that too many mixed messages don’t get sent out.
Someone suggested hats that read MAGA. I can’t recall what she wrote her letter represented, but I love the idea. My suggestion is “MAGA” Mothers Against Guns and Ammunition.
Massachusetts schools are on vacation on April 20th… I’m wondering if others are too and if so, whether/when we can also participate. I think we absolutely should march on Washington. Maybe we should all “walk out” by marching on DC.
March to your legislators’ offices.
That’s a GREAT idea… Thank you! The NEA is the MTA’s affiliate organization. Maybe I will contact the MTA to see if they would help organize this state-wide.
I have now heard that the students in Florida are planning a march in Washington for April 24. Could teachers coordinate a one-day walkout with that? And if we are sufficiently organized, set a due date for meaningful government action or we walk out for one day again (and again, and again). We are many, and we are motivated.
The Florida student march is March 24.
We support them fully.
The Women’s March has called for a 17-minute walkout on March 14.
We support them fully.
The National Student Walkout is April 20.
We support them fully.
The National Day of Action will be April 20 also, and it will have the full support of the NEA, AFT, AASA, LULAC, Gabby Giffords and other gun control groups.
We support all of these actions.
They reinforce one another.
Why not do something major on the opening day of the Annual NRA convention, May 3-6 in Dallas TX?
I like the idea. I will pass it on to our friends in Texas.
Florida Governor Rick Scott is the keynote speaker.
Wonder what he will say.
Probably say we need more mental health services.
So sad that people have also forgotten that April 20 was Columbine.
We planned out National Day of Action to commemorate Columbine.
After every school massacre, there is a week of outage and sorrow, then we move on to the latest antics of celebrities.
Enough!
No more school shootings.
Never forget Sandy Hook. Never forget Columbine. Never forget Sandy Hook. Each and every school shooting is an outrage and must never be forgotten.
The teacher and student walk-outs should be staged to coincide with the NRA’s Annual Convention, May 3 – 6 in Dallas TX. Just a thought….
How about if students and teachers and parents in Dallas stand right at the convention door holding up photos of the kids who were murdered at Sandy Hook, Parkland, Columbine, and other schools? Let the members of the NRA see their faces every time they enter the convention hall in Dallas.
I completely agree. What can I do? I am not a teacher but completely sickened by gun violence.
Join the protests.
March 14
March 24
April 24
Hope this happens. Also, if our political leaders and representatives would take the following courageous step as an action to demonishthe power of the NRA and other pro gun lobilirst: return the contribution you received from the NR and co tribute that amount to educational and mental health services.
Stand up for our children,teachers and administrators by returning the blood money you have received and demonstrate by your actions that you truly care about the safety of our children and our country.
You can act. Do.
Carol Geyer
Retired Educator
Protest against people’s civil Rights all you want, the only legitimate method (not moral, but legal) of assaulting the 2A is to amend the Constitution. Good luck getting 2/3 of the states on board with that. On a practical level, I’d very much like to hear how some kind of anti-2A law is going to prevent murder. Murder is already illegal…did that fact prevent it from happening in this or any other case? Some narcotics are illegal, does that mean they are difficult to obtain? Mexico has strict gun laws, do the cartels have a hard time finding them? Right now we have copycat killers targeting our kids and the leftist response is essentially ‘post some signs!’ as if that will make any difference. Do you know why there aren’t any school shootings in Israel? Primarily because they have a comprehensive defense system that includes hardening of school physical security, armed guards, and very well thought out active shooter procedures that they actually practice. This program works in spite of a MUCH greater threat from terrorism than we face here in the US from the mental-health-related mass school shooters we tend to face. There is no perfect answer for addressing violent crime, short of locking up every person in the country in solitary confinement, but there are proven tactics that can work and they face continued resistance from the left at every turn. The left would seem to prefer to advance an anti-2A civil rights agenda than actually do anything productive. But don’t mind me, continue to talk about how the law abiding are only allowed to have Rights if said Rights are never abused by anyone. Have fun marching around holding signs and screaming at people.
The Second Amendment is about a militia not about arming every single person. The Constitution evolves. We no longer have slavery. We don’t count slaves as 3/5 of a person. Women vote. We don’t use powdered wigs and buggy whips anymore.
Jason.. you have some very valid points here, and it’s good to read them. I’m a gun owner, and a very responsible one. All anyone want is to feel safe, and not see anymore kids get murdered by someone who never ever should have been allowed to posses a deadly semi automatic assault weapon. I’m a rock solid defender of gun ownership rights, always will be, but I also support common sense gun safety legislation….this is badly needed in our country. The NRA has basically hijacked the meaning of the second amendment, and we have to reverse that.
I would love to talk with the author about this. I am a former teacher and retired mental health professional, and I’ve watched the deterioration of “mental health treatment” from an effort to understand and intervene in complicated personal and family situations into a diagnostic interview and prescription for some kind of drug. I am really hoping that beyond a call for improved gun control, which I support 100%, the group will add a demand that what passes for mental health treatment these days be fully re-examined in light of the number of shooters receiving “mental health treatment” before and during the time they engage in these shooting sprees. It’s apparent that these perpetrators’ needs are not being met, and there is also increasing evidence that some of the drugs( SSRI antidepressants and benzodiazepines and to some extent stimulants) may even cause or exacerbate violent incidents for a small but significant proportion of users. Any way I can get contact info for the person calling for this strike?
In spite of any options proposed or eventually deployed to address the weapons access issues the horses already out of the barn will continue to be a threat. Our gun free zones need gun detection systems and action plans. And cost is no more relevant than other public system expenses. A gun registration fee would cover it just like vehicle registration fees cover the safety systems of transportation infrastructure. I’ll pay my share to protect the children.
Tomorrow the House Judiciary committee will hear from Max Eden who recently joined his pal Michael Knowles in this podcast. https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/27958/ep-117-guns-dont-kill-people-schools-kill-people
Folks need to realize that some masquerading as researchers are using every opportunity to mischaracterize the joint civil rights guidance on school discipline. The latest salvo distorts and lies about what actually happened in Broward County Florida to suggest is was leniency in school discipline, and a program intentionally trying to reduce the unnecessary arrests of Black youth for misdemeanors that lead to the murder of 17 children. Eden and his friend claim that the policy was for schools not to report such behaviors to the police. In fact the Promise Program never involved the shooter, but does require cooperation with the police and attorney general’s office so that when a non-violent misdemeanor is committed, there are alternatives beside locking up the children. Further, this program came on the heals of Broward county being the second highest in the state for school based arrests. In this interview Eden says he is trying to change the framework from being about guns to being about what he considers to be top down discipline policy. That is also a lie and is obvious to anyone who actually reads the guidance. Part of Eden’s argument is informed by his pro-charter position. He wants no part of civil rights protections for children if it means sacrificing charter autonomy. In this interview he also embraces “no excuses” approaches arguing that their communities “might not be able to give them values…” Eden’s agenda is deeper than the guidance. He is a staunch opponent of the civil rights regulations dating back to the 1960s that made unjust or unjustifiable policies and practices with a disparate impact potentially unlawful because they harmed protected subgroups of children more than others.
I recently debated Eden before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv_GgG-igBE&t=10624s
and more recently, debated Michael Petrilli on Education Next journal. Folks should weigh in against stripping children of the civil rights. http://educationnext.org/dont-walk-back-needed-discipline-reform-forum-losen/
Tomorrow Kristen Harper will be on the panel with Max Eden. It will be life streamed at 10 a.m.