Fear Wins Out: Teachers Carry Guns in Harrold, Texas
I was going to try to start out sounding neutral on this, but who am I kidding? In what world does it make sense to let school teachers carry guns to class? Certainly not in the world I live in! And yet, a small school district in North Texas recently started letting their teachers carry concealed weapons.
According to The Houston Chronicle, the trustees at the School District in the tiny town of Harrold, Texas (population 320) approved a district policy change so that their employees can carry concealed guns to “deter and protect against school shootings.” The gun-toting teachers have to get permission from the state of Texas and the school district, and they must receive training in crisis management and hostile situations. Oh, and they have to use ammunition that’s designed to minimize the risk of ricochet in the hallways. Good thinking!
Apparently the superintendent and school board feel that their school is at risk because they’re a 30-minute drive from the sheriff’s office, and because “the district’s lone campus sits 500 feet from heavily trafficked U.S. 287, which could make it a target.”
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram quoted the superintendent as saying ‘When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones, that’s when all of these shootings started. Why would you put it out there that a group of people can’t defend themselves? That’s like saying ’sic ‘em’ to a dog.”
In a way I’m not surprised…it IS Texas, which is one of the gun-friendliest states in the union, not just in laws, but in people’s attitudes. I, myself, grew up knowing how to shoot a gun. In my family it was mainly to protect our chickens from dogs, snakes and foxes, not for shooting other people. And we certainly didn’t pack a gun on the way to school!
I do, however, remember feeling some security from having a gun in the house, since we were in a rural area, and if something happened, help was miles away. We lived right outside of Austin, but you might never have known it. We were fairly isolated, with the nearest neighbors a 1/4 mile away, and our place was mostly surrounded by woods. I remember times when we’d hear about a local incidence of violence of some kind of other, and on those dark nights, I did think that we were better protected because there was a gun in the house. My point is that, at some level, I really can understand why people in Harrold might feel fearful due to their isolation.
I found myself wondering what might have made this particular school district so afraid that they decided to allow their teachers to carry guns. I have a friend who, until recently, lived in Wichita Falls (the biggest town near Harrold), and who used to be a journalist, so I had a feeling he’d have some observations to share about the situation.
Here’s what he had to say: “Harrold is a tiny little podunk school stuck amidst cotton fields. The ‘town’ of Harrold consists of a grain elevator and a few weather-beaten shacks and maybe a couple of meth labs. No stores, no etc. The school consists of two buildings joined by a breezeway. It is slowly dwindling away and will probably be consolidated with Vernon or another district in a few years. Just after I arrived in Wichita Falls there was a big windstorm that blew out all the windows on the north side of both buildings. The district had to stretch their budget to find money to replace the windows, only to find out after the work began that the windowsills contained asbestos. So, for more than a year until they could find yet more money for asbestos removal, all of the windows on the north side of the building were covered with plywood. It looked like an abandoned building from the highway. I don’t think Harrold ISD is a prime candidate for school violence, unless it is started by gun-toting redneck teachers.“
Whether the teachers are rednecks or not, the point is, it just doesn’t make sense to have MORE guns in schools rather than less. The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence quotes research that says that “[l]ess than 1% of school-age victims of homicide are killed on school grounds or on the way to or from school. Adding more guns in school can only put our kids at greater risk.” That’s what I’m saying!
In looking at different websites that discussed this issue, I found that lots of people were saying the typical gun-enthusiast/NRA-nut things about how law-abiding citizens have to be ready to defend themselves, and how people who want to restrict gun use are basically too wimpy and weak to be eager to shoot another human being. This phenomenon has always been interesting to me: People in the pro-gun movement identify as STRONG, and put others down for being weak. And yet THEY are the ones so scared that they need a firearm to feel safe!
So, my main objections to this idea are…
-As a mother, I’m horrified at the idea of sending my child to a school where the teachers carry guns. At an emotional level, I feel the mama bear in me growling a big NO FUCKING WAY!!
-It just doesn’t make sense. Again I quote, “Adding more guns in school can only put our kids at greater risk.”
-It is a fear-based policy, and at the social, political and personal levels, fear-based decisions are often problematic. Putting a band-aid on a situation out of fear doesn’t usually actually solve the problem. We need to look at where their fear comes from, and get to the root of that fear…not just throw some guns at it.
-And here’s the big one for me: One of the big strategies of the conservative movement is to convince people that they need to be scared. And they have ideas about who we should be scared of: people of color, gay folks, and immigrants to name a few.
So, in a town that’s 87% white, who will that fear most likely be aimed at? My guess is anyone who’s different, especially the 13% of people who aren’t white. Even though the superintendent says the guns are for protection against outside threats by terrorist-types, in my opinion, the people most likely to get shot at are the PEOPLE OF COLOR that our culture teaches us white folks to fear, particularly black males. I don’t actually know how many children of color there are at this school, but however many they are, I fear for their safety. And for the safety of anyone who’s different: gay teens, punk rockers, poor kids…if they don’t fit in the white middle-class mold, they’re likely at risk.
If you think I’m exaggerating, here’s a recent quote from a conservative family member of mine who lives near Harrold, TX (we’ve been e-mailing back and forth about politics, racism, welfare and other social issues), “…you send me poor crying woes about a population of people [poor people, people on welfare, people in New Orleans, black people] that don’t care enough about themselves to do anything for themselves…. We [white people not on welfare] been taking care of business from the beginning of time. It has been making us stronger and more self reliant. So when the time comes, the weak will just breed themselves out of existence. I’m patient I can wait.“
Maybe the Harrold School District is getting a head start. If all the schools in America went this direction, they wouldn’t have to wait for the unwanted members of the population to grow up and cause trouble. They could go ahead and shoot them down while they’re still children. Its frightening to think that maybe now I’m understanding where this gun-carrying teacher policy is coming from.
September 8, 2008 at 5:24 pm
April, this is such a powerful article! Especially so because of your own experience around guns and living in a rural area. I had also heard about this town with teachers carrying guns. Being from a family of public school teachers, this seems totally off the wall, totally contrary to what education is all about. The fear is the main thing that gets me. It feels like our society is feeding more and more on fear and many leaders are reinforcing that. I can feel the growing pull of the cultural conditioning that trains us as white people to be afraid of people of color. They WILL become the target, they already are the target. And my fear of our country being ruled by fear just keeps the fear going. Your words and your defiant mamabear energy are a great antidote. Thank you.
September 8, 2008 at 5:44 pm
1. What business is it of yours? You obviously aren’t a resident. The people who actually live there don’t seem to have a problem with it. Who, exactly, are you to decide what’s best for them?
2. Why do you assume that this policy is driven by fear? Do you wear your seat belts? Are you “afraid” of a crash, or are you just being prepared on the off chance that one may occur?
3. I don’t think Harrold ISD is a prime candidate for school violence, unless it is started by gun-toting redneck teachers.“ Are all your friends bigots, or is this one an exception?
4. “[l]ess than 1% of school-age victims of homicide are killed on school grounds or on the way to or from school. Adding more guns in school can only put our kids at greater risk.” That’s funny right there.
The high incidence of crime in the inner cities is reason that guns should be banned there.
The low incidence of crime in the schools is reason that guns should be banned there.
Hypocrisy, Brady is thy name.
5. In looking at different websites that discussed this issue, I found that lots of people were saying the typical gun-enthusiast/NRA-nut thing … how people who want to restrict gun use are basically too wimpy and weak to be eager to shoot another human being.
Cites?
6. People in the pro-gun movement identify as STRONG, and put others down for being weak. And yet THEY are the ones so scared that they need a firearm to feel safe! Again with that whole “scared” meme. I can’t speak for others but I don’t arm myself because I consider myself “strong”. I arm myself because I’m a 40% disabled veteran and know for a fact that I couldn’t defend myself against a younger, fitter assailant bent on doing me violence. Does that mean I’m scared? No, it means I’m prepared. There’s a difference.
7. And then, of course, you pull out the old standby…accusations of racism. I guess it isn’t just your friends that are bigots.
In your entire diatribe, I saw not one shred of evidence in support of your contention that trained, vetted and approved law abiding teachers…people to whom we ALREADY entrust the safety and well-being of our children…cannot be also entrusted with the best tools available to provide for that safety and well-being.
Not one shred. Everything you posted is based on “what ifs”, innuendo, conjecture and bald-faced bigotry.
If that’s the best you’ve got…color me unconvinced.
September 8, 2008 at 7:46 pm
great post April. I certainly disagree with the previous commenter. Point #2, “sailor” has nothing to do with Harrold, TX, who is he to say anything about it? I also find his use of the word “bigot” ridiculous. “Bigot is often used as a pejorative term against a person who is obstinately devoted to prejudices even when these views are challenged or proven to be false or not universally applicable or acceptable.” I don’t think your post meets that definition in any sense of the word, despite the use of the word redneck. And really, is wondering if minority and/or outsider elements in the town are at greater risk of harm than the majority members bigotry? Give me a break, dude.
anyway, back to your post. Its certainly true that there have been times when a responsible armed citizen has saved others from a crazed gunman (I remember some mass shooting at McDonalds where a customer took out the gunman). But why did the crazed gunman have to have a gun in the first place? I don’t think a crazed unarmed man could do as much damage in a school or other populous place, could they? Hey, if you need to have a gun at home or at the ranch that doesn’t bother me, but I would really rather not have it around my kid. Its a dangerous fucking weapon, I don’t trust you with it.
September 8, 2008 at 10:58 pm
“sailor” has nothing to do with Harrold, TX, who is he to say anything about it?
Exactly…which is why I’m not second guessing their decision as you or the original poster are. I’m saying that there are valid reasons for them to make this decision, it is their’s to make and it is not my place, or yours, to malign them for it.
Hey, if you need to have a gun at home or at the ranch that doesn’t bother me, but I would really rather not have it around my kid. Its a dangerous fucking weapon, I don’t trust you with it.
Absolutely your choice to make and I can respect that. As long as your kids aren’t enrolled in the Harrold School district, there’s no problem then now is there?
BTW. Do you trust me with a car? Based on statistics, cars are arguably much more dangerous to your child than guns are. But you’re OK with that? Hmmm.
“Bigot is often used as a pejorative term against a person who is obstinately devoted to prejudices even when these views are challenged or proven to be false or not universally applicable or acceptable.”
Like, for example, the obstinate devotion to the prejudiced ideas that gun owners are “rednecks”, are prone to violence, are fearful, are “eager to shoot another human being” and are inherently racist?
Hmmm again.
I don’t think a crazed unarmed man could do as much damage in a school or other populous place, could they?
Really? You are aware that the worst school massacre in US history was not committed with a gun right?
Or maybe you think that banning guns will magically make them disappear and render them inaccessible to criminals? Just for reference sake, handguns and most long guns have been banned in the UK, and those guns not banned have been strictly regulated, since at least 1994.
You can’t put the genie back into the bottle. Firearms are centuries-old technology that is simple to duplicate with a minimal amount of knowledge, some basic machine tools and a bit of ingenuity.
September 9, 2008 at 1:01 am
saliorcurt, are you saying that no one can have an opinion on anything that isn’t happening in their town? Also, I agree with you that a car can be a dangerous weapon, and I think that driver licenses, like guns, are obtained with inadequate training in a lot of cases. However, it seems to me that, while grievous bodily harm is certainly a by-product of our use of cars, it isn’t their primary use as a tool. Guns are built to kill, and their legitimate use is much narrower in scope. The idea that we’re safer is we all walk around armed is just contrary to common sense. I’m sorry, but good riddance to the wild west. We already have an armed force to deal with people who refuse to cooperate with our laws – they are called the police. I’m uncomfortable enough with them, let alone vigilanties walking around with who knows what chip on their shoulders.
I don’t think the original poster said all guns owners are rednecks and racists, in fact her own family are gun owners. No-one said anything about banning guns or guns magically disappearing….perhaps you are reading your own agenda into this blog post? ya think?
September 9, 2008 at 4:15 am
@sailorcurt–Thanks for visiting my blog.
My guess is that you appreciate your freedom to say what you think in various places on the internet, as do I. To me, the freedom of speech part of the Bill of Rights is exactly why you and I have the chance to express such different opinions in a public way. And, specifically, the Bill of Rights gives me the right to say what I think about teachers carrying guns in school in Harrold, Texas. Beyond that, I don’t want to debate why I should or shouldn’t write about things that aren’t happening directly to me.
As to your objection to the use of the term redneck, I apologize if that quote offended you. Obviously that hit a nerve for you, and I can see why. Redneck is often used pejoratively to perpetuate the stereotype that anyone who lives in a rural area or who is uneducated or who works with their hands is ignorant. I know that this is not necessarily true, which is why the very next sentence after that quote says that whether the teachers are rednecks or not is not the point I’m trying to make.
You make it very clear that my post didn’t convince you of anything. I guess the feeling is mutual. Growing up in Texas, I’ve heard all of the arguments that you made here in my blog, so you’re not presenting anything that I haven’t thought about before.
You said I didn’t provide one shred of evidence that “trained, vetted and approved law abiding teachers…people to whom we ALREADY entrust the safety and well-being of our children…cannot be also entrusted with the best tools available to provide for that safety and well-being.”
I don’t think I feel the same level of trust in teachers as you do. In my experience, many teachers can barely be entrusted to EDUCATE my child, let alone “protect” them with a gun.
I also disagree that guns are the best tools available to provide for safety and well-being. At the personal level, I understand that having a gun can make people feel safer. I really get that.
Lots of folks are afraid of some horrible incident happening at their child’s school, or at their place of employment, or at the bank, or on their way to work, or wherever. Really it could happen anywhere, right? So by that logic, everyone should be armed. At the social level, though, I think that our country has gotten more and more unsafe as we’ve gotten more guns. So, I guess this is where you and I differ: I don’t think the solution to the lack of safety is to have MORE guns out there, and, if I’m understanding your comments right, you DO think that having more guns out there will help.
As for your concerns about me bringing up racism as a part of this picture, I think you’re completely out of touch with reality if you don’t see how racism could possibly play into this. As a white person, I can personally attest to the fact that I have been taught to fear people of color. That’s not me being bigoted, that’s me being honest about my experience and about our culture. And if the teachers at this school are mostly white (which I admit I don’t know for sure, but I feel 99% sure is true), then I think its much more likely that a shooting incident will involve a student of color than some crazed terrorist or disgruntled employee or whoever.
September 9, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Thank you for responding. In accordance with your wishes as expressed in the e-mail to me, I will try to keep this short. To that end, I won’t bother citing the statistics, studies and facts regarding your “feeling” that guns are not the best tool for effective self defense or that more guns in society have resulted in more crime. Both assumptions are demonstrably false.
It actually isn’t the term “redneck” that I find offensive…I feel that I am one. What I find offensive is the intellectually dishonest tactic of dismissing the opinions of people with whom you (or your friend) disagree by caricaturizing them as “rednecks” or “racists” or “NRA-nuts” in en express effort to dismiss and avoid the substance of their argument. Such ad hominem character assassinations are the realm of those who cannot argue their case on its merits.
The racism argument is just silly. Again, I could cite facts and figures and support them with links but I won’t do so. But ask yourself: do you fear “people of color” because you’ve been taught to? Or because you have a measurably higher chance of being victimized in a violent crime by a “person of color” than a Caucasian?
If that is racism, then Jesse Jackson is a racist:
“There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery. Then look around and see somebody White and feel relieved.”
– Jesse Jackson
Sorry, this ended up a little longer than I intended. I’ll just leave you to enjoy your echo chamber now.
September 18, 2008 at 7:51 pm
April et al – I appreciate your article, and find it shocking, sad, and unfortunately not surprising. I lived in Houston for 8 years, and was always amazed at the “patriotic” expectation that folks should be able to do what they want with guns, because of the 2nd ammendment. I never got it – but it seemed like freedom to use guns was far more important than safety – and always scared me. But lots about Texas scared me, and still does.
Keep writing – and I’m glad it stirs up folks and creates dialogue. It is the only way we will ever come to understand each other, and unless we do, few changes will be possible.
September 22, 2008 at 12:10 am
To all participants in this dialogue – as a retired Texas school teacher, I find interesting points in all the views expressed so far. What strikes me most about this issue is the paranoia involved in the Harrold ISD decision to allow armed teachers in their schools.
What in the world is this community so afraid of? Outside drug dealers? Random maniacs? Perhaps so.
According to Harrold ISD Superintendent Thweatt, the town felt there was a need to take further action due to the incidents that occurred at Virginia Tech and the Amish school in Pennsylvania. In a recent New York Times article(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/us/29texas.html?_r=2&em&oref=slogin&oref=slogin), it was stated that Harrold’s plan to arm teachers was enacted to ward off a massacre along the lines of what happened at Columbine High School in Colorado. I can certainly identify with that. The Columbine massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, just a few weeks before the end of my last year of teaching. When I arrived for the last day of school that year, I was escorted to my classroom by armed police who told me the school was in lock-down for the rest of the day. Except when students were entering and leaving my class, we were to stay in the classroom, doors locked for the remainder of the day. This crisis had been precipitated by an anonymous phone call threatening the life of one of our school’s eighth graders. It was such a sad and scary way to end our school year, and my teaching career. With the entry of each of my classes of 7th graders that day, we had to decide whether we wanted the classroom blinds closed (so we wouldn’t see a shooter coming), or open (so we would). On this day my students were to have presented their long worked on final projects, and while they were scared to death (along with their teacher), they did muddle through a bit of presenting. Then I saw they needed to talk about what was going on and just how scary it was. Did I wish I had a gun that day to protect myself and my students. I didn’t think in those terms, as I felt dependent on the many on-campus police to protect us. But if I’d been isolated, as Harrold teachers are, would I have felt differently? I don’t know.
In trying to understand the Harrold ISD mindset, I’ve tried to look a bit more closely at the community’s demographics.The population of the entire town is only 258. Their school district student enrollment, Kindergarten through high school, is a mere 113. That’s an average of 8.6 students per grade level. We’re talking tiny here. The district’s ethnic breakdown is roughly:
White 57% (64 students)
Black 4% (4 students)
Hispanic 35% (40 students)
American Indian/Alaska Native 4% (5 students)
Harrold is a relatively depressed community with 70% of the student population considered economically disadvantaged.The median home value in the town is $53,800 – not very pricey by national standards. Folks in Harrold are not wealthy. Republicans there outnumber Democrats almost 3-1, making it a rather conservative town.
All of this information might give a glimpse into the paranoia at work in Harrold, but it’s my guess that such fear is ubiquitous all over America these days and is becoming more so. I also predict, sadly, that other school districts in the US will follow Harrold’s lead. The cause is not just fear of Columbine. It’s also anxiety over our deteriorating economy, the war in Iraq, diminution of U.S. prestige in the world, racial tensions, and a general feeling of helplessness. One can only hope that the teachers in Harrold act responsibly with their new powers.
October 7, 2008 at 6:37 am
Reading the comments, I remembered Michael Moore’s film (Columbine?) comparing US gun violence with Canada, where the population has LOTS of guns, and much lower violent crime rate. One major difference is that the guns are used for hunting, kept locked up, and Uzis are not found to be useful for hunting. Moore attributes our level of violence not only to our loose laws about gun ownership and use (no licensing, guns that have no use other than mass killing) but to our national fear and paranoia. We are a fear-based nation. It shows up as racism, violence, ridiculous “tough on crime” bills like Prop 6 in California, etc. Lots to heal and recover here to be a healthy country. Not sure we will do it.
December 3, 2008 at 11:58 pm
I’m writing a final paper in English over this. It’s supposed to be persuasive.
My stance?
Teachers should not carry weapons.
December 4, 2008 at 1:14 am
@Lorin: Obviously, I agree.