Friday December 28, 2012, 8:41 am

This is a very simple lesson in how people actually react in real gun confrontations.

We all expect that with some training, like the police get, each person will know what to do in emergencies. This is all very relevant now that the NRA and some governors, yeah like the Texas Governor, have strongly recommended the arming of teachers.

I think about what that would be like in a real classroom. Where is the gun during any ordinary day? How much protection from that gun being in the classroom, do we offer the teachers and the students? Do we pay for teachers to get weekly training in target practice? Who buys the gun? If you know the record for NRA trainees do you really want them training a teacher?

Do you want a loaded firearm in the same classroom as your child?

Friday December 28, 2012, 10:16 am
It's a big like giving a teenager who has never driven a big Mac truck and telling him to drive to California in it.
Science - Yes, SCIENCE, that thing the tough nuts refuse to believe in - science has proven that having guns around only increases the chance of gun disasters.

Friday December 28, 2012, 10:28 am
Very interesting and frightening scenarios played out by ordinary people in the experiment. The emergency response teams are more experienced in this rather than, say...me. My response time would be like most of the students who took the firearms training. Nil, or getting shot. As a retired employee of my school district, I would not want guns in classrooms. Everyone who wants to carry, make this mandatory training. Just like the video.! Thanks, Kit for this post.

Friday December 28, 2012, 2:38 pm
Of course the NRA wants guns in schools. They get lots of money for weapon sales and maybe some who think they have to join the NRA and pay lots of money per yearly dues to them. There are too many guns in too many hands in too many places already. That is the problem, that that is the problem that needs fixing. Giving out guns that are for nothing but killing, is not the answer. Stupidity reigns in the NRA. We need less guns in less hands in less places. Period. Get rid of military and assault weapons. People should not have these weapons that are designed only for killing. If one wants to shoot these weapons, let them join the military, if they can pass the psychological tests.

Friday December 28, 2012, 4:09 pm
I don't know about "bless their hearts" but that video is pretty educational, although it just confirms what common sense should tell you in the first place. Thx kit.

Friday December 28, 2012, 4:18 pm

That should be common sense but sadly it is not. Far too many are following the tune from the Pied Piper of the NRA (with only 4 million members) and think that Annie Oakley is teaching in every classroom of America.

Friday December 28, 2012, 4:53 pm
Unable to watch the video.

Here is a petition from Diane Feinstein:
Dear Congress:

"Enough is enough."

"We need to do more to protect our citizens, especially our children, from tragedies like the one in Newtown."

"I support Dianne Feinstein’s effort to ban the sale, import, transfer, and possession of assault weapons and high-capacity clips, magazines, and strips."

"It’s not the whole answer. But it’s an important start. And I urge you to take this action immediately."

LINK:

http://www.diannefeinstein2012.com/petition/w1212wbe/

The site may be busy with so many people trying to sign.
Diane was the originator of banning assault weapons years ago. Congress allowed it to expire.

Ty, Kit.
.

Friday December 28, 2012, 6:08 pm
Is the NRA selling used Studebakers only driven to church on Sundays by grandmothers, too?

Saturday December 29, 2012, 2:48 am
thanks, will share!

Saturday December 29, 2012, 3:11 am
Goes to prove that guns arem't the answer!!! Guns in the hands of novices are just as dangerous as guns in the hands of a madman!! Lets be safe and free and leave guns alone!!!

Saturday December 29, 2012, 3:29 am
noted

Saturday December 29, 2012, 5:26 am
Lol, that cop who shoots himself in the foot!
Great video Kit. And thanks to Diane Sawyer.

Yes, it is mass confusion during a shootout, no two ways about it. You MAY control your gun but you don't control the shooter or the victims or any of their actions or results. Add super adrenaline surge to the mix. The average person almost goes into a state of shock. Add a ton of unknown factors into the equation. Add you only need to get hit once, even wounded and the whole situation changes. Not a video game or movie. It adds up to chaos.
It would take one steel-willed, very highly trained person to be effective against someone bent on killing people.

I would say that the reason why even cops have to continually train with guns is because it is so UNNATURAL, to kill or be killed.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 5:38 am
thanks

Saturday December 29, 2012, 7:18 am
I am at the point where I don't even think that the arguments put forth by NRA supporters are even valid in their own minds. I think that these are people who want what they want and go ballistic when they can't get their own way. Call it the Teahadist mentality. I mean, look at the way they behaved after the election - threatening to secede.

Here's what I think will happen on the first day that teachers have to carry guns in any given school in America.

1. Teacher who is pre-occupied gets his pocket picked by student wanting a gun. Gun is loaded. Student takes it into the cafeteria at lunch and waves it around for laughs. Gun goes off.

2. Irate substitute teacher in a class of rowdy teens shoots one in the heat of the moment

3. Holstered gun goes off accidentally and teacher gets shot in the foot while teaching a lesson.

4. Frustrated administrator fires gun into the air in an effort to break up a fight. Stray bullet hits a student on the football field.

5. There are frequent break-ins all over the country in middle and high schools, as teens want to find the stash of guns available.

6. Armed guards are stationed at the entrances to all schools, so the next armed lunatic climbs towards the roof and enters through an upstairs window. Armed guards cannot pinpoint his exact location when the shooting starts.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 8:31 am
I was reading elsewhere that 1. Volunteers with guns should be in every school. and 2. Some even proposed that gun training should be part of teachers training. Who's to say that little 7 year old Jimmy won't get ahold of teachers loaded firearm and blow his classmates away.

Dumb.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 8:33 am
ANd a shooter trapped the Webster NY firefighters. A neighborhood burned down. Would it have helped if the neighbors had guns? NO.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 12:29 pm
Unfortunately combat situations and target practice are entirely two different situations. In combat the majority of people freeze up and either end up getting shot or cowering in the corner.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 1:24 pm
I don't say "Bless their Hearts". I say "Get a Brain!" Those people are idiots with no real concept of what the Second Amendment actually says. All they know is that they like guns and they like to kill.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 1:41 pm
The NRA ALSO THINKS more unlimited gun TRADE is the answer as they're blocking the UN global arms trade treaty. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/28/nra-block-un-treaty-gun-control?)

Saturday December 29, 2012, 1:50 pm
http://www.macombdaily.com/article/20121228/NEWS01/121229640/man-shoots-self-in-leg-at-gibraltar-trade-center and http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=AxWWJaTEdD0 where a cop shoots himself during a safety lesson. Or the hilarious "Foolish man shoots himself" http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=4LE32Riyugg which shows just how safe target practice can be.
Fewer guns less gun violence.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 1:52 pm

I think the power [of the NRA] and the influence is allowed and therefore feared. A group with only 4 million members does not deserve to have this much sway or influence in any political dialogue. They most certainly have no business interfering with world affairs. Should the Goats Of Past dare to stand on morality (that may be a leap) they could ignore the NRA and stand with the majority of the country that wants some sanity on this issue.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 2:02 pm
Ha!I see that the clip of the cop is the same one I have.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 2:16 pm

Last evening Jesse Jackson addressed the problem of the murder rate in Chicago. It is interesting to note that the activist, others like himself; have tracked down the primary source of the guns used most often. They tend to come from one manufacturer near Chicago sold in a gun store just out of the city limits of Chicago, where they do have strict laws on the sale of guns. Though many are working within the communities to begin to teach the young people other means of conflict resolution, as long as deep generational poverty and feeling of hopelessness are attached to guns easy to obtain, there is little hope of changing this problem.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 2:24 pm
There was a comment made on 'The Last Word' on Friday to the effect that laws are being passed to restrict our voting rights--we're not trusted to vote, but we're trusted with guns.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 2:31 pm
get rid of the NRA and the guns. No more retarded guys who want guns; that's so sick !!
And I agree with Dianna M:"we're not trusted to vote, but we're trusted with guns." The only answer is NO GUNS !

Saturday December 29, 2012, 2:32 pm
@Kathy Lentz: WISH I COULD SEND YOU A STAR !!!!!!

Saturday December 29, 2012, 3:09 pm
I signed several petitions for strict gun control!! Wish we could put an end to NRA power!!! I agree with all who vote for NO GUNS!!!!

Saturday December 29, 2012, 3:13 pm
I agree with Kathy Lentz. Thank you for your comment.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 4:19 pm
That's why we have police and military because the average person isn't going to be good with a weapon.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 4:55 pm
Thanks Kit. Anyone who thinks guns are the answer should watch this. If they're not convinced, then watch it again. People in law inforcement take years to learn how to handle weapons. Putting any kind of gun in a school, a mall, or anywhere else for protection, is just asking for more trouble. We need to enforce the laws we have. Australia had the right idea; we should be following their lead in this.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 5:19 pm

In his speech Wayne LaPierre (CEO of NRA) said that schools like banks should have armed guards. I have a question about that, when is the last time anyone saw an armed guard in a bank? It was counter productive, the armed guards were far more likely to be killed because they were armed.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 5:29 pm
Noted thanks

Saturday December 29, 2012, 5:39 pm
The second followup video of Diane Sawyer's can be found here:

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/2009-abc-news-experiment-demonstrates-more

Saturday December 29, 2012, 8:26 pm
Is exactly what I've said before - everyone thinks having a gun is the answer... thanks ABC for showing the reality of it. Shared.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 10:12 pm
Thanks Kit--keep it up.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 10:48 pm
Great video! I think that one thing would be 'heroes' forget is that a gunman knows what he is going to do before he enters a situation. Yes there are still some wild cards, but he knows what he is going to do. Nobody else does so immediately the advantage is to the gunman.

A second thing, and the video clearly shows this, that the average citizen, even with some training, loses control because his body is not trained for the stress of the situation.

One of the experiment's participants: "A gun gave me no advantage . . . it made me more susceptible to being shot."

Wayne LaPierre is WRONG! More guns are not the answer! Wayne LaPierre is WRONG! Guns do not belong in schools! Wayne LaPierre is WRONG! Gun control does not contravene 2nd amendment rights! Wayne LaPierre is WRONG! The rights of 4 million people should not supercede the rights of 326 million people to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Sunday December 30, 2012, 3:53 am
This seems to be a circular argument - we need guns in schools because other people have guns. If they didn't, we wouldn't need guns in schools! As someone else said, Australia had the right idea. The buy-back scheme infuriated the gun lobby, but it worked.

There are still people who own guns, but under very strict control. What happened (happens?) in the US could not happen here ever again.

Sunday December 30, 2012, 5:23 am
How opportunistic of the NRA to have reached a "solution" so quickly--and one that greatly benefits only them, and harms every one else (my own opinion, of course!).
"Bless their hearts"?--you are a kind, good person Kit--I just say, "go to hell NRA".
Thanks for the post, Kit. I don't own a gun, but I do not object to others owning one--it makes me angry, though to see the NRA trying to reap benefits from a horrific tragedy!

Sunday December 30, 2012, 7:01 am
Great video! Thank you for sharing!

Sunday December 30, 2012, 8:14 am
The NRA never has and never will help anything except the profit margins of the gun manufacturers. Actually one should say the NRA Board of Directors, as the vast majority of NRA memebers do not agree with the crap that comes out of LaPierre, Grover Norquist or Ted Nugent to mention the three that come to mind.
People who keep guns in their homes for protection are not only more likely to have the gun turned onthem by a criminal they are also more likely to be shot and/or killed during a domestic dispute.

Sunday December 30, 2012, 10:01 am
Angelika - I have it on pretty good authority that "bless his heart" translates to "what an idiot."

Sunday December 30, 2012, 12:23 pm
I have yet to read where Mr. LaPierre has offered
his exorbitant salary to pay for the arming and
training of the teachers.

Sunday December 30, 2012, 2:48 pm
James, above me, made an excellent point. As the NRA repeatedly asks its members for more and more money throughout the years, I wonder what these members would think if they knew the expensive lifestyles the "people in charge" like LaPierre, Norquist, the Koch Brothers, (who support ALEC, who give financial support in the name of the NRA), are living. Think they'd be a bit annoyed to see their hard-earned money being spent on such luxuries by these men and their families? Just wanted to point that out.
Just when you think the NRA has gone too far by recommending teachers be armed, I'm sure they'll continue along this radical line in the coming year. Who knows what they'll think of next?! So, I've made a pledge to speak out against guns and for gun control in every way I can....to the point of banning guns altogether as other countries have done. Fight fire with fire. I know that if I don't take this stance, I'm complicit in the next tragedy that happens. Radical position meets opposite radical position.

Sunday December 30, 2012, 10:05 pm

"Bless your heart" is a common expression in the south. It's a kin to patting a twit on the head. It does not mean any form of acceptance of foolish ideas. Southerns can be uncommonly polite in using an indirect but disparaging remark.

Sunday December 30, 2012, 10:11 pm

*Southerners

Actually Mr La Pierre has offered the services of NRA training to teachers, though he did not say it would be free. If one knows about NRA training then one also realizes that that offer is about as helpful and shooting oneself in the foot.
For better or worse I do know guns, and know them well. Which is why I do not support the general public owning or using guns. They are not toys and have but one use.

Wednesday January 2, 2013, 7:23 pm
Thanks

Tuesday January 8, 2013, 10:45 pm
Excellent video! I wonder if the profit-driven Wayne LaPierre and the insane Alex Jones have seen it? What it all boils down to is greed, and I think we all know how difficult it is to fight powerful corporations that are making tons of money.

Thanks for posting this excellent video, Kit!