G is for Gun
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
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G IS FOR GUN explores the highly controversial trend of armed faculty and staff in K-12 schools. Only five years ago this practice was practically unheard of, but since the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, it has spread to as many as a dozen states. Often without public knowledge, there are teachers, administrators, custodians, nurses, and bus drivers carrying guns in America's schools.
G IS FOR GUN documents a growing program in Ohio that is training school staff to respond to active shooter situations with guns, and follows the story of one Ohio community divided over arming its teachers.
'This engaging movie addresses a seminal issue of our time: whether arming teachers is the best solution to stop school shootings. Teacher and expert interviews, on both sides of the issue, make this an exceptionally fair presentation and would absolutely precipitate debate for community groups, teacher in-service days, and those seeking to understand the underlying issues associated with guns in the classroom.' Debra Ciamacca, Social Studies teacher, Conestoga High School
'G is for Gun angered me. It terrified me. But it also gave me hope. The documentary portrays both sides of such a controversial issue and allows the voices from both sides to be heard...It is a must watch film for any parent or educator, of which I am both.' Mike Conrad, Teacher, Royal Oak High School
'G is for Gun provides a balanced, thought provoking set of contrasting ideas about the potential benefits and drawbacks of arming teachers. Viewing this film offers a rich opportunity to engage in dialogue about this emotionally laden and potentially divisive issue. It is a valuable resource for community leaders, school board members, parents, and educators who are wrestling with how to best protect our children from school violence.' Dr. John D'Auria, Professor of Practice, Division of Teaching, Learning, and Leadership, University of Pennsylvania
'G is for Gun provides a balanced look at the controversial issue of arming teachers. The film portrays a town in Ohio that allows teachers to be armed, with commentary by those on both sides of the issue. It is a sensitive look at a difficult issue.' Dr. Peter Langman, Author, School Shooters: Understanding High School, College, and Adult Perpetrators and Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters
'When it comes to school teachers, should marksmanship involve more than just grading papers and exams? In the wake of several widely reported school shootings, the debate over arming teachers has become contentious. G is for Gun does a great service by balancing both sides of the controversy through the words and stories of those charged with the education and well-being of students.' James Alan Fox, Professor of Criminology, Law, and Public Policy, Northeastern University, Author, Violence and Security on Campus: From Preschool through College
'G is for Gun is an amazing film for the conversations and critical questions it opens up about violence, guns, the assault on public education, and the history and politics of gun culture and violence in the US.' Barbara Madeloni, former President, Massachusetts Teachers Association
'G is for Gun offers a remarkable glimpse into the controversial policy of arming teachers. Allowing the participants on both sides of this issue to speak for themselves, the film makers have managed to encapsulate a complex issue in a visually rich and engaging documentary that ought to spark a more serious and thoughtful conversation about how to deal with school violence.' Saul Cornell, Chair in American History, Fordham University, Author, A Well Regulated Militia: The Founding Fathers and the Origins of Gun Control in America
Citation
Main credits
Akeret, Julie (film director)
Akeret, Julie (film producer)
Akeret, Julie (screenwriter)
Way, Kate (film director)
Way, Kate (film producer)
Way, Kate (screenwriter)
Chowder, Ken (screenwriter)
Rush, Sam (narrator)
Other credits
Edited by Tricia Reidy; camera, Erick Stoll; music, Blue Dot Sessions.
Distributor subjects
American Studies; At-risk Youth; Community; Criminal Justice; Education; Mental Health; Social Psychology; Social Work; SociologyKeywords
G IS FOR GUN - Transcript
00:00:06.333 --> 00:00:08.999
[gunshots]
00:00:12.125 --> 00:00:15.542
- [Intruder] I'm gonna
keep killing you people...
00:00:15.999 --> 00:00:18.458
[gunshots]
00:00:20.709 --> 00:00:22.332
- [Narrator] This is
a training exercise
00:00:22.333 --> 00:00:25.458
to prepare school staff
for an armed intruder.
00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:28.998
- [Intruder] I'm gonna
execute both of 'em!
00:00:28.999 --> 00:00:31.667
Now shut up! Shut up!
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- [Narrator] The man with a gun
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is a physical education teacher.
00:00:39.208 --> 00:00:41.917
[wailing]
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Training programs like this one
have begun quietly spreading
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across the country.
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- [Hostage] Stop. Stop.
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[gunshot]
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- [Narrator] Currently,
teachers are carrying guns
00:00:57.999 --> 00:01:00.792
in at least 13 states.
00:01:02.417 --> 00:01:04.290
- [Instructor] Alright, good.
00:01:04.291 --> 00:01:07.416
- [Narrator] Arming teachers
has become, in some places,
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the first line of defense
against an active shooter--
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an event that seems to be
more and more frequent.
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- [Newscaster] At a high
school in Ohio today
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a student opened fire on
classmates, leaving one dead
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and four others wounded.
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- Up! Bang, bang. High ready.
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- There's teachers and
educators and administrators
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in every school. If you
have someone who wants
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to get the training who
volunteers for this, train 'em
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and let 'em carry a gun
to protect those kids.
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[gunshot]
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- [Instructor] Follow through
like I'm gonna shoot a third.
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- We have to ask the question,
are we really interested
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in schools that are safe
or are we just looking
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for a quick, cost-saving measure
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that will help us feel
better but really won't solve
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the problem of safe schools?
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[tense instrumental music]
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- [Narrator] In 2013,
the town of Sidney, Ohio
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was among the first school
districts in the country
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to begin arming teachers
and administrators--
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stepping squarely into a
bitterly divisive debate
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about guns, education and
the role of the teacher.
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[gunshots]
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[tense instrumental music]
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- What is our
final kind of story
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that we need to learn how
to write in first grade?
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Do you remember, Kayleen?
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A narrative. A narrative
can be real or make believe.
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And the one that we're going
to work on today is real.
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I feel responsible
for tomorrow's society
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and tomorrow's leaders.
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I love what I do, I
love first graders.
00:03:04.999 --> 00:03:08.041
They're like sponges
in where they start
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and where they go, by
the end it's amazing
00:03:12.959 --> 00:03:13.998
how much they learn.
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And so first grade is
just the place to be.
00:03:19.458 --> 00:03:20.207
- "Diggers" on three.
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- [All] One, two,
three, Diggers!
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- This is my 15th year teaching.
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Have a little fun up there,
Lucky, have a little fun.
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I always liked coaching
and that kind of thing.
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I always liked
working with kids,
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I work with kids at our church.
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And this will be my 11th season
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as the head varsity
softball coach.
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[cheering]
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Sidney's home to me, I've
been here my whole life.
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My family, my mom
and dad live here.
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My brother and
his wife are here.
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So this is home.
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- We like to say that
we're an inner city
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surrounded by corn fields.
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We're rural, but we're still--
with all of our industry
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and factories-- we're
still an industry center.
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We do have some of the
ills of a big city.
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We, of course, any town
that has 20 to 25,000 people
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you're gonna have a little
bit of a crime element
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or a drug element or
that sort of thing.
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And we have a little bit
of that, but the majority
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of our folks are just hard
working middle class people.
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- [Narrator] In an effort to
protect the 3,500 children
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in the school district,
teachers in each
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of the seven school buildings
have access to guns.
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- Every first responder
team member's finger print
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is programmed into
these biometric safes.
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[beeping]
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It's a Glock 23
with an extra clip.
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These are the school
security bulletproof vests
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that we have readily accessible
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for the first
responder team members.
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And we have these located close
to the-- in close proximity
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to the biometric safes.
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This stops everything
but a high powered rifle.
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We had talked about
improving our school security
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in the district because we
weren't real comfortable
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with the procedures that we
had in place to protect kids
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in case of an active shooter.
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But when Sandy Hook took place
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that really jumped it up
a notch or two or three
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in terms of the importance.
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- [Newscaster] We have learned
that a gunman opened fire
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around 9:30 this morning in the
Sandy Hook Elementary School
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in Newtown, Connecticut.
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The police say 26
people were killed,
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18 of them were children.
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- The tragedy was of
such size and scope.
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That weekend it was
almost like 9/11
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in the fact that
all of our divisions
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as Americans were
totally forgotten.
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We were all in the
same place together.
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And that is a very
rare occurrence.
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However, it wasn't
terribly long after that...
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...before our division
started to show.
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- The NRA has
blood on its hands!
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The NRA has blood on its hands!
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- The only thing that
stops a bad guy with a gun
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is a good guy with a gun.
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Would you rather
have your 9-1-1 call
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bring a good guy with
a gun from a mile away
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or from a minute away?
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- Friday morning,
Sandy Hook occurred.
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When I come back to
work on a Monday morning
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I got our staff together.
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I said, "I wanna be prepared."
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I would not want to be
the sheriff that went
00:07:20.999 --> 00:07:24.291
to families and said, "You
know, I've thought about this
00:07:27.291 --> 00:07:28.874
but I just thought I
didn't wanna waste the time
00:07:28.875 --> 00:07:31.625
and money protecting your kids."
00:07:31.999 --> 00:07:34.207
Not on my watch.
00:07:34.208 --> 00:07:37.625
- You're not talking to a
right wing, gun-toting person.
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You're talking to person
who's never shot a gun before.
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But after reading
about Sandy Hook
00:07:43.667 --> 00:07:46.999
and just imagining my own
either kids or grandkids huddled
00:07:48.250 --> 00:07:51.709
in a classroom murdered by--
it just is shocking to me.
00:07:53.000 --> 00:07:56.125
And it just took me to
a whole different level
00:07:57.208 --> 00:08:00.375
in terms of, what do we
need to do to make sure
00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:03.709
this never happens in Sidney?
00:08:05.834 --> 00:08:09.041
- Are people concerned about
having guns in the school?
00:08:10.125 --> 00:08:12.082
Absolutely.
00:08:12.083 --> 00:08:14.999
Are parents worried? Absolutely.
00:08:17.999 --> 00:08:21.208
Good policy doesn't have
you leave your classroom,
00:08:21.999 --> 00:08:25.208
run down a hall, get into
a safe, put on a vest
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and then run out.
00:08:27.709 --> 00:08:30.999
Especially when police response
time is under a minute.
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It would take me longer
to go down the hallway.
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That's if I survived.
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We have guns in school but
we can't get air conditioning
00:08:44.333 --> 00:08:46.999
in a 60 year old building.
00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:50.458
We can't take care of that,
but we can put a gun in school
00:08:51.625 --> 00:08:54.165
because it's a cheap fix.
00:08:54.166 --> 00:08:55.998
- First grade today is library.
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You need to have
your library book
00:08:57.999 --> 00:09:00.124
in the corner of
your desk, please.
00:09:00.125 --> 00:09:03.250
The list of demands
on any teacher--
00:09:04.083 --> 00:09:05.998
what that schedule looks like?
00:09:05.999 --> 00:09:09.000
My day is greeting
my kids at the door
00:09:09.041 --> 00:09:11.749
and then checking
everybody in with lunches
00:09:11.750 --> 00:09:14.999
and homework, and then
you've got somebody who has
00:09:15.999 --> 00:09:17.833
to use the restroom,
and then I have
00:09:17.834 --> 00:09:20.290
to put my seizure
medication backpack on
00:09:20.291 --> 00:09:21.541
to make sure I have
that with me all
00:09:21.542 --> 00:09:24.875
the time for this
student, and we go through
00:09:24.999 --> 00:09:28.250
our whole morning routine
and there's Title Teachers
00:09:28.625 --> 00:09:30.998
coming in and out and
Speech coming in and out
00:09:30.999 --> 00:09:33.709
and OT and PT and aides.
00:09:34.999 --> 00:09:38.417
Then we move on with more
reading in my classroom--
00:09:39.959 --> 00:09:41.998
and that's before lunch.
00:09:41.999 --> 00:09:44.874
And then to throw in,
"By the way you're
00:09:44.875 --> 00:09:47.999
a security officer now,
and here's your safe."
00:09:48.999 --> 00:09:52.125
- We load incredible
responsibilities on teachers.
00:09:53.333 --> 00:09:55.416
We expect them to be
the problem solvers
00:09:55.417 --> 00:09:58.458
for practically every
problem we face.
00:09:58.875 --> 00:10:00.998
It's very understandable
that people feel
00:10:00.999 --> 00:10:03.708
a high degree of emotion and
are thinking about things
00:10:03.709 --> 00:10:06.624
like arming teachers because
they're worried about it.
00:10:06.625 --> 00:10:07.541
But the fact of the matter
00:10:07.542 --> 00:10:10.249
is these are very rare events.
00:10:10.250 --> 00:10:13.667
Schools remain the
safest place our children
00:10:13.792 --> 00:10:15.374
can possibly be.
00:10:15.375 --> 00:10:17.082
They are safer in
the schools then they
00:10:17.083 --> 00:10:18.998
are crossing the street.
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- I don't think that there's
any training that anybody
00:10:21.667 --> 00:10:22.999
can give me to teach me that.
00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:26.500
I am not somebody who can take
a gun and shoot someone else.
00:10:29.083 --> 00:10:32.500
Especially if it were a
student from this building.
00:10:35.417 --> 00:10:38.207
- Now that I know that there
are more teachers with guns
00:10:38.208 --> 00:10:39.874
and weapons in the
building and stuff
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it makes me think of our school
00:10:41.542 --> 00:10:42.666
to be a little bit more safer,
00:10:42.667 --> 00:10:45.834
and then we have a good
security system also.
00:10:46.709 --> 00:10:48.416
- I'm a believer in
the right to bare arms.
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My mother carries a gun,
my father carries a gun.
00:10:50.999 --> 00:10:52.708
I plan on carrying a
gun when I'm old enough.
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- I believe that a school
resource officer should
00:10:55.625 --> 00:10:58.416
be the only one to be
able to carry a gun
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and, like, I believe
they're the only ones
00:11:00.625 --> 00:11:03.750
that are actually
trained to do that.
00:11:05.417 --> 00:11:07.791
- Let's go even back farther.
00:11:07.792 --> 00:11:10.917
Where was the original
Muslim state's capital?
00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:13.998
- [Student] Medina.
00:11:13.999 --> 00:11:14.791
- Medina.
00:11:14.792 --> 00:11:16.998
I'm just not willing
to let somebody come in
00:11:16.999 --> 00:11:20.417
and do something horrible
to these kids without trying
00:11:21.041 --> 00:11:22.416
to do something about it.
00:11:22.417 --> 00:11:24.998
Fertile land, very good.
00:11:24.999 --> 00:11:25.624
Fer-tile.
00:11:25.625 --> 00:11:27.416
We have people that
just wanna sit back
00:11:27.417 --> 00:11:29.541
and let the government
do everything,
00:11:29.542 --> 00:11:30.708
and the government can't.
00:11:30.709 --> 00:11:33.999
Well I'm not one to wait
on somebody else to do it.
00:11:34.041 --> 00:11:36.875
I'm gonna do it myself.
00:11:40.999 --> 00:11:43.249
- Part of what giving
guns to teachers does
00:11:43.250 --> 00:11:45.999
is it frames the
problem in a certain way
00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:49.040
and it frames solutions
in a certain way.
00:11:49.041 --> 00:11:51.998
It suggests that the
problem with security
00:11:51.999 --> 00:11:54.332
is too few guns, and
we know for a fact
00:11:54.333 --> 00:11:56.998
that the problem with
security is not too few guns.
00:11:56.999 --> 00:12:00.208
In homes the problem is
clear-- it's too many guns.
00:12:01.583 --> 00:12:04.999
- If you have a gun, there's
a much higher likelihood
00:12:04.999 --> 00:12:08.291
that there'll be a murder
or a suicide in that home.
00:12:08.875 --> 00:12:10.624
And when put it into
a school environment
00:12:10.625 --> 00:12:12.290
with a bunch of
innocent children,
00:12:12.291 --> 00:12:15.792
I fear that you're playing
with statistics that show
00:12:16.999 --> 00:12:19.999
it's more likely that
that gun will cause harm
00:12:21.208 --> 00:12:23.374
to an innocent person
than it is that
00:12:23.375 --> 00:12:26.500
it will be used in
any kind of defense.
00:12:29.709 --> 00:12:31.749
- [Instructor] This
will go like this.
00:12:31.750 --> 00:12:33.207
You have have to
release the trigger.
00:12:33.208 --> 00:12:36.082
If you press it again,
it will fire again.
00:12:36.083 --> 00:12:37.791
This is a semi-auto.
00:12:37.792 --> 00:12:39.624
What that means, it's half auto.
00:12:39.625 --> 00:12:41.332
It does half the job for you.
00:12:41.333 --> 00:12:42.708
It reloaded it for you.
00:12:42.709 --> 00:12:45.457
- [Narrator] Shortly after
the Sandy Hook massacre,
00:12:45.458 --> 00:12:48.917
the Buckeye Firearms Association
began offering free classes
00:12:50.667 --> 00:12:52.998
to school staff in Ohio.
00:12:52.999 --> 00:12:56.375
The classes include
firearms training, mindset,
00:12:57.583 --> 00:13:00.999
medical response and
force-on-force scenarios.
00:13:03.041 --> 00:13:04.998
- In three days, we can
take somebody with a
00:13:04.999 --> 00:13:08.208
concealed carry license and
some intermediate training
00:13:08.208 --> 00:13:11.709
and get them to perform at a
very high level of response.
00:13:14.999 --> 00:13:18.250
When we announced a class, I
actually had media mock me.
00:13:18.250 --> 00:13:19.624
"Teachers don't
wanna carry guns."
00:13:19.625 --> 00:13:21.998
"Do you even think you're
gonna get 24 people
00:13:21.999 --> 00:13:24.750
wanna even take your class?"
00:13:24.792 --> 00:13:26.916
Yeah, I think so.
00:13:26.917 --> 00:13:29.541
In a couple weeks
we had over 1000.
00:13:29.542 --> 00:13:32.625
Somebody pulls out a
gun and starts shooting.
00:13:33.125 --> 00:13:35.499
How long does it take
somebody to pick up the phone
00:13:35.500 --> 00:13:37.999
and call 9-1-1?
00:13:39.166 --> 00:13:41.124
We don't know.
00:13:41.125 --> 00:13:43.999
The guess is about five minutes.
00:13:44.834 --> 00:13:47.457
So the people who
are under the gun,
00:13:47.458 --> 00:13:50.834
you are the most important
person in the world.
00:13:51.999 --> 00:13:54.792
[indistinct radio chatter]
00:13:57.417 --> 00:14:00.040
- The police department
and the school system
00:14:00.041 --> 00:14:00.998
did not see eye-to-eye in terms
00:14:00.999 --> 00:14:04.333
of the entire first
responder team philosophy.
00:14:07.125 --> 00:14:10.583
The police did not believe
in putting handguns
00:14:10.999 --> 00:14:13.792
in the hands of teachers.
00:14:14.125 --> 00:14:14.998
[sirens]
00:14:14.999 --> 00:14:16.998
- Anytime there's gonna
be a shooting incident
00:14:16.999 --> 00:14:20.166
I will have 14 officers
there within two minutes time
00:14:20.667 --> 00:14:23.709
and the first officer
within seconds.
00:14:23.750 --> 00:14:24.998
Now we're walking
into the building
00:14:24.999 --> 00:14:27.791
with people we don't know
that are gonna be armed.
00:14:27.792 --> 00:14:30.999
And now not only do I have
one or two possible shooters,
00:14:31.834 --> 00:14:34.499
now I have four, five,
six, seven other guns
00:14:34.500 --> 00:14:37.917
in that building that I
have to be concerned about.
00:14:38.375 --> 00:14:41.917
And the chance that we could
meet each other in a hallway--
00:14:41.999 --> 00:14:45.375
you have split seconds to
do that reactionary time
00:14:45.999 --> 00:14:47.998
and identify threat, no threat.
00:14:47.999 --> 00:14:51.333
- Chief Balling has said,
"Your teacher's dead."
00:14:53.999 --> 00:14:57.375
"We're not gonna ask who they
are, we're gonna shoot 'em."
00:15:01.999 --> 00:15:04.666
- What started as a
one-class concept has turned
00:15:04.667 --> 00:15:05.416
into a full program.
00:15:05.417 --> 00:15:07.374
I believe what we're
doing here today
00:15:07.375 --> 00:15:09.416
is setting the model
for the country
00:15:09.417 --> 00:15:12.834
in what we should be doing
going forward in our schools.
00:15:13.709 --> 00:15:16.290
- [Narrator] In
the summer of 2016
00:15:16.291 --> 00:15:18.998
the city invited Buckeye
Firearms to conduct
00:15:18.999 --> 00:15:22.000
a training for their
teacher volunteers.
00:15:26.125 --> 00:15:28.999
- I don't ever wanna have
to run down the hallway
00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:32.125
with a gun in my hand or
a bulletproof vest on.
00:15:32.333 --> 00:15:35.458
I never had a class
like that in college.
00:15:36.999 --> 00:15:38.207
They never taught
us, "Hey, you know
00:15:38.208 --> 00:15:41.375
probably within the
next 10 or 15 years
00:15:41.458 --> 00:15:42.998
there's gonna be a handful
of you that are gonna
00:15:42.999 --> 00:15:44.999
strap on bulletproof vests
and run toward gunfire."
00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:48.417
Well that's the direction
our society has gone.
00:15:49.542 --> 00:15:52.959
We've gotta have people
that are willing to do that.
00:15:54.291 --> 00:15:57.750
- I understand, they may go
through scenario training.
00:15:58.875 --> 00:16:01.874
Studies have shown police
officers, FBI agents,
00:16:01.875 --> 00:16:05.000
law enforcement across the
state, they miss 70% of the time
00:16:05.999 --> 00:16:08.999
when placed in
high-stress situations.
00:16:10.625 --> 00:16:12.791
Now I'm asking an
educator who can hit
00:16:12.792 --> 00:16:16.041
a perfect bullseye on a paper
target to put down the threat.
00:16:16.999 --> 00:16:19.583
- Drop it! Drop it!
00:16:20.917 --> 00:16:24.125
- I applaud the volunteers in
our district who have said,
00:16:24.750 --> 00:16:26.791
"I will do it, I
will go out there.
00:16:26.792 --> 00:16:28.833
I will keep my students safe."
00:16:28.834 --> 00:16:30.416
I just wonder
what's gonna happen
00:16:30.417 --> 00:16:31.833
when you get to that point.
00:16:31.834 --> 00:16:34.708
If we would ever be
faced with a situation
00:16:34.709 --> 00:16:37.916
and one of your past students
who is 13 years old comes
00:16:37.917 --> 00:16:41.041
walking down the hallway,
are you gonna do it?
00:16:44.999 --> 00:16:46.082
- [Woman] It's
clear, I'm going in.
00:16:46.083 --> 00:16:47.998
- Active killer events
in our society--
00:16:47.999 --> 00:16:49.040
again and again and again--
00:16:49.041 --> 00:16:52.417
happen in what we've
labeled "gun free zones."
00:16:53.834 --> 00:16:57.083
The killers know it, they
seek these places out.
00:16:57.959 --> 00:17:01.208
You can't walk into a police
station or a shooting range
00:17:01.208 --> 00:17:03.708
and start killing everybody
00:17:03.709 --> 00:17:06.792
'cause somebody
will shoot you back.
00:17:07.041 --> 00:17:10.208
- People who want to
do harm in a school
00:17:10.750 --> 00:17:12.082
are suicidal generally.
00:17:12.083 --> 00:17:15.250
So they're not gonna be
deterred by the thought
00:17:15.750 --> 00:17:16.833
that they're gonna be shot.
00:17:16.834 --> 00:17:20.041
We know that these people
are suicidally depressed
00:17:20.333 --> 00:17:22.999
in virtually every case.
00:17:25.959 --> 00:17:28.998
And the other thing is
once they realize what kind
00:17:28.999 --> 00:17:31.708
of target they're
gonna be facing
00:17:31.709 --> 00:17:34.834
they will generally
find ways to ramp up.
00:17:37.625 --> 00:17:40.958
If teachers are armed,
they will figure out a way
00:17:40.959 --> 00:17:43.749
to get the body armor--
which they can get.
00:17:43.750 --> 00:17:46.457
They will get the large clips.
00:17:46.458 --> 00:17:48.998
They'll use bombs, they'll
use whatever they need
00:17:48.999 --> 00:17:52.166
to do to get around
whatever kind of deterrents
00:17:52.417 --> 00:17:55.000
a civilian can put up.
00:18:02.917 --> 00:18:05.582
- What I do think we need
to do first and foremost
00:18:05.583 --> 00:18:08.999
is make it easier for kids to
come forward with information
00:18:09.542 --> 00:18:12.709
about what's going on
in their peer groups.
00:18:12.999 --> 00:18:15.999
These shootings are
never spontaneous.
00:18:15.999 --> 00:18:17.791
They are planned.
00:18:17.792 --> 00:18:21.041
We found evidence in our cases
of nine months in advance
00:18:21.999 --> 00:18:24.082
of the shooting itself.
00:18:24.083 --> 00:18:26.998
What we really need
is to make it possible
00:18:26.999 --> 00:18:29.749
for kids who hear
these warnings--
00:18:29.750 --> 00:18:31.124
and they always do--
00:18:31.125 --> 00:18:33.499
to come forward with the
information they have.
00:18:33.500 --> 00:18:36.583
They are our best
early warning system.
00:18:38.417 --> 00:18:41.834
They come forward when they
know something's really serious
00:18:42.417 --> 00:18:45.917
and there's someone in the
environment they can trust
00:18:45.999 --> 00:18:47.708
to come forward to.
00:18:47.709 --> 00:18:48.791
[Indistinct chatter]
00:18:48.792 --> 00:18:51.999
- Go ahead, if they've got
their pizza you guys go ahead.
00:18:52.417 --> 00:18:55.542
- We know what it takes
to make a school safe.
00:18:56.999 --> 00:18:58.998
We know that schools
where there's trust,
00:18:58.999 --> 00:19:02.333
where there's communication,
where there's a sense
00:19:03.667 --> 00:19:04.998
that individuals are
respected and valued--
00:19:04.999 --> 00:19:08.250
these are the sorts of things
which create safe schools.
00:19:09.250 --> 00:19:12.834
- Yeah. He needs, I think,
come for somebody else...
00:19:12.999 --> 00:19:15.834
These kids need nurture.
00:19:16.709 --> 00:19:18.999
They need somebody to talk to.
00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:22.374
I can't find five minutes
in a day sometimes
00:19:22.375 --> 00:19:24.958
to say, "How you doing?"
00:19:24.959 --> 00:19:27.875
We're data
collectors, basically.
00:19:28.250 --> 00:19:31.709
You see the kid who maybe
last year performed well
00:19:32.709 --> 00:19:35.040
and isn't performing well now.
00:19:35.041 --> 00:19:36.998
And it all comes down to data
00:19:36.999 --> 00:19:39.999
instead of what's really
going on in that kid.
00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:42.999
Why isn't the kid learning?
00:19:46.999 --> 00:19:49.999
- 191! This is you
guys too, you're up.
00:19:51.333 --> 00:19:54.000
[indistinct chatter]
00:19:54.542 --> 00:19:57.709
- The school board
president, myself
00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:01.041
and Sheriff John
Lenhart have conversed
00:20:02.375 --> 00:20:04.998
with approximately 15
different school districts
00:20:04.999 --> 00:20:08.375
in Ohio that are coming
up with something similar
00:20:10.041 --> 00:20:13.166
to our school and
safety security plan
00:20:15.083 --> 00:20:17.999
in terms of arming teachers.
00:20:18.959 --> 00:20:21.709
[tense instrumental music]
00:20:25.999 --> 00:20:26.999
- [Narrator] Although
in Sidney the guns
00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:30.458
are kept in biometric safes,
in other school districts
00:20:31.875 --> 00:20:34.999
teachers carry guns with
them throughout the day.
00:20:36.208 --> 00:20:38.998
In either case, school
districts in Ohio
00:20:38.999 --> 00:20:42.375
are not required to inform
local law enforcement
00:20:42.792 --> 00:20:45.999
or even parents of
this new measure.
00:20:48.999 --> 00:20:50.958
- Every school building
has to have a form
00:20:50.959 --> 00:20:52.290
that lays out their safety plan.
00:20:52.291 --> 00:20:55.541
But nowhere in that safety
plan does it require you
00:20:55.542 --> 00:20:58.541
to reveal that
you have a teacher
00:20:58.542 --> 00:20:59.999
that's armed in the school.
00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:02.082
That could be
revealed in the plan,
00:21:02.083 --> 00:21:05.250
but it does not have to
be revealed in the plan.
00:21:05.583 --> 00:21:08.417
So is there any state agency
00:21:08.542 --> 00:21:11.875
that's in charge of
collecting that information
00:21:11.999 --> 00:21:13.582
or that requires
that information?
00:21:13.583 --> 00:21:16.166
Not that I know of.
00:21:21.792 --> 00:21:22.998
- It's free to the
school district,
00:21:22.999 --> 00:21:25.541
and we're working with
quite a few districts.
00:21:25.542 --> 00:21:27.124
There's a presentation
going on upstairs right now.
00:21:27.125 --> 00:21:29.998
Several superintendents
have been into year three
00:21:29.999 --> 00:21:31.624
on doing this.
00:21:31.625 --> 00:21:34.165
I have no idea how many
different districts
I've talked to,
00:21:34.166 --> 00:21:37.542
from a school board
member or superintendent,
00:21:38.500 --> 00:21:41.124
or going and presenting
in executive sessions
00:21:41.125 --> 00:21:42.999
so that they
understand this idea
00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:45.624
and they can ask questions.
00:21:45.625 --> 00:21:47.207
We're happy to come
to your school board
00:21:47.208 --> 00:21:49.374
and discuss the
issue with you guys.
00:21:49.375 --> 00:21:50.332
We can do it in public session.
00:21:50.333 --> 00:21:53.416
Normally we got districts wanna
do it in executive session
00:21:53.417 --> 00:21:56.875
but-- 'cause most districts
that we've worked with,
00:21:56.917 --> 00:21:58.791
no one has any idea
that they're doing it.
00:21:58.792 --> 00:22:01.375
It's done very quietly.
00:22:01.417 --> 00:22:04.624
- My opinion is that
parents should be informed
00:22:04.625 --> 00:22:07.999
as to whether a teacher
is armed in their school.
00:22:08.125 --> 00:22:10.998
The primary reason for
me is a democratic one.
00:22:10.999 --> 00:22:14.332
This is a local decision made
by their local school boards
00:22:14.333 --> 00:22:16.791
who are elected, and
that should be a piece
00:22:16.792 --> 00:22:20.000
of the information that they
have when they're choosing
00:22:20.166 --> 00:22:21.249
their school board.
00:22:21.250 --> 00:22:23.666
The second important part is,
00:22:23.667 --> 00:22:26.834
do you want to send
your kid to a school
00:22:27.333 --> 00:22:30.083
where the teachers are armed?
00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:34.458
- We're seeing that more
and more violent solutions
00:22:35.959 --> 00:22:38.999
to social problems
are being put forward
00:22:39.250 --> 00:22:42.333
and people are being
asked to accept violence
00:22:42.500 --> 00:22:45.542
as an acceptable
solution to problems.
00:22:46.750 --> 00:22:48.791
And this is part of
something much bigger,
00:22:48.792 --> 00:22:50.874
which is a society
that's becoming
00:22:50.875 --> 00:22:53.875
increasingly precarious
and insecure.
00:22:58.166 --> 00:23:00.207
- It's school.
00:23:00.208 --> 00:23:02.582
It's not a prison.
00:23:02.583 --> 00:23:05.417
It's not a military base.
00:23:05.999 --> 00:23:09.125
I feel like we're changing
our entire climate
00:23:09.542 --> 00:23:12.291
in front of our children.
00:23:14.125 --> 00:23:16.999
- They're our future, they
are our young people who
00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:20.375
are making-- will be making
decisions and choices
00:23:23.375 --> 00:23:26.833
for our world in the future,
and we are growing them
00:23:26.834 --> 00:23:29.249
in a society, in a
culture, in an environment
00:23:29.250 --> 00:23:32.417
where you better have a
gun or you are not safe.
00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:38.374
- [Narrator] In the fall of 2016
00:23:38.375 --> 00:23:40.791
the new Sandy Hook
Elementary School,
00:23:40.792 --> 00:23:44.000
featuring the latest in
state-of-the-art security,
00:23:45.083 --> 00:23:47.749
opened its doors.
00:23:47.750 --> 00:23:50.457
- We certainly
discussed the notion
00:23:50.458 --> 00:23:53.208
of arming in-school personnel.
00:23:54.917 --> 00:23:58.166
And the commission to a person
thought that was a bad idea.
00:24:02.083 --> 00:24:04.165
We do not mind a
gun in the school
00:24:04.166 --> 00:24:06.874
but we believe that that
gun should be attached
00:24:06.875 --> 00:24:09.625
to a person wearing a badge.
00:24:19.166 --> 00:24:21.999
- [reading] My name is Pete.
00:24:22.542 --> 00:24:24.290
I am six.
00:24:24.291 --> 00:24:27.458
This is my little
bird. I call him Sam.
00:24:30.625 --> 00:24:33.999
- Well if we really want to
create safe schools we need
00:24:34.667 --> 00:24:37.792
to create schools that
are vibrant communities.
00:24:37.959 --> 00:24:40.999
And that can only be
achieved if classrooms
00:24:41.417 --> 00:24:43.165
and schools are smaller--
00:24:43.166 --> 00:24:46.333
where relationships are
allowed to really build,
00:24:46.875 --> 00:24:48.416
where students can know teachers
00:24:48.417 --> 00:24:50.998
and teachers can know students.
00:24:50.999 --> 00:24:53.500
- What?
00:24:53.792 --> 00:24:56.999
When it comes to education
we're always seeking ways
00:24:57.000 --> 00:24:59.332
to do things on the cheap.
00:24:59.333 --> 00:25:02.541
And we have to change our
mindset where safe schools
00:25:02.542 --> 00:25:05.999
and quality education simply
does not come on the cheap.
00:25:06.500 --> 00:25:08.999
It costs money.
00:25:09.959 --> 00:25:12.542
[children yelling]
00:25:15.834 --> 00:25:19.041
- Good morning, I knew that
was coming. Good morning.
00:25:21.750 --> 00:25:22.666
- I have a lovely teacher.
00:25:22.667 --> 00:25:24.998
I love coming in here and
just seeing her every morning.
00:25:24.999 --> 00:25:28.375
Puts a big ol' smile on my face
to see Ms. Carpenter smile.
00:25:29.375 --> 00:25:32.917
And that's one person that's
always there for me also.
00:25:34.792 --> 00:25:37.666
That's my teacher, that's
my teacher personally.
00:25:37.667 --> 00:25:39.999
Not nobody else's. Back up.
00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:43.125
- That's awesome,
that's awesome.
00:25:43.208 --> 00:25:46.041
That's a good thing to have.
00:25:46.583 --> 00:25:49.333
[calm instrumental music]