Shoot first, Read Later

Remarkable. But perhaps not surprising. Today Trump repeated his call for arming teachers with concealed weapons as a way to fight school violence. Not gun control but gun proliferation is his illogical, bizarre solution! This policy from a man who has no notion of excess. Aren’t guns for Trump just another metaphor for his hands that as he bragged in one of the debates were big—as was other parts of his anatomy—hint, hint! Reported in The New York Times, Trump said, “I want certain highly adept people, people who understand weaponry, guns” to have a permit to carry concealed firearms in schools . . .” I wonder who it would choose those “highly adept people.” I suspect that Trump and his administration might turn to the NRA. And as an incentive to teachers to carry concealed weapons Trump suggested that teachers who were qualified to handle a weapon — Mr. Trump estimated that this might amount to between 10 percent and 40 percent of teachers — would receive “a little bit of a bonus,” Does Trump even know how many teachers there are in our schools? In the Fall of 2017 in the public schools in the United States there were 3.2 million full time teachers! That is between 320,000 and 1.28 million weapons in the schools! Trump would devote federal money to training these teachers. “I want my schools protected just like I want my banks protected,” the president said.

     This would be scanned! Trump’s statement reveals a depth of stupidity that every morning awakens me with terror. Trump’s equating the contents of a bank—money—with the content of the school—children and adults—is remarkably absurd, though no more absurd than much else that Trump has spoken in the thirteen or so months he has been in office. I can understand why Trump would want his banks protected, but how does he imagine that arming teachers would prevent further school violence. Interestingly it isn’t the workers in the bank that Trump would protect: it is his money! But it would seem to me that unless the now-armed teachers were trained marksman (from where in the budget would money come from to train them) wouldn’t it be tragic if the teacher would miss the shooter and hit a student or fellow armed teacher who was shooting from the other direction. What might students feel knowing that the teacher in front of them wears a concealed weapon? Certainly, classroom management would achieve a new and frightening register!! Pre-service teachers would now enroll at shooting ranges rather than into classrooms and would be rewarded for their marksmanship rather than their knowledge of material and pedagogy.
     It is no surprise that a man who does not read—and maybe only barks at a few words when print is actually placed before him—would offer teachers bonuses for their marksmanship but not for their intelligence and expertise to facilitate learning. Not higher salaries for the remarkably difficult work of the classroom, but bonuses (monies for ‘extra work’ that really has nothing to do with a teacher’s work). This is an administration that takes money away from the public schools and leaves those schools resource deprived. This is an administration that governs by tweets and gathers much of its information from Fox News and that holds education in contempt. This from a man who governs by ridicule, intimidation, bluster and lies.
     Daily this administration terrorizes us with its cruelty, cravenness, and absurdity. I do not think there is anybody governing this country at present. I am concerned for the children. I am worried about the earth. And I am fearful for our survival.