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NRA wayne lapierre ap photo
National Rifle Association executive vice president Wayne LaPierre gestures during a news conference in response to the Connecticut school shooting on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 in Washington. The nation's largest gun-rights lobby is calling for armed police officers to be posted in every American school to stop the next killer "waiting in the wings." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Washington PTA director rips NRA school gun proposal

BY Jillian Raftery  on December 21, 2012 @ 2:07 pm (Updated: 4:57 pm - 12/21/12 )

The executive director of Washington State's Parent-Teacher Association says the NRA's proposal to put armed guards at every school is a bad idea.

After staying silent for a week to respect the families of the Newtown shooting victims, NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre Jr. spoke at a press conference Friday in Washington, D.C. to address ways to prevent future school shootings.

Related: NRA proposes armed guards in all schools

"When it comes to our most beloved, innocent, and vulnerable members of the American family - our children - we as a society leave them every day utterly defenseless," said LaPierre.

"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," said LaPierre.

Washington State PTA executive director Bill Williams told Pat Cashman and Lisa Foster, filling in for Dori, that the NRA's strategy is the wrong way to go.

He said that a school using armed security could lead students to feel more fearful rather than feeling safer.

"For kids to be successful they have to feel safe. And if they're in an armed encampment I think they're far less likely to feel safe," said Williams.

The PTA's solution is to make sure people can't get guns.

"This is based on national PTA policy," said Williams. "We disagree very strongly. We don't want schools to become armed fortresses and we think the best way is to prevent access to firearms and make sure that only those who can appropriately handle them are, in fact, licensed to carry firearms."

Williams explained that even if they considered arming guards in schools there are problems finding well trained guards that would staff schools. Some opponents have said having armed guards would make schools more dangerous if they don't know what they're doing.

Even if schools hired armed private security guards or cities had more school resource police officers, children still might not be safe.

"I remember when banks used to have armed guards," said Williams, "and that didn't stop bank robbers so I don't know why anyone thinks that having armed guards at schools is going to be the solution to this problem."

Washington State legislators are also looking at a solution that targets access to firearms: trying to ban semi-automatic "assault-style" weapons.

King County Sheriff John Urquhart agreed with Williams, saying that pushing for armed guards too simplistic.

"I don't think you have to look farther than Lakewood. In Lakewood we had four armed police officers armed, trained that were shot and killed by one person," said the Sheriff.

But Sheriff Urquhart proposed a broader approach than just banning guns. He thinks that targeting violence as a whole in America and focusing on strengthening existing regulations will keep schools safer. For example, he says that lawmakers should look at making it harder for mentally ill people to get guns.

"Unfortunately there was this tragedy that occurred," said Urquhart, "but if anything good comes out of it, it'll be for once we'll have a good broad discussion and not try to focus in on broad gun control or putting officers in schools because neither one is the solution."

Jillian Raftery, Social Media Captain
Jillian Raftery is a social media captain for the Dori Monson Show. She loves the neighborly vibe of the Pacific Northwest and spends as much time as possible outdoors.
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Comments (74)


  • Add A Comment

  • Rock-the-Boat wrote...
    Why no National Press for this guy who saved 10-20 people???
    December 21, 2012 7:35 pm
    This story was only seen on a local channel. A 22 yr guy Nick Meli, with a conceal carry permit was at the Mall when a madman started shooting, and killed 2 people then his gun jammed. Nick Meli, pulled out his concealed gun and aimed at the madman. Nick did not shoot because he saw people behind the madman and was afraid if he missed he would kill an innocent person. However, the madman saw him aiming at him and ran off and then shot himself. Nick Meli, a good guy with a gun stopped a bad man with a gun. It works more than you know but the Media never tells you about these stories of all the people saved by a good guy or gal with a gun. http://www.kgw.com/news/Clackamas-man-armed-confronts-mall-shooter-183593571.html Or read how this volunteer women (ex-police) killed a madman at her church with her weapon, which saved 10-20, or more people. Two people were killed and two wounded outside, before she killed the madman as he entered the church building. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7684728
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  • Drool wrote...
    "Nick Meli, a good guy with a gun stopped a bad man with a gun."
    December 21, 2012 7:48 pm
    That is pure speculation. The perp's gun jammed, Nick drew on him while he was trying to clear it and did not fire. Nick "thinks" that is the reason the perp killed himself but there is no evidence. I would bet the reliability issues of that firearm design (AR) saved more lives that Nick and his Glock. It is just as likely that the perp wanted to make sure he had a round left for himself and ones he got the weapon back in business he finished himself off. If the perp had a more reliable weapon like Kalashnikov it would have been really ugly.
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  • messiah101 wrote...
    My suggestion to pay for school security
    December 21, 2012 8:37 pm
    Gun owners should pay for the costs that weapons bring to our societyand taxed accordingly same as cigarette companies. The cost for security of our schools as well as the medical cost for anyone who is wounded or killed should be included in the cost of a weapon and a annual license fee charged to cover these costs. Example if the annual cost to the taxpayer is $100,000,000 and a 1,000,000 guns are in use then each gun costs the owner $100 in annual taxes.
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  • BeenThere wrote...
    messiah101...Seems to be a reasonable way to raise funds.
    December 21, 2012 9:34 pm
    Greater financial penalties for illegally possessing, selling, using, etc. would be a means to generate revenue for security as well. Obviously, it will require money that public schools don't have a lot of, but greater security is mandatory. After 9/11, we all have to jump through hoops just to board a plane, that's the world we now live in. I think we have to realize that kids are no longer safe with the status quo either. Where there is a will, there is a way.
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  • ratrustle wrote...
    I'm all for personal responsibility
    December 22, 2012 6:47 am
    As you suggest I think there are many who could get behind an idea like this! We should all be personally responsible for our actions. If you use mass transit, you should pay the true "actual" cost of that bus/train ticket. If you're a drug abuser, you should pay the true "actual" cost to society if you cause harm. If you're a gun owner you should pay the true "actual" cost to own that gun. Seems fair to me!
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  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    The Adult in the room.
    December 21, 2012 9:56 pm
    The adult is Wayne La Pierre, everything he said was true and to the detractors no one claimed a school had to look like a fortress.
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  • sportsguru wrote...
    I almost had a heart attack
    December 21, 2012 10:32 pm

    Bill Law actually had an actual idea, didn't call anybody any names, just a solution. Lawn, did you hack Bill Laws account again? Messiah had a good point as well with the special tax to support security.

    Now if more of you can come up with some more ideas like these two gentlemen came up with besides having an armed encampment, we might actually be able to help our kids.

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  • BeenThere wrote...
    I would be willing to spend $600.00 and buy an 8 camera security system from Costco that could monitor the entrance points at my sons elementary school.
    December 21, 2012 11:40 pm
    Whatever it takes.
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    LOL
    December 22, 2012 3:26 am
    why am I reminded of blind dogs and bones?

    Surprisingly, I like messiah's gun tax idea.

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  • Saltchucker wrote...
    My friends and I came up with this solution last night.
    December 22, 2012 9:17 am
    One of my buddies is a army reservist, trained, responsible and cool headed.He and many others like him are struggling to find good employment now that thier deployment is done. Many of them would volunteer for security work at the very schools thier own children now attend! I propose that part of military reserve duty be school security. All children would see our soldiers every day, mostly as the parents of their friends and classmates, but also as daily security and peace of mind. Shouldn't cost too much more than what we already pay our reservists and would elevate the standing and resprect of what our military does in the eyes of every citizen.
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  • sportsguru wrote...
    Saltchucker
    December 22, 2012 10:19 am
    Whooaaa, good one, they are already trained and are require to give a weekend a month, that could be extended to a week a month with extra pay funded by that special tax, we already know who they are because they live in our communities and they have the fire power and equipment and personnel. You scored a touchdown with that one and it will probably get kids to want to serve as well if they see them all the time. Masterful solution.
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  • ibedavey wrote...
    Hogwash
    December 22, 2012 10:21 am
    One armed security guard in a school makes it feel like a encampment? Hey, it felt like encampment when I went to school without armed or unarmed security guards.
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  • maplefish wrote...
    Yo ibedavey
    December 24, 2012 9:54 pm
    Thank you for your stunningly pointless input....LOL. Saltchucker, I agree with your idea and heard the someone somewhere suggest that idea the day after the shooting. What a great way to employ thousands of our Vets.....
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  • Moondoggie wrote...
    Low cost solution
    December 22, 2012 11:25 am
    News outlet could stop mentioning the gunman’s name. Why give the losers who want to go out in a blaze of glory the satisfaction of knowing their name will soon be slashed all over the evening news? Soon the other losers who might be thinking about going the mass killing route will at least know that it will gain them little or no fame. I realize this isn’t going to solve the whole problem, but our president thinks it’s ok to curtail our right to own guns even if it will only save one life, so why not use this as part of the solution.
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  • hawks$life wrote...
    there is no stopping what cant be stopped
    December 23, 2012 12:38 am
    You all are so funny, like someday there will just not be psychopaths.
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  • Vlastimil wrote...
    " The PTA's solution is to make sure people can't get guns."
    December 23, 2012 1:15 am
    How's that war on drugs working out for you? The solution is quite clear and simple. Since you can't realistically remove every gun from society, and police can't be everywhere all the time, the only solution is to allow teachers who are trained in shoot no shoot scenarios to conceal carry. The key being, the weapons being concealed. That way, any potential threat wouldn't know where the resistance and confrontation would come from, kind of like the air marshal system.
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  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    Everything is on the table
    December 23, 2012 10:30 am
    Or everything Should be on the table too bad the left is pushing an agenda , using our children as pawns.
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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    We are living in a world we did not create and most of us are trying to change it.
    December 23, 2012 12:05 pm
    Metal detectors and armed security is going to have to be used to stop or at least slow down the chances of a mass killing like this. Banning private ownership will do nothing to stop insane people from getting guns. Black market stealing or unsecured guns.

    Gun owners have an awesome responsibility to secure their firearms and the vast majority do so. Unfortunately irresponsible people exist in all groups. Apparently this kids mother was one of them.

    Now seems to be some doubt as to the murderer had a semi auto rifle or simply hand guns!

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