philco wrote:Coffeecup wrote:
"It is a short step, requiring only the correct circumstances, to go from "being prepared to take an active role in defense" to "having taken an active role in defense." Most teachers don't want to be someone who might do that, because it implies that they might be someone who has done that. Many find it uncomfortable to be around people who have done that, or are prepared to do that, in a school/educational context."
Jim can you expand on this a bit more. I'm not entirely clear about what you're saying, or perhaps the thought process you are explaining above is just alien to my way of thinking. Are you telling us that most teachers would avoid a person who is prepared to deal with a violent threat ?
In my experience, teachers--particularly in the elementary grades--would be uncomfortable with a peer they know is armed, because of what it implies. Most are a bit reserved with law enforcement officers in the schools, as well. I think there are a lot of reasons for this.
For most of them, actually being prepared to deal with a violent threat is outside the context of their experience. Their only knowledge or experience of actual violence has come as vicariously thorough TV and the movies, or from dealing with behavior problems in the schools, or as a victim of crime. I suspect the mindset for most of them is that "good people" aren't violent (I know this is true in many cases). They lack experience that would help them understand that "being prepared to deal with violence" is not the same as "actively seeking to commit violence."
While I've obviously not met
all teachers, I have met a few hundred; only a few were military veterans. I've never met an elementary teacher who was a combat veteran of any war after Viet Nam, and only one or two high school teachers who were veterans of combat after Viet Nam. I suspect this may be a factor as well, I think many teachers lack the experience of knowing and respecting a competent peer who is also someone who has at one time been one who was prepared to deal with violence.
I got my introduction to this mindset when I worked as a para-educator prior to beginning my studies. I broke up a fight between about a dozen high school males in the cafeteria. There were at least four teachers present, and while they made sure their students were clear of the incident and safe, none of them moved to break up the fight. For several days, many of the teachers in the school were very reserved with me, or even avoided me. More than one told me that it was "not our job" to do that, to leave it for the school "safety officer" or the police. I later had similar experiences in other schools, and have heard similar things from others.
