Georgia lawmaker: Let teachers carry guns

Educator blasts plan as 'totally foolish'

May 21, 1998
Web posted at: 9:11 p.m. EDT (0111 GMT)

MARIETTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Teachers' groups are blasting a proposal from a Georgia legislator who wants educators to carry weapons as a way to deter school violence.

State Rep. Mitchell Kaye, a Republican from the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, said Wednesday -- a day before the school shooting in Oregon -- that he planned to introduce legislation next year authorizing teachers to be armed.

However, on Thursday, he said his bill might not be necessary, because Georgia law may already allow teachers to carry weapons.

Kaye said an existing law may allow teachers to be armed if they have written authorization from school officials specifying the type of weapon they can carry and the length of time the weapon is permitted on school property.

Kaye said that while he doesn't want to see schools turned into armed camps, he thinks having one or two armed school personnel on campus could serve as a deterrent.

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"It would be subject to the discretion of a locally elected school board, however they may choose to do it," Kaye said. "I'm not suggesting everyone be armed. If a school just had a handful, though, I think that would have a tremendous chilling effect and make the overall environment safer."

Educators criticize proposal

Drew Allbritten, executive director of the Georgia Association of Educators, called Kaye's proposal "totally foolish."

"Let's keep the Wild West out of our schools," he said.

"I think any reasonable person would say we need fewer weapons in schools, not more," said Tim Callahan of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators. "It seems to me, firearms are best left in the hands of the authorities rather than individual teachers."

State Rep. Jim Martin, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the law Kaye cited was probably intended to apply only to ROTC instructors. But he conceded that it is vague enough to be subject to interpretation.

"If this means you can authorize all teachers to carry guns in class for personal safety, we need to look at that to see if that really is a good idea," Martin said. "My initial reaction is that it is not a good idea."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Message board:

• School violence

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• Georgia Association of Educators

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