Deb Murphy
The Bishop Unified School District Board of Trustees will make a decision at its March 17 meeting on whether to allow a waiver for those with a concealed weapon permit to come on campus packing heat.
The discussion started in January and continued at last night’s trustees’ meeting. Two of the trustees, Tina Orrill and Taylor Ludwick weren’t ready to commit.
Those who attended the meeting to comment on the agenda item, Supervisor Barry Simpson, trustees Eric Richman and Kathy Zack and staff want a total no-guns policy.
Since 1995 California’s Gun-Free School Zone Act has banned weapons on school grounds, unless the armed person has a concealed weapons permit. Senate Bill 707, signed in October 2015 and in effect as of January 1, amended the Act banning concealed weapons unless the district allowed for waivers and set the requirements for those waivers. That was the question before the board.
Orrill was concerned about the inconvenience for parents with concealed weapon permits having to leave their weapons home when they dropped their kids off at school. “I’m not ready to make an informed decision,” she said, noting she had an appointment to discuss the issue with someone in law enforcement.
Ludwick wanted to look at the research. “My concern is safety,” he said, agreeing with former teacher Steve Elia that the six hours children spend in school should be their safest hours.
Trustee Josh Nicholson’s position was that school staff should not carry weapons on campus but the properly permitted public could. “Someone with a permit shouldn’t have to put his weapon in the unsecured trunk of his car to go to a football game or attend (the play) “Chicago,” he said.
The final public comment came from Athletic Director Stacy Van Nest. “I’d much rather have that weapon in the trunk than in the stands at football games,” she said.
Richman came armed with research. His cousin, Jeremy Richman, lost his daughter at Sandy Hook in December 2012. “He’s the guy standing behind the President when he addresses another school shooting,” Richman said. “The reason we’re here having this discussion is the failure of government.”
He went on to read an article dispelling the “good guy with a gun” theory that maintains mass shootings can be stopped by that good guy. The writer, a former Special Ops officer, concluded that the good guy with a gun myth is “perpetrated by people who’ve never been shot at.”
No one spoke in favor of a waiver allowing concealed weapons on campuses during the public comment period. Superintendent Barry Simpson polled his staff; more than half responded and 75% did not approve of a waiver.
Former trustee Carl Lind noted the issue of controversial officer-involved shootings “despite their training.”
Eric Leitch paraphrased Anton Chekhov, “if a gun appears in chapter one (of a novel), it has to be shot. I’ve never encountered a situation where a gun would make that situation better.”
“Guns make a situation worse,” Elia agreed. “We need to maintain the sanctity of the school zone. (Concealed weapons) are not in the service of learning.”
A parent had a problem “having a discussion with children and guns in the same sentence. School is a place of hope.”
A teacher argued that having a permit was not enough of a qualification to carry on campus.
“This (the concept of guns on school grounds) is totally foreign to me,” said Simpson. “There is more risk with guns on campus.”
Art Lawrence……Those that have CCW’S aren’t all “good guys”…or within the law…I know,and knew it to be both ways,especially when I was living in Oregon,where it’s very easy to get a a carry permit.One guy,a known meth-user and dealer that just happened to never get caught had one….another guy used… Read more »
Where is the evidence that good guys carrying a concealed weapon have caused an incident on campus?
In a school district, I think it comes down to what you want to teach your kids. Do you want them to be afraid and learn the best way to be secure is to carry a gun or is there another way? This is one of those teaching moments, where… Read more »
Nobody wants to take all of your guns away. That’s just more divisive political nonsense in an election year. What is wanted is more intensive background checks that would at least be an attempt to keep felons and crazy people from ownership. And when it comes to automatic weaponry …… Read more »
I guess my question is Why? it makes no good sense.
The article says the District can set the standards. Should the District evaluate concealed carry standards to determine if they are adequate? For example would a person traveling from Esmealda, Nye, Mineral. Douglas, Kern,San Bernardino counties meet local permitting standards and be able to carry here?
Wayne….don’t see a reason someone traveling from San Berdo should want to carry on BHS grounds…..down there,I can’t blame people for wanting a CCW when they travel… or go to work….or shopping…..or going to an ATM,or doing just about anything else….down there….but here ?….come on,man !!
As I read the article the case being made for allowing concealed carry is based on: Orrill was concerned about the inconvenience for parents with concealed weapon permits having to leave their weapons home when they dropped their kids off at school. and Trustee Josh Nicholson’s position was that school… Read more »
Great news! …and unbeknownst to the general public, quietly, under cover of darkness, and usually during holiday weeks when school isn’t in session an inter-agency task force of law enforcement from Inyo and Mono Counties practice “Active shooter” situations at the high school. Guns on campus will make for a… Read more »
More “3 Gs” mentality from extremists: God, Gays & Guns.
The gun nuts’ paranoia has no end.
And Gun Free Zone have not protected anyone.
Actually the anti-gun nuts lack of facts has no end. Harvard: a very academic but very liberal university actually set out to do a comprehensive and very detailed study. They essentially set out to prove the anti-gun case. Their finding were actually the opposite, when FACTS, and crime records are… Read more »
turbo2….I’m not against gun rights or the Second Amendment,but what you state here is obviously written by the “gun nuts”,in my mind a lot worse than the “anti-gun ” nuts…either one can try to spin it their own way to make their cause….case in point,Japan,with strict gun control laws, the… Read more »
Nope. wrong again. Harvard and these professors were out to prove the “anti-gun” case. Their own study and extensive data proved them, and their opinions were actually very wrong. I didn’t do the study. I didn’t make it up. Read it yourself. google: “crime vs guns” and examine the graphs… Read more »
Paco, our gun rights are as protected as your free speech rights. Maybe the ink is getting harder to read on our Constitution.
I love the 2nd Amendment and love that we live in a country where everyone has the freedom to own a gun for protection. In some areas of the country, protection is needed on campus. That said, does Bishop campuses really need this with police two blocks away? Are people… Read more »
Chris, I’m sure that’s what they thought in Columbine. And they had a school resource police officer who was ARMED, stationed at the school ! He even traded shots with the 2 killers. Didn’t do much good, did it ? Bad s#*t can happen ANYWHERE !
Ah the old saying: “when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.”
I’m gonna get my popcorn ready for this one.
Hashtag: I came here for the comments.
#icamehereforthecomments
Haha
If concealed weapons are allowed on campus, then 18 year old students with concealed weapons permits would be allowed to carry loaded guns to school. You can’t have it both ways….students 18 and over are adults and just being a student can’t deny them their rights as adults.
Actually, there could be a stipulation that students wouldn’t be allowed to carry.
Sugar, I had the same thoughts on the eighteen year old issues. I was also thinking about who would protect the youth against some nut ball teacher. Eighteen year olds have the right to be drafted and sent off to war to protect us.
Trouble….Come on,man !!!!…..are you suggesting 18 year old students should have the “right” to protect themselves,with a CCW on campus of a high school just in case one of their teachers go postal ?….have you ever been around most 18 year olds if they happen to be shooting a firearm… Read more »
Lower, our Constitution says we have the right to bare arms. If people want to add mumbo jumbo stuff to it , their fools in my opinion.
Our Constitution doesn’t have a age limit in it either.
Jeez Trouble why do you dislike long sleeved shirts so much?
I’m sorry if I offended any long sleeve shirts!
Yes, lower inyo. I think every body has the right to bare arms, and it shall not be infringed upon. No age limit. No limits at all. That includes Jack the Ripper in my opinion.
So in Trouble’s perfect world, a paroled murderer with severe mental illness could walk down to the corner store and buy a nuclear weapon with no questions asked. Good to know. Or were you just referring to sleeveless shirts??? Either way, please be sure to give us your real name… Read more »
Charles, I’m just streching the truth just like you. You didn’t say whether or not you would vote for me?
Charles O. Jones…In the coming election,with his thinking,he’d probably be giving trump a run for his money…
Lower Inyo, actually I’ve almost always voted for the “liberal” side . I’m not a gun nut, but I do believe we all have a right to bare arms. I vote mostly for people that seem to care about the working class folks.
18 year-old’s are not allowed to buy or own a pistol in the state of CA; therefore cannot have a CCW. You must be 21. So this is a non-issue.
@ sugarmagnolia, Chris, and Trouble
You have to be 21 to purchase a handgun in this state. 18 year olds can only buy rifles.
Balony ive been hunting since I was seven years old with a license.Are you telling me that was illegal?
@ Trouble, to have a CCW you have to legally own a handgun. To legally own a handgun, you have to be 21.
Hope that helps.
Jelly, I believe it is legal for a parent and or grandparents to legally transfer ownership of a fire arm to their family members.
@ Trouble, they still have to be 21, and go through a background check, a firearms safety cert and transfer it LEGALLY through a FFL.
There’s no handing it over without those protocols.
Here’s a link to the DOJ’s paperwork for just such a transfer:
http://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/firearms/forms/oplaw.pdf
OK Jelly Bean, you correct. It’s pretty clear that our government has made a circus out of our gun rights also. Just like most of our other personal rights and freedoms. Whats next?
Good to know….now we need to change the legal age of enlistment. I thought we ended the two tiered system of adulthood. Your either an adult or not. If you can go to war for the US, you should have full rights as an adult. I know, they aren’t a… Read more »
@ sugar magnolia, agreed.
sugar…..I don’t know…I’ve never known….and doubt I ever will know an 18 year old that should possess a CCW permit…and legally able to carry a concealed weapon,especially if it’s when he’s still in high school and on campus….in fact,maybe what you say is correct….maybe they should make enlistment age 21… Read more »
I think people should ask themselves why and who is shoving this issue down our throats right now? I’m all for everyone to have a right to bare arms if they so choose. But I really think it stinks that people are trying to suck are kids and school district… Read more »
^^^ – “I’m all for everyone to have a right to bare arms if they so choose.”
No sleeves for Trouble!
Ridiculous to even think it would be O.K. to carry a weapon on campus…..just another way for the right-wingers trying to say,if not allowed,it’s President Obama trying to “TAKE” everyones guns away before he leaves office come January 2017….just like the Special Ops Officer says…. the “good guy with the… Read more »
I’m a right-winger and I think guns on Bishop campuses are preposterous. We don’t have a homicide rate here. This whole idea that we need guns on our school campuses should not even be an issue.
Not an issue until it happens here and The faculty and staff and whoever happens to be there have to cower like rabbits while innocent lives are snuffed out all because you are Terrified of a Peace Officer on Campus in Plain Cloths with a Concealed Firearm .
So back when kids used to go to high school with a .22 in the pickup rack behind their heads, and we used to cruise around town with a shotgun AND a rifle in the rack, loaded of course, how many high schools got shot up back then? And I… Read more »
turbo2……I think we agree to dis-agree about some of it…..but the fact is….there are going to be crazy-shooters,and deaths, and especially in this day and age when the majority of people wait and expect others to bail them out of a bad situation…school shootings,hurricanes (Katrina),and any other bad situation that… Read more »