Group says legislation will make schools less safe for female teachers.
(BELLEVUE, Wash.) - A right wing Oregon gun ownership group is steaming over proposed legislation that would ban guns from school grounds. The group's angle in attacking the legislation brought forward by Ginny Burdick, is an implication that she is trying to make life "less safe" for female teachers.
"Oregon State Sen. Ginny Burdick's plan to sponsor legislation designed to make female teachers more vulnerable to abusive ex-spouses by specifically stripping away their right of self-defense on school campuses is a new low in gun control extremism," the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.
The group describes Burdick as an "anti-gun Portland Democrat," and they are clearly hostile toward the bill she will introduce that would specifically authorize Oregon school districts to ban firearms on campus. The new rule would affect teachers with a concealed carry permit.
For all intents and purposes, most teachers are not trained firearm experts, and most do not have military combat experience or police training.
Few would disagree that shooting guns on a school campus would put students at extreme risk, but this group believe it is of utmost importance to keep teachers armed, rather than keeping guns out of the public learning environment.
"While she has sponsored similar bills in the past, and all have been defeated, this one will be aimed at the rights of teachers like the one in Medford, who is fearful of an ex-spouse against whom she has a restraining order. That teacher has gone to court to force the Medford school district to live by state firearms law and the Oregon Constitution."
But critics say it is ridiculous for any teacher who has a dangerous ex-spouse to put students at risk by insisting to arrive at school armed.
"Burdick's hypocrisy is world-class," said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. "She has championed legislation to protect nursing mothers in the workplace, and to prevent discrimination against domestic partners. Yet, she obviously thinks single moms don't need protection from abusive ex-spouses, nor is she the least bit concerned about discriminating against law-abiding Oregon female gun owners who happen to be teachers."
The gun rights group implies that Burdick's action is to endanger female teachers, but they fail to mention that the legislation will have the exact same impact on male teachers, who would be equally affected.
They appear to believe that armed female teachers are an extremely important aspect of society, and assume that the school ground is where they must prepare to meet an armed confrontation.
"There is no evidence that a legally-armed teacher has ever harmed a single student in any school in America," added CCRKBA Executive Director Mark A. Taff. "Indeed, I am reminded that an assistant principal at Mississippi's Pearl High School retrieved a gun from his vehicle and confronted school shooter Luke Woodham there in 1997, holding him at gunpoint until police arrived."
In the end, CCRKBA comes across as an extreme, almost fringe group with its clearly unwavering attack on Burdick. They have their supporters, but they keep their position tight in the far right corner pocket of politics.
"Sen. Burdick is a text book example of the socially-prejudiced liberal," Gottlieb stated. He faults the Senator who has championed many successful programs to aid women, which he admits.
"She would stand up for a woman's right to choose on every issue except when it comes to the choice of personal protection. In this case, she obviously feels women like the teacher in Medford should simply submit to fear and perhaps being victimized in the work place. What a horrible, demeaning double standard."
Group Claims Oregon Senator Wants Female Teachers Defenseless Against AbusersSalem-News.com