[Danzig]

Welcome Peter from North Texas!
If you don’t have familiarity with shooting guns you just might want to double up on hearing protection. Ear muffs and foam plugs. I always recommend to people if they think they’re going to take up shooting as a hobby then a set of electronic hearing protection is a needed investment. It doesn’t hurt that prices have come down too.

Caldwell E-MAX Electronic Earmuffs (NRR 25dB) Green

The Caldwell E-Max Electronic Earmuffs combines great circuitry with a standard earcup for better protection. The two microphones in the E-Max amplify...

www.midwayusa.com

CHEAP!

Ammo. I’m not partial to any one brand. Stick with brass cased ammo if you can. Reputable manufacturer. For Self Defense just about any name brand hollow point should suffice. Do some research and figure what works for you.

 

[Danzig]

Welcome aboard from North Texas!
Congratulations 🎉🍾

 

[Danzig]

Actually I did fire a Glock and took a safety class, but many years ago (10 years? can't remember). Only once though, couple of hours and then on the range. Much to my surprise I was a pretty good shot apparently, got all shots within the circle (?) even at the longer distance. Don't ask me how long that was, can't remember.

But aside from whether dry firing damages your Glock, the other thing I need to practice is getting rounds into the magazine, pull back the slide after I dry fire and see how they pop out, etc. etc. Inserting cartridges into a magazine is not easy (and the plastic thingie that came with the Glock is totally useless, or am I missing something?) but I bought two speedloaders, the maglula and the Ludex. I'm trying to figure out which works easiest, both work well. The Ludex has a rubber stop at the bottom which makes it easy to firmly plant it on a flat surface like a kitchen counter, and then quickly insert the cartridges. Doing that over and over again is also training, right?

I never heard of the Ludex.
The Glock loader is ok you just need to do it right on a firm surface. I’ve got a Lula and it’s the best one I’ve found for pistols.

 

[Danzig]

Here's a youtube video on the Ludex.

Interesting.

 

[Danzig]

 

[Danzig]

been there.😬

 

[Danzig]

 

[Danzig]

What an idiot!
In addition to guns I keep in my gun safe;
Passports, vehicle titles, house deed, important papers, jewelry and emergency cash.

 

[Danzig]

Disgraceful indeed, totally agree with you.

I'm not sure whether arming school administrators or teachers for that matter will help though, for a couple of reasons: 1. it's not their job to provide security on top of everything else they are already doing; 2. they are not trained for that; 3. they are not getting paid nearly enough to ask them to stock up on ammunition and invest in training courses.

Uvalde school district had a security plan, and a budget that was doubled in recent years. And yet here we are.

The teacher unions and antigunners are using the points you listed.
Truth is the programs that have been set up in my part of Texas are voluntary. There is free training being provided by law enforcement and donated by trainers and training facilities.
I believe most teachers don’t do their job for the money but because it’s a calling, not unlike a number of professions.

 

[Danzig]

My dad was a teacher, and so we were several of my aunts. They didn't become teachers to get rich, for sure. They just love to teach children. It was a calling.

They were teachers in my country of birth, the Netherlands. The US is completely different from the Netherlands.

So how does this practically work in your part of Texas. If you're a teacher, and you voluntarily go through the program etc., are you allowed as a Texas teacher to concealed carry a firearm, going into the school? Or does the local law and 'gun free zones' rules prevent you from carrying a gun into the school?

The state made it up to individual school districts to adopt or not programs that arm teachers.
Here is the text of the law;

School Marshal

HB 1009, passed by the 83rd legislature, allows public school districts and open enrollment charter schools to appoint School Marshals. The 84th legislature passed SB 386 to include Public two year junior colleges in the list of institutions that can appoint School Marshals. The 85th legislature passed HB 867, which allows private schools to appoint School Marshals.
The sole purpose of a School Marshal is to prevent the act of murder or serious bodily injury on school premises, and act only as defined by the written regulations adopted by the School Board/Governing Body.
After making application with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, a qualifying institution must send the candidate to an 80 hour training course, conducted by a law enforcement academy that has been specifically prepared to provide the school marshal curriculum. Among the topics covered in the School Marshal course are: physical security, improving the security of the campus, use of force, active shooter response, and weapon proficiency. No other course can be substituted or exempt an individual from the specific school marshal training course.
Appointing Entity Information
The Appointing Entity will be the School Board/Governing Body of a Public School, Open Enrollment Charter School, or a Public two Year Junior College.
Process to appoint a school marshal:
1. Appointing Entity must submit the completed Appointing Entity Number Application to TCOLE. This form designates all authorized signatures on forms and paperwork to follow. (Provided upon request).
2. Appointing Entity selects candidate(s) for School Marshal.

• Candidate(s) must be an employee(s) of the school or college.
• Candidate(s) must hold a valid License to Carry, issued through the Texas Department of Public Safety. (Copy submitted to TCOLE).
• Candidate(s) must pass a psychological exam (TCOLE will provide this form).
• Candidate(s) attends/completes TCOLE approved 80 hour School Marshal course.

3. Appointing Entity submits School Marshal Appointment Form and Fee. Once approved, a School Marshal license will issue to the candidate(s). He or she will be authorized to act as a School Marshal, per the written regulations adopted by the School Board/Governing Body.


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Now I will tell you this law has been praised and condemned by both sides of the argument. Unions and media having a left viewpoint claim no teachers are interested. That’s not true as I’ve talked to a few teachers that are interested in the program. A few school districts have started programs and the Uvalde shooting has convinced some other schools to sign on.
A similar program is happening in churches as well. I work security in churches and popularity in that program varies depending on location, parishioner makeup and other variables.

 

[Danzig]

Yes and no. Criminals will find a way to get their hands on guns, sure.

But the real question is: how can we keep guns out of the hands of nutcases that plan to go a shooting spree in schools, churches, etc.? That guy in Uvalde had no criminal record. He was a law abiding citizen until the morning he walked into a school and started killing kids.

If you go back at look his personal history, there were certainly red flags about his mental state of mind. How do you prevent mental timebombs like that from getting their hands on guns?

So we’ve had high capacity weapons available to the public for 100 years yet the mass killing incidents are more of a recent phenomenon. Why? If anything it was easier to access guns with no background checks, restrictions or paperwork prior to the late 1960’s.

 

[Danzig]

That's interesting, thanks for posting.

This morning there was an article in the Washington Post about Utopia, a small town in Texas, not too far from Uvalde (44 miles according to google maps). See link below.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/06/27/armed-teachers-texas-uvalde-permit/

Utopia is very rural, and if there were a school shooting incident, it would take law enforcement probably half an hour to even get to the school, which is a long time.

So after Sandy Hook in 2012 the school board allowed teachers to arm themselves, after completing the program for a carry concealed weapon. Apparently several teachers did, which is consistent with your experience.

“When you live out like this, you have to take care of yourself,” said Karen Heideman, Utopia Independent School District’s longtime business manager. She is working to get a permit so she can carry a firearm to work. “You can’t just dial nine-eleven and expect to have a policeman here in less than five minutes.”

To me that makes perfect sense. I live in Oakland and if there is a shooting incident and we call 911, the OPD will arrive within one or two minutes. We've had situations in our building, most recently some nutcase finding his way into one of the apartments and threatening the tenants with a screwdriver. At least half a dozen OPD squad cars showed up in no time to secure the building and after a stand-off of several, arrest the suspect.

The practical problem for teachers willing to arm themselves, is $$$ and time - it takes time to go through the program, and taking classes is not free.

You have to find time to do things. There are people and organizations donating to the cause. If a teacher is interested it’s relatively inexpensive at this point.

 

[Danzig]

Biden’s got this!

 

[Danzig]

It has to be voluntary though. If a teacher doesn't want to carry for whatever reason you cannot force him or her.

Absolutely it has to be voluntary. A disinterested person or someone hostile to firearms would cause more harm than good.

 

[Danzig]

"That is actually a really good idea"
As I said it would be an initial step but something that could be built upon because it's "Common Sense".
Responsible firearm owners have many such "common sense" ideas that could be applied to the firearms problems but we're never included in the firearms debate.
Unfortunate since contrary to the way firearm owners are usually portrayed by anti firearm individuals and groups we're as concerned with the firearms problems in the US as any other thinking citizen; perhaps even more so because we're the ones getting blamed for them.
Ride Safe. Dr.Tramp..............

You are correct but I don’t see us getting a seat at the table. Media and politicians have ramped up demonizing of gun owners. Recently I’ve heard them equate us to domestic terrorists for merely owning firearms.
Including gun owners into the conversation is tantamount to letting the Fox into the henhouse.

 

[Danzig]

If you get a CCW permit where you can and cannot carry.
How to fortify your home and plan if there’s a break in.

 

[Danzig]

We’ve discussed how the left controls speech and invents new words and phrases to manipulate the narrative.
global warming turns to climate change to climate emergency or crisis.
That sets the table. No room for compromise, something must be done immediately!
Same has happened to guns. Biden say’s, Who needs high capacity magazines? You’re a lousy shot and shouldn’t be allowed to hunt!
The sides are picked it’s fighting for the uninitiated and undecideds. Ceding them the terms is handicapping us from the start.

 

[Danzig]

Bill Maher hasn’t had a conversion in faith like some are quick to say. He’s still a committed liberal but not quite signed onto the party line. He was labeled a racist on his views over Islam and terrorism. He has moments of clarity.
The left want their celebrities to mirror the echo chamber. They’re very quick to cancel and shout down any dissent.
Joe Rogan lends his mic to all sides. He’s been labeled a right winger for that as well.

 

[Danzig]

True but all the more reason to step away from those groups and individuals on both sides of the firearms debate/argument that are currently getting all the attention and start our own groups and create our own ideas for solutions.
Start by stop wasting time and energy attempting to assign blame by arguing and pointing fingers and instead concentrate on the actual problems and possible solutions.
It's not a Republican-Democrat-black-white-liberal-conservative-gay-straight-whatever-whoever problem. It's just a problem. A serious one that needs to be addressed and solved.
If doing the Time Warp Again with a Sweet Transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania (Rocky Horror Picture Show) helps to accomplish this then so be it.
I don't care who gets the blame or who gets the applause, I'm just concerned with solving the problems.
Ride Safe. Dr.Tramp.............

Rational? We can’t have that! Hyperbole wins the day!😉

 

[Danzig]

Thanks!

The CCW permit thing is interesting. The course was advertised as a course to get a CCW, but the laws in California are such that it is very difficult to get a CCW permit and I most likely don't qualify. You have to have "good cause", which is a pretty strict test. But now that the Supreme Court has declared a similar statute in New York unconstitutional, it's a bit of a grey area ...

But regardless, it's $180 for an all day course including several hours on the range, so that's a pretty good deal. Even if I don't get the CCW it'll be fun and a good learning experience.

It’s good to get training from different instructors and different facets of firearms. Even the most knowledgeable practitioners can pick up something new and advantageous.