Gun Training For Teachers

COLUMBUS -- Free firearm training. for teachers.  That's what the Buckeye Firearm Association is offering.  They made the announcement at a Town Hall meeting in Columbus Thursday that focused on guns and mental health. "We're done talking. We're going to put armed teachers in the schools," said Ken Hanon with the Buckeye Assn.He got a standing ovation for what some would call a controversial program.  It would train educators to shoot guns.  The end goal is to have teachers packing heat in the classroom.  The idea was spurred by the Connecticut school shooting."The training sounds nice in theory but in the heat of it all I don't think people know what to do," said Tim Stiffler-Dean of Trotwood."I think its fine but if you're asking in relation to what happened, there are more issues than just teachers training with guns," Victor Goldstein of Clayton said.The Buckeye Firearms Association was represented on the Town Hall panel.  It plans to pay for the Armed Teacher Pilot Program.  24 teachers will be accepted into the three day program, which will be held at a tactical defense institute in Ohio.  The idea is to prepare teachers for incidents similar to the Newtown massacre.    But many educators question whether gun-toting teachers will do more harm than good, including U.D. Professor Charles Russo, who instructs the teachers of tomorrow."It sends mixed messages and a message that we're trying to avoid in schools which is violence solves everything," he said.Educators interested in participating in the program have to submit their name for consideration to the Buckeye Firearms Association.  Just click on News Links.