The issue's still going pretty hot here, with lots of opinion/editorials posted pretty much every day. So far public opinion seems pretty evenly divided, but it's hard to tell from the news.
To me the issue is not on a per-teacher basis - as one of the editorials pointed out today, if this woman is in fear of her life, and is around kids, then the school is responsible to protect the kids around her. I say more power to her.
The part that had me worried was from a different perspective: Most people didn't know that a CHL (Concealed handgun license, in OR) was an exception to the ban on firearms in and around schools. I only found out because I did my own homework, and stumbled across this useful bit of information.
For those who aren't familiar with the process in OR, the exception is at a federal level,
See 18 D.S.C. § 922 (q) (2) (B) (ii). But, as I understand, the States have the right to remove the exemption. Oregon has simply kept quiet on the issue.
I was afraid that this would outrage a lot of people who think that a school is truly a gun-free area - but I was wrong. The exemption doesn't seem to be bothering many people. Apparently, some people tried to remove the exemption a couple of years ago, and failed.
Most of what we are getting is the old "what if she is totally irresponsible?" kind of questions, where people are afraid that a student is going to get a hold of the gun, because you know, us gun nuts apparently don't know how to keep control of our own weapon, and are likely to leave it laying around in a classroom somewhere.
One of the dumber questions that's come up is "where is she going to keep it? In her desk? In her purse under the desk?" Yeah, she's going through all the trouble to bring a gun to work, to leave it in her desk. Uh-huh.
Besides, it's "obviously impossible" that said evil students who are salivating over the chance to steal a teacher's gun could never just bring one from home, but have all of their hopes on a future life of crime pinned on a forgetful moment of their teacher.
