蜜桃影视

Allowing teachers and other school personnel to carry concealed weapons on school property and eliminating gun-free school zones might be possible solutions to ending the wave of school shootings in America, President Trump said Wednesday.

Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos held a 鈥渓istening session鈥� with survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people, including 14 students, died on Valentine鈥檚 Day.

The solutions Trump discussed stand in sharp contrast to those advocated by the most vocal Douglas students, who have taken to cable news and political advocacy to push for greater gun control. Wednesday they made their case at the Florida state capitol; they also inspired a wave of walkouts and vigils across the country, .

In addition to hearing about survivors鈥� experiences, Trump asked for solutions to end mass shootings.

Fred Abt, the father of a Parkland student who survived the shooting, suggested allowing teachers and other adults on campus to carry concealed weapons as a way to stop shootings quickly while waiting for first responders. 聽

Trump acknowledged there would be opposition to the concealed carry idea, though he said it 鈥渃ould very well solve your problem,鈥� citing less violence on airplanes since pilots have begun carrying guns.

He asked for a show of hands on the issue; though hard to tell from the White House鈥檚 live video feed, it seemed more of those in the room opposed the idea than supported it.

鈥淣obody wants to see a shootout in a school, and a deranged sociopath on his way to commit an act of murder in a school, knowing the outcome is going to be suicide, is not going to care. That鈥檚 their plan anyway,鈥� said Mark Barden, whose son Daniel died in the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting.

People associated with other mass shooting tragedies (Las Vegas; Newtown, Connecticut; and Columbine, Colorado) and students from two D.C. charter schools, who talked about gun violence that affects students outside school walls, also joined the hour-long session.

The most conservative Republicans for years have advocated ending federal gun-free school zones, arguing that they make schoolhouses more attractive targets to those who wish to harm students.

鈥淎 gun-free zone to a maniac, because they鈥檙e all cowards, a gun-free zone is, 鈥楲et鈥檚 go in and let鈥檚 attack, because bullets aren鈥檛 coming back at us,鈥� 鈥� Trump said.

Proponents of the gun-free zones, which stem from a federal law passed in the 1990s, have long cited the disparity in the number of students who are hurt on school grounds versus off.

Though the president made the splashiest news with his discussion of concealed carry and gun-free school zones, the most memorable moments of the hour-long session came from those most directly affected by the tragedies, including:

1. Sam Zeif, a senior at Douglas High and whose best friend died in the shooting:

鈥淣o brothers or sisters or family members or anyone should ever have to share those texts with anyone. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 here.

鈥� I鈥檓 here to use my voice, because I know [my best friend] can鈥檛. I know he鈥檚 with me, cheering me on to be strong, but it鈥檚 hard. To feel like this, it doesn鈥檛 even feel like a week. Time has stood still 鈥� I can鈥檛 feel comfortable in my country knowing that people have, will have, or ever [are] going to feel like this. I want to feel safe at school鈥� How have we not stopped this after Columbine, after Sandy Hook?鈥�

2. Justin Gruber, 15, a student at Douglas High, on being born after the Columbine shooting:

鈥淚 was born into a world where I never got to experience safety and peace. There needs to be a significant change in this country. This has to never happen again. People should be able to feel that when they go to school, they can be safe鈥� Parents shouldn鈥檛 have to go through the idea of losing their child.鈥�

3. Andrew Pollack, whose:

鈥淲e as a country failed our children鈥� We protect airports. We protect concerts, stadiums, embassies. The Department of Education [building in D.C.] that I walked into today, that has a security guard in the elevator. How do you think that makes me feel? 鈥� I鈥檓 very angry that this happened because it keeps happening鈥�

It鈥檚 not about gun laws right now. Let鈥檚 fix the schools, and then you guys can battle it out [on gun control]鈥� Never, ever will I see my kid. I want that to sink in. It鈥檚 eternity.鈥�

4. Nicole Hockley, whose son Dylan died in the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting:

鈥淓very parent who sends their kid to school should know, without any question in their mind, that they鈥檙e going to be coming home that day. This is not a difficult issue鈥� After Sandy Hook, they said we wouldn鈥檛 let this happen again, and yet it has continued to happen for five years鈥� How many more teenagers, how many more 6- and 7-year-olds can we allow to die?鈥�

5. Christine Hunschofsky, mayor of Parkland, Florida, who also read text messages from two parents who lost children at Douglas:

鈥淲e lost 17 lives, but the ripple effects throughout the community are devastating鈥� These two parents talked about guns, and there are absolutely lots of areas where there is room for improvement [mental health, teacher training] 鈥� but part of that is also the gun issue. It鈥檚 not just those and not the guns. It鈥檚 all of them.鈥�

The participants also discussed several solutions, with some advocating additional shooting drills and training for teachers, more mental health treatments, or laws that would allow authorities to take firearms from people deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.

The president also said he鈥檇 look at 鈥渁ge of purchase鈥� 鈥� the perpetrator, age 19, was able to legally buy a semi-automatic weapon, but 鈥� and 鈥渢he mental health aspect.鈥�

He has also backed a bipartisan measure to boost reporting to the FBI鈥檚 background check system, though the most conservative House Republicans , dooming it in the Senate.

The Parkland incident was the 11th shooting on school grounds that resulted in injury or death in 2018; at least 23 people have been killed and 41 injured, according to 蜜桃影视鈥檚 ongoing tracking of such incidents.

 

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