400 Ohio Teachers, Administrators and School Board Members Attend Seminar on School Killings

Mar 25, 2013
Editor's Note: Today's feature was supplied to us by Buckeye Firearms Foundation (BFF). Their teacher instruction is quickly becoming a model for other states. It's real-world for teachers frequently removed from a "real world" where bad things happen to good people. On Saturday, March 16th, a group of 400 educators gathered at the Villa Milano Banquet and Conference Center in Columbus, Ohio to listen to Lt. Col. Dave Grossman talk to them about violence.
Billed as a "mind training" seminar, the presentation lasted more than seven hours and sought to teach these professionals about the motivations and methods of mass school killers in the U.S. and around the world. Many of those attending said it was a life-changing experience. "I was so naive," said one educator from central Ohio who preferred to remain anonymous. "I came here thinking that all these mass school murders could be stopped if we passed a few new laws. But now I realize that won't help at all. And we have to get serious about making our schools safe and stop playing politics." Jim Irvine, President of Buckeye Firearms Foundation, which sponsored the event, said this was the most amazing day of his life. "We've been sponsoring these seminars for years," said Irvine. And every year, we invite educators. It's been impossible to get more than two or three to attend. They were all in denial about the reality of school violence. But after Newtown, something changed. This year instead of two or three, we had a full house of 400 teachers, administrators, and school board members. Their eyes have been opened and they're ready to change how we think about dealing with these horrific events." Irvine said this was not a "Second Amendment" crowd, but ordinary teachers from all over the state and a few from neighboring states. "These are the men and women who teach our kids, coach the football team, and run the schools here in Ohio." Recognized as an expert on societal violence, Col. Dave Grossman shared the gruesome details of several mass school killings in the United States, including Newtown and Columbine, and others around the world, such as the infamous massacre in Beslan, Russia. And he explained why more such incidents are likely to happen, which he predicts will be much worse unless dramatic changes are made in how American school systems think about safety. Throughout the presentation, educators openly wept. A few left the room, before returning minutes later to hear more. "This was a rough day for many people here," said Irvine. "It's hard to have your illusions shattered and face this kind of evil head-on. But I'm proud that all 400 educators stuck it out and walked away better informed and ready to go back into the classroom with a more realistic mindset. This is just the beginning. We're tired of the denial in our schools and now we're doing something about it." According to Irvine, Buckeye Firearms Foundation will run 24 educators through an intensive three-day firearms course very soon. And they have a waiting list of more than 1,400 other educators who have applied for this training. The Foundation is currently raising money for several more courses, which will include responding with force to active school killers and live-saving medical training. When asked if school boards will allow armed teachers in schools, Irvine responded, "We already have armed teachers in school right now. It's already happening in schools across Ohio. Like I've said before, we're done debating this. The discussion is over." Buckeye Firearms Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization. # # # For more information, please visit www.BuckeyeFirearms.org.