Ohio Legislation Poised to Arm Teachers With Minimal Training
In the terribly gerrymandered state, extreme firearm policies likely to become law
I was a young mom with a toddler in preschool when I attended a committee hearing at the Ohio Statehouse for a bill, that among other shocking moves, aimed to expand concealed carry to daycares (unless the daycare explicitly banned firearms). A few moments from that hearing still stick vividly in my mind. All but one member of the committee rushed out to tend to other obligations — or merely left — when those daycare providers, advocates, and law enforcement officers speaking in opposition to the bill stood to speak. I assumed the one remaining representative had to stay for the hearing to be considered valid, though it also seemed true that there was no forcing our state legislators to listen to the differing opinion of the majority in the room.
The state representatives returned when the small number in support had their chance to speak. They thanked them graciously, nodded along.
Another moment sticks in my mind. A retired police officer rose to speak against the bill. She wondered to what end a person might carry a firearm into a daycare full of jostling children. Perhaps they envisioned themselves acting a hero if there were trouble, if a bad guy…
