Some Utah legislators urge more guns to make schools safer

Utah House » Friday’s mass shooting in Connecticut prompts calls for a formal study of what others are doing.

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"It was just resoundingly no," she said. "I’m not speaking for all teachers, but I feel that most teachers do not want to be armed or feel comfortable that they would have the level of training that a trained officer would have."

She said a review of safety procedures, like McCay is requesting, would be a good idea, and she is trying to organize a forum where teachers, mental health professionals, gun rights advocates, parents and others could discuss the issues surrounding school safety.

She acknowledges that, given Utah’s overwhelmingly Republican Legislature, changing the state’s gun laws is highly unlikely.

Oda said he doesn’t think any additional gun laws are warranted, either at the state or federal level, and contends that gun laws only affect responsible gun owners, not those who might go on a rampage.

"None of the 20,000-plus gun laws in the United States have ever saved a life," he said. "Those laws are only restrictive against a law-abiding citizen."

He said the mental health profession — which is too quick to prescribe mood-altering medication to students — bears part of the blame for shooting sprees.

"We’re too quick to medicate our youth," he said. "Then you add violent video games on top of that when their minds are already screwed up and they’re going to lose touch with reality.… The mental health industry has not done their job."

"I think that’s something we’re going to have to address, but I don’t want to base anything on panic like the Obama administration is doing" in calling for gun control, Oda said. "There’s no logic to what they’re doing."

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