Granite got it right on guns

For many school teachers and administrators, guns in the schools are a deadly infection. And just as antibodies rush to surround an invading disease, the Granite School District has surrounded those guns with an army of regulations.

The law now permits concealed weapon permit holders to bring their firearms to school without the administration's consent. But Granite has added a few caveats.

In Granite schools, permit holders may not discuss their weapons.

Permit holders must keep their weapons on their person at all times.

And the school refuses any responsibility for damages. A gun-toter who gets sued is on his own.

Violators of the school policy risk being terminated.

The Jordan School District, among others, is considering similar restrictions.

School is no place for weapons. Picture a child studying Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence from a man who is packing hidden heat. The image is ludicrous.

We encourage school districts to do what they must to limit the scope of firearms in public schools.

Nevertheless, the battle over concealed weapons in Utah always seems to beg a bigger question:

Who are these people in our community who feel so threatened they must carry deadly weapons into classrooms and churches? Most 98-pound grade-school teachers feel no need to arm themselves.

Why is the "holster set" such a bundle of nerves?

The widows sitting on the back row of the chapel know the world is dangerous. But they don't carry pistols.

Why do some fear the worshipper sitting next to them is such a terrible threat?

Psychologists would likely conclude that people who feel vulnerable without a deadly weapon strapped to their bodies are dealing with issues much larger than gun rights. One has to wonder if such intimidated souls would have the wherewithal to act responsibly in an emergency. Should they draw and fire, who knows what they'd hit. Stray bullets from trained police officers often end up in the cars and homes of innocent bystanders.

Our school kids are already anxious enough without having to worry about the skittish nerves and wobbly aim of the hidden weapons crowd.