So the teacher should have to give up her livelihood because she is a victim? John-John, what else should the victim change in her life because of her abuser? While I am by no means a proponent of the victim carrying a concealed weapon in school, I do believe this victim of abuse should be free to continue in her current employment without having to fear for her life. We should be empowering this woman to stand up for her right to live free from abuse rather than encouraging her to run which only empowers her abuser and helps him succeed in ruining this woman's life.

Witness protection?! Are you kidding me?! This is a Baltimore Sun blog right? What city do you live in fool?
Oh wait.. I see your bio now on the right.

John-John how well do you think police protect victums of spousal abuse?

I lived in Western Massacusetts for quite awhile and the only person to get shot and killed in a decade was a poor woman going to court to get a restraining order against her husband. She didnt think she needed a handgun to protect herself. You think the police would put her witness-protection because she is scared of her husband? Please man get a clue.

Andrew T.,
In no way shape or form do I agree with abuse or making life harder for the victim. I am simply thinking about the other children, co-workers, parents, and countless other people who might be caught in the crossfire.
If this teacher is so worried about her safety, I think that she needs to remove herself from the school setting. What if a student gets their hands on her gun? Does she not bear some type of responsibility for bringing the weapon into the school?
If I was a parent at that school and she was allowed to bring in the gun, I would withdraw my child so fast.... Heck, I think I would withdraw my child if I got a small indication that her crazed husband would show up to work.
Schools are not a place for guns. Plain and simple....

John-John:

I appreciate and share your concerns regarding guns in schools, but I do not agree that the victim should be forced out of her job due to the actions of another. If you were the victim of abuse how would you feel if you were told you couldn't continue to work at the Sun because of fear that your abuser may show up at work and harm you or others? You have worked hard to get where you are and that should not be taken away from you because of someone else's actions.

Unfortunately in today's world victims of abuse are everywhere and I don't believe that as a society we should encourage them to run (as you did in your posting) from their livelihood. Instead I believe that those people that you are most concerned about (co-workers, parents and the countless other people who might be caught in the crossfire) ought to reach out to those in danger and assist in obtaining or providing adequate protection for the victims so that the victims can continue to actively participate in society as teachers, journalists or what have you and contribute to making this world a better place.

Andrew T.,

You are right. Victims are everywhere. The answer is not to arm everyone. The answer is also not to bring guns into the classroom. I would not feel safe if one of my many co-workers brought a gun into work. (Have you been around a reporter on deadline?) In all seriousness, I can't justify a teacher coming into a classroom with a gun each day. It is simply a recipe for disaster.
Teachers are already expected to do a million and one things--packing heat should not be one of them....

Bringing a gun to the school is certainly not the answer here. Having a gun does not make one safer. Period. Think about the number of stories you see in any given year where someone is shot by their own gun.

Also, look at Ronald Reagan. He was shot while surrounded by the best-armed, best-trained personal bodyguards on the planet. Having guns on-hand didn't do him a bit of good.

Claude incorrectly states:

"Having a gun does not make one safer. Period. Think about the number of stories you see in any given year where someone is shot by their own gun."

Uhmm Claude how many is that? Funny, since I read four major newspapers daily (not including this one :) ) and I can't remember the last time I read a story where someone gets shot with their own gun... oh wait.. I remember one.. the armed robber downtown that gets shot with his own gun a couple of weeks ago. Anyhow, you have an interesting theory there pal..

Take a guess at the fraction of incidents where people get shot with their own guns trying to defend themselves compared with the fraction that don't. I'll bet you the first is much much much more unlikely.

So if you want to protect yourself from bullets coming your way Claude what is the best protection then? Trying to block them with your hands? Smiling at them as they hit you in the face? Outrun a bullet in the back? Come on man.. get some sense. Why do you think Reagan had ARMED guards.. so they can shoot back... shoot at bad guys with guns. You think he was less safe because his guards were armed. Idiots like yourself are the ones that are letting this state go to hell.

Cheers.