Letter: Is the Indiana GOP really about empowering Hoosier parents

House Bill 1177 was introduced in the Indiana House to allow state-funded teacher firearms training.

While I am not thrilled with the prospect of teachers having handguns, I do support a measure that if they are allowed they have access to training. One thing worse than a teacher with a gun is an untrained teacher with a gun.

Regardless, this will likely result in incidents like the one in Texas where a superintendent left his gun in the bathroom where it was later found by a 3rd-grade student. Fortunately, a teacher was told about it quickly. Unfortunately, the teacher sent another student to check if it was real.

With that possibility a reality, parents should be aware of which teachers are carrying. However, in stark contrast to the typical “parental rights” and “school choice” rhetoric, the GOP leadership rejected such an amendment.

Rejecting the parent’s right to know. It is enough to make you wonder if it was really ever about empowering Hoosier parents.

Matt Johnson, Jasper

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/indiana-republicans-inch-closer-state-funded-firearms-training-teachers https://www.thestatehousefile.com/politics/house-rejects-amendment-that-would-notify-parents-if-a-teacher-is-carrying/article_7944bb04-abe2-11ed-8066-eb7f012869ab.html https://www.wjhl.com/news/you-cant-mistake-a-life-texas-parents-voice-concern-over-gun-found-in-elementary-bathroom/