More voices in the discussion on guns

Since the recent shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, and at the Clackamas Town Center in Portland, much has been said about gun control and gun rights. Here’s a small sampling of what’s come across my desk:

The Clark County Republican Party has hardened its stance on gun rights, issuing a resolution stating it might not support candidates in the future who seek new restrictions on gun ownership.

According to the resolution, the party’s board “may refuse to support and may condemn and/or recruit opposition to, any holder of public office and any candidate for public office who the Board finds has taken any action to infringe, impair or usurp our Natural and Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, regardless of party affiliation.” You can read the entire resolution here.

Meanwhile, a teacher from Steilacoom, Wash., has released a report showing that most of the state’s K-12 teachers have “little enthusiasm for guns in school.” That teacher, Andrew Milton, decided to poll the state’s school teachers about carrying guns at school after state Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, said she’s considering a bill that would allow them to do so.

Milton polled 180 randomly-selected school staff from districts across the state. Seventy-four percent said they strongly disagreed with the statement: “I would carry a gun at school if it were allowed.” Additionally, nearly 59 percent said they strongly disagreed with the statement: “If adults could carry guns at school, schools would be safer.”

You can read more about Milton’s methodology, and other results from his poll, here.

Lastly, the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium will make a stop in Battle Ground in March to train emergency responders on how to handle a mass-casualty crisis. Material for the eight-hour course is certified by the federal Department of Homeland Security.

“In these times of crisis, small, rural communities are often ill-equipped with facilities to manage large numbers of casualties,” according to a news release sent out by the consortium.

School shootings have been a big topic at similar trainings taking place across the nation. You can learn more about the upcoming Battle Ground training here.

Stevie Mathieu: 360-735-4523 or stevie.mathieu@columbian.com or www.facebook.com/reportermathieu or www.twitter.com/col_politics