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I agree with the fact that there is a HUGE gap between spanking and abuse!!!!!  Another thing that really bothers me, is that it seems to me that there are a whole lot of people who want to use the word beatings in place of spanking.  Please see sentence 1.  Children must learn to respect others (especially authority figures), know boundaries and realize that there are consequences for their actions!   We are parents for a reason!  We are there to raise children to be good people and productive citizens in this world, not to raise the type of kids that a lot of these talk shows are about!  I don't look at statistics or what this literature says or that, because most of these studies are biased one way or another.  Here's what I know, I was spanked growing up when I needed it,  and I grew up very well, as has most of my friends/relatives who were raised the same way.  If you look back and look at now, most of us were probably spanked and now it is politically incorrect to discipline your child.  Seldom do I have to spank one of my 5 children, but I count to 3 and 3 is not their number!  One good swat usually takes care of it.  The bottom line is that people need to raise their children according to the bible not books!

I don't know about Texas, but I know in my state, for one there are stringent rules for acquiring a handgun and also for acquiring a conceal and carry permit.  If a teacher has gone through these measures to protect my child from the harm of others, then I am in favor of it.  As a general rule, criminal minds won't go through with the rules to acquire a gun properly.   The last thing I could think of wanting to do is shooting a child, but if that child/or adult has placed themself in the situation where I could injure one person to protect the rest, then I would do it.  Personally, I think that all law abiding citizens should conceal and carry, then the real criminals would think twice about robbing, assaulting or shooting people.   Also, in my absence at schools, teachers are the authority figure for my children, I expect the schools to protect my children with whatever means necessary. 

What is wrong with kids/families in America today?  Don't parents teach their kids to be respectful especially of adults?  My children know better than to do anything that will get attention from the bus driver that would turn the attention to us at home, because we have taught them to respect adults and people.  My kids are not to start trouble or pick on others, because there are consequences for their actions.  Now, they are not perfect, but there are no bus brawls. 

My children were in a deadly bus wreck almost 5 years ago.  As it turned out, they believe that the bus drivers attention was diverted by a student who was up standing by him to get kleenex, therefore he was not able to see the city truck in front of him that had black cold pack tar (it looked like the road) and he hit it.  2 people died.  I never blamed the bus driver, b/c he was doing the best he could by trying to attend to the needs of the students and watch the road at the same time.   By the way, that was the most traumatic day in my life. 

Parents are to raise their children to be good and decent people.  We need to take a good hard look at what we are teaching our children and stop blaming others for our shortcomings.  Now, this is not a generalization because I know there are kids with issues, but seriously, make the kids accountable for their actions, so that they know there are consequences.