Study Hall -- Wednesday, September 28th

[principalconnor.livejournal.com]

Welcome to Wednesday's study hall. I'm in a considerably better mood than yesterday, which mostly means none of you will be getting set on fire today. I reserve the right to threaten you with it, though. You have no fucking idea how entertaining the looks on your faces are when I do that.

*grins wickedly and takes a drag off her cigarette*

The announcements for today --

-- Biff is missing once again from the front of the teachers lounge. If somebody could find that stupid goddamn bear and drag it back, I'd appreciate it. (I won't be rettaching any limbs you might lose, though. That's your fucking problem, not mine.)

-- After the events of last weekend, I'm thinking of lifting the weapons ban. I'll be opening up a discussion section in the comments for those opposed and those for the weapons ban to hash out any differences they might have, any requests they might have for licensing or policing those who wish to carry their weapons, and any other problems they might wish to discuss.

-- Parents Weekend will take place on October 28th, 29th, and 30th. For the record, you may make one new RPG journal for whichever parent, guardian, relation, or mortal enemy you might wish to bring in for your character. These characters cannot already be enrolled in the school or exist in town, and if you can find someone not already involved in the game to play them just for that weekend, all the better. However, these characters will not be allowed posting access on FH or any related communities, they will only be allowed to comment in designated threads -- open houses for classes, the Halloween dance, etc. They're only here to visit for one weekend, folks -- they won't be hanging in the dorms or taking classes or anything. Also, teachers will be allowed to call parent/teacher conferences with any of their students they might wish to meet with (or any "parent" they might wish to interview ... *snerk*).

(OOC: Also, for the record, I'm not playing John Connor anymore -- I've passed him off to someone else. Now he can get a little more play, the poor antisocial bastard. :))

Comments

Re: Weapons Ban

[sharon-valerii.livejournal.com]

*blinks* If guns and knives are being banned and/or requiring registration, why not things like mutant powers and magical abilities and wands? They can all be used to harm others.

Re: Weapons Ban

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with Valerii. Most of the students who carry weapons are less dangerous than those who don't have to.

I've spent my life at the business end of pulse, gauss, laser, and plasma weapons. I'm handy with a knife, and I can do plenty of damages without either.

I have a hot temper, but I have never, and will never, use my weapons in a situation where there is any other choice.

I'm far less convinced that Angelus, say, or Draco, will be as restrained.

Re: Weapons Ban

[positive-angel.livejournal.com]

To be the devil's advocate here...

Yet I've not seen or heard Angelus or Draco make any threats, any threatening moves or display any threatening behavior.

I've seen and heard of guns going off, people getting shot (in the butt accidentally, I'm told), guns being waved in others faces as a 'warning', threats made that they'll 'shoot someone if they...'.

I certainly don't have any guarantee and right now, am far less convinced, that you or anyone else wouldn't use their guns or will be equally as restrained as you seem to be so inclined to distrust any of the magic users.

Just a thought.

Re: Weapons Ban

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

*considers*

I've been known to threaten people. However, I've never threatened anyone who (a) didn't know their way around a weapon (b) would've been afraid to be threatened (c) wasn't perfectly capable of issuing equal threat. That is to say, gunbunnies threaten other gunbunnies with shooting as a joke. Aeryn and I, for example, might well point weapons at each other in the middle of a mock-quarrel or even a real one. But neither of us would be afraid the other would actually shoot.

I threatened Sheppard with a weapon when I was blazingly furious with him, but no one needed to tell me to put the weapon away. I did that on my own. Because I was making a point. Not trying to kill him. He knew it, and I knew it. It's like a rattlesnake shaking its tail.

I suppose for someone who sees a weapon as something separate from its wielder might find this hard to understand. But my weapons are a part of me. If you take them away... I'm not me. More than that, I'm much more dangerous to you and everyone else if I have to come up with sneaky ways to defend myself.

and I won't even mention that there are people like Angelus who thrive on the threats.

Re: Weapons Ban

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

My door is NOT a gunbunny.

Re: Weapons Ban

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

*blush* Uh. Sorry? We were very careful not to shoot YOU.

Re: Weapons Ban

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Super x-ray vision?

Re: Weapons Ban

[positive-angel.livejournal.com]

If you wish to intimidate me into staying far from you, you've succeeded, whether you are carrying a gun or not.

The fact that you did pull a gun on Sheppard makes a deeper impression on me than your 'responsibility' of not having to be told to put it away.

If you have to pull a gun to make your point...at that point there is no stopping you from pulling the trigger, just as there seems to be no stopping a magic user from whipping out their magic-fu...except personal and responsible restraint.

If you want that consideration for using guns, it's a dicey proposition but only fair in the face of the magic users and having to rely on their personal and responsible restraint.

At some point, a bit of trust on both sides of the magic users vs. weapons users will have to be given, or this whole thing will never work.

And it still leaves those of us who choose to stay unarmed caught in a very fearful position. We have to exhibit the most trust of all, that neither the weapon users or the magic users will lift their personal and responsible restraints against us - who have no way to fight back at all.

Re: Weapons Ban

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

It's a fair point. I'll grant that it makes a frightening impression for those who live in a different world where weapons aren't the norm.

*considers*

We are having a conversation, are we not? And we're disagreeing. Yet I've not even raised my voice. I'm not trigger-happy. I don't threaten innocents. I protect them.

If you check my reputation, you'll see that aside from occasional trashtalk with equal force users, what I do is wander around protecting my girls from anything that might hurt them. Not a villain here. *shrug*

Scary, perhaps. But not a villain.

As for trusting mages, Paige is one of my best friends. Illyana who may be the most deadly person in the school, is my roommate. I'm not actually angling for a fight with them. I'm suggesting, rather, that it's unfair and dangerous that they keep their weapons because they cannot physically be separated from theirs, while I must be stripped of mine because I can.

...

You have wings, yes?

Re: Weapons Ban

[positive-angel.livejournal.com]

My apologies if I said you were a villian. That was not my intent.

I am trying to point out that there is still a level of hysteria here, not against the 'common enemy' of zombies or tentacle monsters or the creeping green ooze, but against other students. And if I'm hearing you right, against only specific students.

Something I think can be handled by the implementing of rules and regulations for all those who have 'offensive arts' (guns, blades, magic, martial arts) and if it becomes too personal, taking it to the principal for her to sort out. It requires everyone to be responsible.

That there can be a level of agreement once the finger pointing stops of 'they're more dangerous than I am, see how responsible I've been? I have no guarantee they are responsible too' and solutions are put forward instead of arguing to arm for protection against each other.

Which is what I'm still hearing.

I am in agreement with you, though. I think it's unfair and dangerous as well for one segment of the student population to be armed and not the other. So where does that leave those of us who are not armed?

And yes. I have wings. They aren't visible all the time because they make getting through doorways difficult.

Re: Weapons Ban

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angelus's attention was caught as he heard his name being mentioned. He looked up from his chair over by Bel, but otherwise did not interrupt the conversation.

Re: Weapons Ban

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

Beka catches Angelus's eye and smirks. She mouths, "Help me out, bad boy. You know you'd hate it if I didn't have weaponry."

Re: Weapons Ban

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angelus points to his chest in a parody of someone at a concert who can't believe they're being asked to come on stage. He then scribbles something on a piece of notebook paper, folds it up, and flicks it over to her.

It says:

Sure you want that help in public, kitten? I can if you want, but there's those who might suggest I'm better kept behind the scenes.

[ooc: About to run off to lunch for an hour. He can join after if you want.]

Re: Weapons Ban

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

Beka shakes her head at the vamp. He thinks he's so tough, but he's such a puppy for a tough-girl. Except the part about when he gets evil and tries to kill her. The thought is nowhere near as sobering as it ought to be.

She smoothes out the paper and reads. Smirks. "Kitten". She likes that. She also wishes that Jack would call her something as sexy and appropriate.

Pulling a pen from behind her ear, Beka writes:

The scenes are not what I want you behind. But, yes, I suppose you're right. Don't let it go to your head.

Re: Weapons Ban

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

(OOC but IC: A small point of clarification here. I'm picking on Angelus and Draco not because they're paranormal. Rather because they're evil. I don't know any of the evil gunbunnies. If I did, I'd pick on them too.)

Re: Weapons Ban

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

Weapons are a choice. People who have inherent powers don't have that choice. Discrimination on that basis is not going to be tolerated and any student arguing that they need to defend themselves from their fellow students because they're different is going to earn their Journalism Professor's utmost and utter contempt.

Re: Weapons Ban

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

I'm not arguing that we need to be able to defend ourselves because they're different. I'm actually saying we're not that different. My weapons are every bit as much a part of me as Draco's magic is of him.

...

I can barely sleep dirtside because I've lived in space my entire life. When I'm not armed, it's like...ghosts. I feel them. They should be there. But they aren't.

Re: Weapons Ban

[janet_fraiser]

Can we make everyone wear a special symbol to indicate what they've registered? Gun pins for firearms, and swords for bladed weapon users, and the magic-users can wear tiny wands, while the mutants just get boring old "m" pins.

And then we can reallocate dorm rooms so that the mutants all room together, the wizards have their own section, the firearm wielders get their special area, as do the bladed weapon users.

We can let the people with none of the above run around wherever they want, but let's make sure they all paint the word "normal" on their foreheads every day so we know to be extra-super careful around them.

The irony and historical references might be lying thick upon the ground here.

Re: Weapons Ban

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

Heck, why not register everyone's abilities and then tattoo their file number on their forearm? Got to keep track of these things, you know.

Re: Weapons Ban

[janet_fraiser]

Brilliant idea. Want to talk to me about some modifications to the showers in the school too?

Hi. Janet Fraiser. *holds out hand* Nice to meet you. I already like you.

Re: Weapons Ban

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

*shakes her hand* Kitty Pryde. Nice to meet you. This stuff's kind of a big issue where I come from, 'cause a lotta people have special abilities.

Re: Weapons Ban

[janet_fraiser]

And possibly not everyone is responsible with them? *nods sympathetically* I still don't think it's fair to punish everyone for a few bad apples. Glad to hear you agree.

So I haven't seen you around. Been keeping quiet mostly?

OOC: Kitty! Squee!

Re: Weapons Ban

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

Not all mutant powers are harmful. Mine isn't. I just pass through things. Why should I have to register?

Plus, a lot of things, like wands, can be used for good as well as harm. Are we going to ban the knives in the kitchen? Bolt all furniture to the walls so it can't be thrown? Replace all glass mirrors with warped steel ones?

It can be done. They do it in prisons. But we're not prisoners, and we shouldn't be punished.

Why not reinstate the weapons for everyone, set down rules for usage, then if anyone violates that, they lose their weapons and the rights to use anyone else's?

Re: Weapons Ban

[can_be_more]

You said it much better than I could. Thank you.

Re: Weapons Ban

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

And even if they are harmful - there has to be a certain amount of trust. Your fellow students could kill you by pushing you down the stairs or putting poison in your food, but they don't. Having special abilities doesn't turn you into a monster.

Plus, registration will just highlight the kids with dangerous abilities and leave them open to harassment.