Saying that the state of Illinois is notoriously anti-gun is kind of like saying Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is advanced in age. Both are technically accurate, but also wildly understate the reality.

In fact, the state is so anti-gun that they are apparently more interested in being anti-gun than taking a common-sense step to protect children in the event of a mass shooting.

You see, the state association of school boards has voted against arming teachers.

The Illinois Association of School Boards, a voluntary organization which represents over 99 percent of school boards in the state, voted down a proposed resolution on Saturday which would have endorsed arming teachers to bolster school safety.

In a 249-198 vote, delegates decided against calling on the association to promote legislation which would permit local school boards to implement armed teacher programs at their schools. A separate resolution calling on the association to advocate for legislation promoting the use of school resource officers was approved.

Illinois law does not explicitly authorize district employees to carry weapons in school, nor does it delegate the authority to make such a decision to local boards.

Activists with the gun-control group Moms Demand Action and members of the Illinois Federation of Teachers had protested against the adoption of the resolution outside the conference earlier on Saturday.

You know, it’s hilarious to me. The very people who decry preemption laws by saying local communities should have the power to determine their own gun laws almost unanimously oppose measures that would allow local school boards to determine if teachers should be armed.

Hysterical.

Now, I framed this as the association opposing keeping kids safe. That might be a tad unfair. You see, I don’t think they believe for an instant that was what they were voting for. Quite the contrary, in fact. They think this is how to keep kids safe.

However, we can point to numerous school shootings all over the state that would suggest existing laws declaring schools as off-limits for firearms to be less than useless. Bad people are still going to carry guns onto school property if they so wish.

Allowing teachers to be armed, though, changes things. It puts guns in the hands of people who have undergone extensive background checks and, in most cases, specialized training to meet these threats.

I’m under no delusions here. I don’t expect teachers to throw their lives between a gunman and my kids simply because they’re my kids. No, I expect them to act out of a desire to defend their own lives. That will, by extension, protect children.

Would-be school shooters are still going to come on campus. You’re not going to stop them with harsher penalties or anything else.

No, you need someone on campus that can shoot them in the face the moment they start crap. The person most likely to be there when they do? A teacher.

The sooner these people wake up to that fact, the sooner we can get to work protecting children from the depraved bastards that would take their life in exchange for infamy.