Should teachers be armed in the classroom?
Is the answer to the gun problem in this nation to add more guns? Some people think so.
After multiple tragic school shootings since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, including the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, many Americans believe that arming school teachers with guns may be a solution to this growing problem.
Although some people claim they would feel safer knowing that teachers are armed in the face of an emergency, there are too many risks associated with allowing teachers to have guns in the classroom such as in Kentucky and Texas.
Many places that have ruled in favor of this action assure the public that in order for a teacher to be permitted to have a gun, they will undergo intensive training that will qualify them to have a firearm in their possession in a school setting. However, can the intensive training that policemen undergo for years to earn their firearm privilege really be crammed into a weekend of training for teachers?
According to the Huffington Post, following the tragic Sandy Hook shooting, eighteen states allowed teachers to keep a gun in the classroom.
It is admirable for a teacher to want to defend their students in a state of emergency, but the issue then arises as to where the firearm will be kept. If it is kept on the body of the teacher, it could be very intimidating to students or a student could potentially take it. Also, if the teacher ever accidentally leaves the gun unattended, the students would be at risk. Additionally, if the gun is locked up, it would not serve as much aid in a dire situation because it would not be easily and quickly accessible.
Another issue that surfaces is the danger of issuing blind trust in any profession. No one wants to think about it, but certain teachers could be capable of things that some never thought possible. There is no way of knowing how a teacher will handle certain situations and responsibilities until they are faced with them.
Sadly, teachers are often in the news for crimes such as inappropriate contact with students. It is impossible to determine what certain teachers may be capable of if they have a gun in their possession. If a student becomes violent, would their first reaction be to reach for the gun?
Accidents are also a big concern with entrusting guns to teachers. According to the Huffington Post, in 2014 a teacher in Utah accidentally shot herself in the leg while in a faculty restroom. Not only are the students potentially in danger, but so are the teachers.
According to the Huffington Post, 72.4% of teachers who took an online poll stated they would not want to bring a firearm to school. As Chet Linton, the chief executive officer of the teacher-training company that administered this survey stated, those teachers “are the ones that are living with the risk as it relates to school safety and violence.”
While teachers may be able to fight back in a state of emergency with a firearm, there are too many risks and liabilities with this plan. The potential cost is much greater than the gain.
I am 17 years old and a senior at Naugy. I have been dancing for 14 years. After high school I plan to go to college for meteorology.
Ofc DaSilva • May 10, 2016 at 9:26 am
How about other staff members that are not teachers being armed? Custodial, admin assistants etc or armed security guards? What’s your thoughts on that?
Brianna Durante • May 13, 2016 at 1:02 pm
I think that if they are properly trained and equipped to handle a firearm, then security guards should be allowed to be armed because it is there job, along with policemen to protect students in the school. However, I don’t think that custodians and admin assistants should be allowed to carry a firearm in the building. Nothing against them, but I believe only properly trained and experienced adults should be armed in the school setting and that the more people who have a firearm in school, the more opportunity for mishaps and accidents.