One of the major issues and debate topics being discussed in the country is the 2nd Amendment and gun debate.
There’s no denying that 2018 has had a lot of school shootings; with over a dozen since the start of the year, including the most infamous of the shootings at Parkland High School.
While the country is still mourning over those lost in the past school shootings, there are many attempting to brainstorm solutions to prevent these events from happening again in the future.
As a result, people such as President Trump and the NRA have been talking about arming teachers with guns, sparking up a new debate. Should teachers be armed with guns in school?
In rural Virginia, Lee County was planning on arming its teachers. The board unanimously voted to arm teachers in all schools on July 12. Mike Kidwell, a Lee County board chair, is confident that there is no legal barriers. However he was wrong, as Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring said that schools do not have authority to arm teachers. “State law does not allow schools to arm unqualified personal and for good reason,” Herring said.
Herring has a good point as teachers do not want to be armed. Facing low pay, high critisim, and a diminishing number of staff, teachers face enough obstacles as it is. Being armed and faced with the responsibility with a gun is the last thing teachers need right now.
Being a supporter of the 2nd Amendment, it would be natural of me to support President Trump’s proposal, but I don’t think that arming the teachers is that great of an idea.
Better ideas could be thought of for the improvement of security in schools. It’s the job of the police officer to take care of situations, like a shooting, not the teacher. Parkland High School’s armed sheriff deputy never encountered the shooter.
A school filled with guns could be used as a deterrent for keeping an attacker away, however, a school filled with guns could also cause an occasional accident. Students will feel uneasy knowing that there are weapons present.
A student could grab the gun and that’s dangerous for all ages, from grade school to high school. Locking a gun in a safe would take a while to open and to act properly.
The teachers should in no way be forced to be armed and held responsible for a weapon in his/her class. A law making this voluntary would have that are comfortable carrying, able to carry.
The schools could also check for and require prior training and professional handling.
Teachers that have a military background or trained with a gun would become more inclined to carry.
I think the counties are better off hiring extra security for schools, as it would be cheaper than training and providing teachers with guns and experience.
Then again, the voluntary aspect of things comes into play as teachers that are already trained and have a weapon wouldn’t need to be provided such things.
There are many possibilities and schools to have ideas tested. New York City spends millions on security and officers in schools and in Texas, the Keene School District allows staff to carry and protect.
Some students believe that some teachers could get angry in class and overreact by grabbing the gun they are provided. While there are plenty of solutions being thought of and put to effect, I don’t believe, and others agree with me as well, that arming teachers isn’t the best of solutions.