BCOM 275 Debate Paper
Debate Paper
Melissa McCarthy
BCOM 275
October 20, 2013
Kimberly Boyd
Debate Paper
Whether or not armed security guards should be in schools has been a debate for years but has really been brought into the limelight since the most recent tragedies of Columbine, Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook. The supporters of having armed security in our school districts believe that it is a needed layer of security and helps to diminish response time if necessary while keeping children, parents and teachers feeling safer to be in school. The ones against having guns in the schools believe that we have had armed guards in schools and it did nothing to stop it. They also believe that the cost is too high while also worrying about their children’s psyche from being around loaded weapons every day. No matter which side you are on, there are great arguments for both sides that are logical as well as emotional and it is everyone’s job to listen to all of the information that is available and make their decision based on what they feel is the best choice. That choice could be one of the most important decisions that they ever make because it could mean the difference between life and death.
Sandy Hook Elementary School, Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, and the University of Texas at Austin were some of the most televised and the deadliest school shootings that have ever occurred in the United States. Since 1992, there have been over 387 school shootings which are way too many for the United States which poses the question, why did these tragedies happen in the first place? If we had armed security guards or a military/police presence at our institutions of development and higher learning would these tragedies have been prevented or could there have been less loss of life? The answer is that having an armed guard would not have prevented these attacks from individuals whose entire intention was to commit murder. Look at Columbine and
Melissa McCarthy
BCOM 275
October 20, 2013
Kimberly Boyd
Debate Paper
Whether or not armed security guards should be in schools has been a debate for years but has really been brought into the limelight since the most recent tragedies of Columbine, Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook. The supporters of having armed security in our school districts believe that it is a needed layer of security and helps to diminish response time if necessary while keeping children, parents and teachers feeling safer to be in school. The ones against having guns in the schools believe that we have had armed guards in schools and it did nothing to stop it. They also believe that the cost is too high while also worrying about their children’s psyche from being around loaded weapons every day. No matter which side you are on, there are great arguments for both sides that are logical as well as emotional and it is everyone’s job to listen to all of the information that is available and make their decision based on what they feel is the best choice. That choice could be one of the most important decisions that they ever make because it could mean the difference between life and death.
Sandy Hook Elementary School, Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, and the University of Texas at Austin were some of the most televised and the deadliest school shootings that have ever occurred in the United States. Since 1992, there have been over 387 school shootings which are way too many for the United States which poses the question, why did these tragedies happen in the first place? If we had armed security guards or a military/police presence at our institutions of development and higher learning would these tragedies have been prevented or could there have been less loss of life? The answer is that having an armed guard would not have prevented these attacks from individuals whose entire intention was to commit murder. Look at Columbine and
References: Think progress. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/ Debate.org. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.debate.org/ Strauss, S. (2013, January 13). Five concerns about armed guards in schools. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-strauss/armed-guards-in-schools_b_2468810.html Lichtblau, E. (2012, December 21). NRA envisions a good guy with a gun in every school. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/22/us/nra-calls-for-armed-guards-at-schools.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1381165204-LWeUqLnNpL6jREfnoIVwvg&pagewanted=all= Gray, K. (2013, May). Can more armed guards keep our school safe. Salon magazine, (), . Retrieved from http://www.salon.com/2013/05/07/can_more_armed_guards_keep_our_schools_safe_partner/ Malone, S. (Moderator). (2013). Gun violence [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from A public health crisis website: http://theforum.sph.harvard.edu/events/gun-violence/ Resmovits, J. (2013, April 3) Indiana Bill Would Require Armed Guards In Schools. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/03/indiana-armed-guards-schools_n_3009778.html Stolberg, S.G. (2013, April 3) NRA Details Plan to Put Armed Guards in Schools. The Boston Globe. Retrieved from http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2013/04/02/nra-proposes-armed-guards-all-schools/km6zNFqQte5paMBCclcTGO/story.html