Should Teachers Be Allowed To Carry Guns?

Throughout the past eight years, the number of school shootings has risen from around ten in 2010 to over 47 since 2016. Security measures are being taken throughout schools: doors must stay closed and locked, and active shooter drills are practiced to prepare students. Though some of these solutions are effective, some of them do more harm than good. President Donald Trump’s decision has been all over recent media, sparking a great controversy. While the idea appeals to some, many more believe it unwise. Teachers should not be allowed to carry guns in school. Allowing teachers to carry guns is detrimental to students comfort and safety. School is a place where children should feel safe and comfortable, and teachers carrying guns will only
Teachers are paid to teach, and they are responsible with educating the children in their class. They certainly are accountable for keeping students safe, but it is not fair to ask them to use a gun, even in self defense. Most times, the shooter is a child, even a student at that school, and most people don’t feel comfortable shooting anyone, let alone a child. Imagine trying to make that decision. You can either shoot, injuring or even killing a child you know very well and may have even taught, or you can hold your fire, possibly putting more children in danger. Teachers should not be asked to do the job of a police officer or other trained professional, someone who is specifically trained to use these weapons. A Los Angeles Times article from February 23, 2018 interviewed teachers to find their opinion on the matter. Heidi Lesemann, a former elementary school teacher said, “Even well trained police officers have been known to shoot and kill an innocent person out of panic. What about a “gun-trained” teacher in a chaotic, terrifying, life threatening situation whose goal is to protect his or her students? What are the chances that “training” will enable the teacher to find the target in a school of screaming, fleeing students?” It is very unlikely a teacher would be able to apprehend the shooter, and it is more likely that they will end up hurting themselves or another person in the building, even if it
They are tired of feeling like they are powerless, and they focus on the “what if,” saying that numerous deaths could have been prevented if the person in question was able to defend themselves. These people don’t want to feel targeted, and they think that arming teachers is the best way to liberate themselves. Truthfully, there are much better ways to protect students and make schools less of a target for possible shootings. Some schools already have the policy of keeping doors locked at all times. Someone has to open it from the inside. Other schools install thicker doors that will better withstand bullets. Another way to prevent shootings is to install bulletproof glass in the windows of the school, and in the windows of the doors. That way, a shooter can’t injure anyone from outside the building or classroom. If you want to make sure that there is someone inside the building who can protect the people inside, a trained police officer could be hired in case a shooter manages to sneak inside. If it wasn’t possible to hurt anyone in the school, there would be no point in the shooter coming in the first place. Schools themselves should try to make sure every student feels happy and comfortable. If they can identify a problem early on, they can give that person help and prevent a horrible tragedy later. There are many solutions to this problem that don’t put the burden on teachers and will still be