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
make students anxious, ruining their focus and affecting how well they learn. There is also the danger that the teacher will pull a gun on a student, however unlikely, resulting in the exact situation the school was trying to prevent. On March 5, 2018, the Chicago Tribune published a letter from a student, Beth Clow, about her opinion on teachers carrying guns. She said, “As a student, I would not feel safe going to school when teachers are armed. A number of things could go wrong, such as an accidental firing of the gun, a student getting ahold of the gun, or a teacher firing at a student. Instead, students and teachers should focus on positive ways to help students deal with crisis situations. We should focus on working together and coming up with solutions that help everyone who’s in crisis before violent acts occur.”
Not only is it unfair to students, it is unfair to teachers as well.
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
was an accident. In addition, the reasoning behind a teacher carrying a gun is very weak. If the teacher was a responsible gun owner, they would have the gun securely locked away, to prevent any accidental shots or discharges from the gun. If a shooter comes into the building, the time it takes for them to unlock and ready the gun would cancel out its usefulness. If the teacher didn’t have the gun locked away, then it creates an even bigger security risk. A student could steal the gun, or a teacher could shoot a student. Furthermore, a teacher armed with a pistol is not going to be able to stop a shooter with a military-grade weapon. When you stop and actually think about it, the idea seems ludicrous. The idea of teachers carrying guns is not thought through and actually very dangerous. Many celebrities, such as Taylor Swift, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and Oprah Winfrey agree, according to an article on CTV News published this year. However, some believe that arming teachers is a smart idea.
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
effective. Overall, allowing teachers to carry guns would do more harm than good. Teachers are trained to teach, not to apprehend a gunman. There are many risks that come with a teacher carrying a concealed weapon, and some students would not feel comfortable knowing that a teacher is armed with a gun. Other, more productive security measures, will keep students safer without the unnecessary hazards of an armed teacher. Instead, schools should do what they can to prepare students for these types of situations, and make sure to identify and help any children who might be having a hard time because of school, family, etc. If schools install some of this security, students and staff can stop fearing an attack and focus on what school should be all about: educating children, helping them understand the world around them, and allowing to become the best versions of themselves they can be.