Arm Our Teachers With…
February 27, 2018
President Trump told a group of students and family members affected by gun violence on Wednesday, February 21 that he would support arming our teachers and coaches as a way to stop mass shootings like the one that left 17 dead in Parkland, Florida.
The problem is, the teachers don’t want to be armed. Not with guns. Our teachers signed up to be educators, not armed guards ready to take that kill shot on a student they have nurtured and educated for years.
We’ve always heard, “The only way to stop a bad guy is a good guy with a gun.” In the case of Parkland Florida, there were four “good guys” with a gun. There were four armed sheriffs on the scene, trained for this situation. They didn’t act. Four Broward County Sheriff Deputies did not enter the building while teachers and students were being slaughtered.
If a trained police force didn’t take action, how can we expect a history teacher to look a student in the eye and fire off a kill shot?
If teachers had guns in the school, there would inevitably be accidental shootings. A teacher in a Pennsylvania Christian school in Chambersburg accidentally left her loaded pistol in an elementary school bathroom. Children, ages 6 and 8, found it and reported it to their parents and another teacher. The results could have been tragic. A teacher at a Utah Elementary School accidentally shot herself in the leg while using the restroom. While an Idaho professor accidentally shot himself in the foot.
Fortunately, in all these cases, no students were harmed.
Let’s imagine there was an active shooter in the school, the SWAT team comes with guns blazing into the school and tries to determine who has the gun. SWAT sees a person with a gun, they feel threatened, there is chaos, and they pull the trigger. Later it’s determined that the person was the school beloved English teacher who was just trying to “protect the children.”
Moreover, most school shooters are already prepared to die by police officers, so now it will be death by the football coach. How is this a deterrent?
We don’t live in a wealthy school district. Spending has been cut on educational programs. Our teachers don’t always have the necessary supplies they need to run their classrooms. Every year, teachers reach into their own pockets to pay for things like tissues, pencils, paper and glue sticks. Now, President Trump is waving some extra money around to the teachers to train them to be an armed security force. Where was this money when we needed it for education? What will the insurance premiums look like for a school district that decides to arm teachers? Someone is going to need to pay for it. Property taxes will have to be raised to make up for the higher premiums.
Of course, it seems everyone has an opinion about arming teachers but forgot to ask, well, the teachers.
Here’s what a few longtime educators in our school had to say:
“I am against arming teachers. I feel like it’s adding more danger,” said TAHS Principal Thomas Yoder, “What if a student wrestles the gun away from a teacher? Most school shootings happen in five minutes or less. The teacher would have to have the gun strapped on and loaded. Odds are, the gunman will already be gone.”
“I don’t think teachers should be armed. I think if we should have anybody be armed, it should be trained professionals guarding the school. Our teachers shouldn’t have to be trained. There is a big difference between training and experience,” said Economics/World Geography teacher Cummins McNitt.
“I understand why some people want to have teachers armed, and I’m honored that students and members of the community trust us enough to do such a thing, but I don’t think it’s fair or reasonable to ask teachers to add security guard/policeman to their already long list of job responsibilities,” said social studies teacher and Eagle Eye adviser Todd Cammarata.
“We are here to be educators,” said Mrs. Cynthia Isenberg.
So if not guns, what should we arm our teachers with?
Arm our teachers with resources to be able to educate their students.
Arm them with time to be able to develop relationships with their students and spot possible issues with anyone being bullied.
Arm them with mental health counselors at the school who can work with troubled students.
Parents, arm them with your attention, put down your phone and listen to the teacher when they say that they are seeing a problem with your child in the classroom.
Teachers came into this job because they love learning. Give them the resources to be able to do their job effectively. If you want an armed security team, hire one.
Caleb Orr • Mar 2, 2018 at 9:06 am
I have noticed that your argument has many flaws in it to which I would like to introduce to other people on this page concerned about the safety of our students. First of all, I would like to let you know that the way I feel the most safe in schools is being guarded by a highly trained officer like our very own Officer Bub. I understand that this article is about arming or teachers, but the most important question is, “should we have guns in school?”
Quote: “The problem is, the teachers don’t want to be armed. Not with guns. Our teachers signed up to be educators, not armed guards ready to take that kill shot on a student they have nurtured and educated for years.”
Answer: That isn’t necessarily true. Unless you have personally asked every teacher in the school district this question, you don’t know that “teachers don’t want to be armed.” Also, when you say that teachers may not be prepared to kill one of their own students, couldn’t it be also said that teachers could not stand to watch their students they have nurtured and educated for years be shot dead? Wouldn’t they want to protect them as well?
Quote: “We’ve always heard, “The only way to stop a bad guy is a good guy with a gun.” In the case of Parkland Florida, there were four “good guys” with a gun. There were four armed sheriffs on the scene, trained for this situation. They didn’t act. Four Broward County Sheriff Deputies did not enter the building while teachers and students were being slaughtered.”
Answer: There are many cases of trained officers with guns acting in these situations. The results of one mass shooting does not prove that every officer would freeze in the situation.
Quote: “If teachers had guns in the school, there would inevitably be accidental shootings. A teacher in a Pennsylvania Christian school in Chambersburg accidentally left her loaded pistol in an elementary school bathroom. Children, ages 6 and 8, found it and reported it to their parents and another teacher. The results could have been tragic. A teacher at a Utah Elementary School accidentally shot herself in the leg while using the restroom. While an Idaho professor accidentally shot himself in the foot. Fortunately, in all these cases, no students were harmed.”
Answer: If we had highly trained officers like Officer Bub, then this wouldn’t happen. For example, a teacher could back over a student in the parking lot of the school, but we allow cars on the property of our school because the odds of that happening are beyond ridiculous. In that case, should we ban cars from the school parking lot? Guns have many features to make them safe. Officer’s guns have a holster that hides the trigger, a safety on the gun that prevents the trigger from being pulled, and the gun must be primed before shooting. In the case of a car, the teacher looks back, changes gears, and accelerates. Each have three steps to provide safety, but others choose to look at guns differently.
Quote: “Let’s imagine there was an active shooter in the school, the SWAT team comes with guns blazing into the school and tries to determine who has the gun. SWAT sees a person with a gun, they feel threatened, there is chaos, and they pull the trigger. Later it’s determined that the person was the school beloved English teacher who was just trying to “protect the children.”
Moreover, most school shooters are already prepared to die by police officers, so now it will be death by the football coach. How is this a deterrent?”
Answer: This is why highly trained officers would be a necessity. In your article says in the quotes of Mr. Yoder, “Most school shootings happen in five minutes or less.” A SWAT team or even the police would take about that long to get here, so that is why we need guns INSIDE the schools. The Officers would be able to identify themselves to other Officers through their uniforms, so this problem would virtually be eliminated. Also, in the case of the Parkland shooting, the shooter DID NOT die.
Quote: “We don’t live in a wealthy school district. Spending has been cut on educational programs. Our teachers don’t always have the necessary supplies they need to run their classrooms. Every year, teachers reach into their own pockets to pay for things like tissues, pencils, paper and glue sticks. Now, President Trump is waving some extra money around to the teachers to train them to be an armed security force. Where was this money when we needed it for education? What will the insurance premiums look like for a school district that decides to arm teachers? Someone is going to need to pay for it. Property taxes will have to be raised to make up for the higher premiums.”
Answer: While this is true, let me remind you that life itself doesn’t have a price. The most important thing in your life is your health and safety, because it controls everything.
Quote: “Of course, it seems everyone has an opinion about arming teachers but forgot to ask, well, the teachers.
Here’s what a few longtime educators in our school had to say:
“I am against arming teachers. I feel like it’s adding more danger,” said TAHS Principal Thomas Yoder, “What if a student wrestles the gun away from a teacher? Most school shootings happen in five minutes or less. The teacher would have to have the gun strapped on and loaded. Odds are, the gunman will already be gone.”
Answer: Another reason why we need more Officer Bubs! In my school career, I have not heard any incidents with Officer Bub that put students in danger. The officers we need must be strong and be able to handle students that may be a threat to our safety.
Quote: “I don’t think teachers should be armed. I think if we should have anybody be armed, it should be trained professionals guarding the school. Our teachers shouldn’t have to be trained. There is a big difference between training and experience,” said Economics/World Geography teacher Cummins McNitt.”
Answer: Agreed.
Quote: “I understand why some people want to have teachers armed, and I’m honored that students and members of the community trust us enough to do such a thing, but I don’t think it’s fair or reasonable to ask teachers to add security guard/policeman to their already long list of job responsibilities,” said social studies teacher and Eagle Eye adviser Todd Cammarata.”
Answer: I think for teachers that have received proper training and wish to carry a gun and supply themselves, they should have a small raise for their extra responsibility.
Quote: “We are here to be educators,” said Mrs. Cynthia Isenberg.
Answer: She isn’t wrong. However, we need someone to keep our schools safe, like Officer Bub.
Quote: Arm our teachers with resources to be able to educate their students.
Arm them with time to be able to develop relationships with their students and spot possible issues with anyone being bullied.
Arm them with mental health counselors at the school who can work with troubled students.
Parents, arm them with your attention, put down your phone and listen to the teacher when they say that they are seeing a problem with your child in the classroom.
Teachers came into this job because they love learning. Give them the resources to be able to do their job effectively. If you want an armed security team, hire one.
Answer: I agree with this statement, but I still feel that we need to have armed guards in our school, in the case that one of the students flies under the radar or the perpetrator isn’t a student at all.
Brianna Foy • Mar 1, 2018 at 9:02 am
I feel like you made some valid points, but I still disagree. I think that teachers should be armed.
reagan wood • Mar 1, 2018 at 8:55 am
personally i believe teachers should not be armed. They’re job is to be educators, not security guards. I feel there are people who are better equipped to handle dangerous situations, and those people should be hired or better trained to prevent future tragedies. I feel adding firearms into a school will increase the risk of accidents, and I don’t feel adding a risk like that is something that we should do.
Nick DelBaggio • Mar 1, 2018 at 8:08 am
I agree
Daniel Parker • Feb 28, 2018 at 4:46 pm
I believe it’s clear to all of us that we need increased security in our schools. To some, arming teachers and staff is not the best option. But personally, I believe it is.
Before we get to teachers and staff having guns… If you believe that taking guns away by law, instead of instituting them, is going to make the innocent, law-abiding citizens, safer, you’re wrong. Anyone who has the burning desire to commit an illegal act or harm someone WILL find a way. It doesn’t have to be by firearm. It could be by knife, shank, or even fists and feet. If guns are removed from the hands of the righteous, you’re leaving them defenseless against the corrupt evil that will ALWAYS be in the world. The same evil the HAS NEVER and WILL NEVER follow the law. Guns will STILL be in the hands of those willing to commit illegal acts. Why? Because they don’t and won’t ever follow the law. Sure it might make them harder to get, but if there’s a will there’s a way.
Now onto teachers and staff. First of all, you cannot claim that EVERY teacher does not want to carry. In my opinion, teachers should be eager to carry. A true teacher should understand that when their students are in their classroom, they are responsible for them. Also, they should be willing, by whatever means necessary, to protect them to the best of their ability in any situation. Yes, firearms are the best means of attack, but they are also the best means of defense. Why do you think celebrities hire armed bodyguards? A teacher should truly be willing to be able to protect their students with the best defense. Most of them have families and children of their own. We are children too, and they are the adults who are responsible for us and should protect us Yes, it would take time and money to properly train those who are willing and purchase the proper equipment. But I believe ANY parent would be more than okay with paying little more tax knowing that their child’s safety from potential perpetrators is guaranteed. Also, I understand all of the “what if” questions like “what if a student takes the gun” or “what if they accidentally fire the gun.” The answer to those questions is resolved by the training they would need to receive. They would learn how to properly conceal the gun and use the safety, which disables the gun from firing. Overall, I think arming teachers and staff would provide sufficient security to decrease, if not prevent, school shootings from happening. This whole debate on gun control isn’t about getting the guns out of criminal hands, it’s about being capable of defending ourselves against the evil that takes innocent lives.
One last thing. If you think that only the government should have access to guns and think that they could protect you, good luck. The government failed BIG TIME at Parkland. The four police officers you mentioned, the ones that stood outside doing nothing, is the government that YOU think will protect everyone. They sure didn’t protect those 17 students who were killed or the 14 others that were wounded. Pathetic.
We the citizens are the only people who can truly ensure safety for ourselves and our loved ones. We have the second amendment for a reason and I believe we should utilize it to the ‘nth degree without question. In this case, I believe arming teachers and staff would increase security and make school safer. Do you really think a school shooter would walk into a school knowing that every teacher has a gun? No, I didn’t think so either.
Nick Vasbinder • Feb 28, 2018 at 4:43 pm
It’s hard for me to agree on a lot of what’s stated, however, like Tyler, I do agree with more armed security. I also do agree with with not having to arm teachers. The only case where I would absolutely agree with arming every single teacher in the entire school/schools is if there happens to be a nationwide school threat spree. What I mean by that is that if threatening schools becomes a normality, then we need to precaution we possibly can.
I’m more than just a strong believer in the 2nd Amendment, and I do not believe weapons like the ArmaLite rifles should be strictly prohibited from existing. A weapon like the AR-15 used in multiple school shootings is not to blame; this is entirely a people issue. A normal human being doesn’t kill for sport. Animals don’t even kill for sport, they kill because they need to survive by eating and protecting itself. An animal who kills for sport has some kind of sickness that affects their mental wellbeing, and that’s virtually what’s happening with these school shootings. People who have ignored and developed mental disabilities are isolating themselves, driving themselves to a boredom filled insanity, and going out to kill for sport; just like a sick animal.
Any teacher I’ve ever spoken to about the subject never wants to have to face a situation where they may have to fire upon or possibly kill one of their own children. I believe in a full support of many more security guards monitoring our schools, the elementary schools especially. Crime will always seep through the cracks of law, and there isn’t a way we can prevent these individuals from developing into these killers, but we do have every ability to prevent another tragedy from occurring. If this means we arm our schools to the teeth with security to frighten these murderers, then that may be what we have to do before this crisis can be averted.
I also believe that when you look between the safety of a school’s children, and a pile of dollar bills, it should automatically be the decision to sacrifice some money to ensure that the children in our schools can come and go to school not fearing what may be around the corner when leaving English class. I don’t feel safe in school, I don’t feel secure, and if a school decides that saving a buck is the better idea than keep the kids, who are just here to learn, safe, then they have lost my respect.
There is a solution to every problem, however problems lay on top of other problems, and it will be years of untangling society before we can solve everything; what we can do now though, is start at the surface and dig downward to the surface. This school thrives with children who are sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, best friends, and role models, and if even one of them was removed due to the fact that security, or any form of protection, wasn’t there to save them, then those who decided to keep that protection away will have to live with that. I have a sister who goes to school every single day, and I should not have to worry every single minute I’m not swamped in school work if she’s okay. A brighter future lies ahead of all of us, all that it will take is a little bit of agreement, and God knows we need some agreement right about now.
Madison • Feb 28, 2018 at 2:30 pm
I completely agree. Teachers did not sign up to carry a gun. They signed up to help students learn and grow. It should not be on them to protect our school.
Alicia Endress • Feb 28, 2018 at 2:26 pm
Teachers decide to become teachers to teach and have a positive impact on the next generation. They should not have to worry about making sure a small child or mentally unstable teenager doesn’t get their hands on a gun that is readily available in the classroom at all times. Instead of arming teachers, we should improve security by utilizing metal dectectors and hire more security if needed.
Ebonee Rice • Feb 28, 2018 at 2:23 pm
I think to arm our educators with firearms would be a colossal mistake. I understand that we are living in dangerous, often terrifying time, but giving our teachers guns would just produce more issues. Many schools don’t have the resources to provide educators with a thorough background on guns. They don’t have the money or the time to ensure that teachers are well equipped to handle a gun. Also, even if we have armed teachers it doesn’t ensure a completely safe environment. Giving teachers guns would just give students more opportunities to get their hands on a firearm. If someone didn’t have a firearm at home to cause harm, they have access to one in the school. If parents can somehow forget to properly lock and secure their guns, why couldn’t teachers? Continuing on, arming teachers only creates more risks for student lives. These armed teachers have little to no experience with being under fire. An accident could easily occur, harming even more people than before. They could misfire and shoot another student or teacher. They could even harm themselves. The dangers are endless. Even considering an environment with armed teachers, it still doesn’t guarantee anyone will take action. At the Parkland shooting, there were several armed and trained individuals who made no move to attack the shooter. Teachers have even less training, and you expect them to shoot a student they’ve taught and befriended?
Our attention shouldn’t be on arming teachers but should be focused on preventing a situation where armed guards would be needed. Give us metal detectors or more proper screening. Give us more security. Prevent those students from ever getting their hands on a gun in the first place. To arm, teachers are like providing a temporary cure that could harm more than it could help. What we need is a vaccine; something to prevent that school shooter from even getting a gun in the first place. What we need is gun control. I understand people have rights to bear firearms, but everyone has a right to feel safe.
Devon Henninger • Mar 1, 2018 at 9:07 am
Gun Control simply won’t stop mass murders. Just like the War on Drugs hasn’t stopped people from obtaining illegal drugs. There are so many ways and sources to obtain things illegal, from Mexican Cartels to the Black Market here in the United States. Those who want to inflict harm will find a way.
In Sutherland Springs the guy with a weapon obtained it by lying about his criminal record, despite having several domestic abuse charges. But also, don’t forget that during this shooting the Hero that shot the monster as he was driving away had no shoes on and stood behind his pickup truck with a SEMI-AUTOMATIC rifle. Stephen Willeford, the hero, had that gun legally.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/11/06/man-who-put-end-carnage-texas/838700001/
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/11/08/texas-church-shooting-not-first-time-good-guy-with-gun-takes-down-mass-shooter.html
So yes, I can agree that we need a form of regulations on background checks when it comes to federally licensed firearm dealers. Just like the government has regulations on Marijuana whenever legally obtaining it.
Banning legal, law-abiding citizens does nothing but harm for the general public. There are many cases of concealed carry holders or legal gun owner stopping a mass shooting and here are a few.
https://crimeresearch.org/2016/09/uber-driver-in-chicago-stops-mass-public-shooting/
Brent j Mcneel • Feb 28, 2018 at 2:20 pm
I don’t think that all teachers should have guns, I’m more in favor of increased security.
Nick • Feb 28, 2018 at 1:21 pm
The government won’t pay for the guns or training, nor will it be mandatory for all staff to have a weapon, only volunteers who already have experience with firearms, the weapon itself, and the permit to carry will have these weapons.
Joel Groseclose • Feb 28, 2018 at 12:26 pm
I agree that forcing guns upon teachers will add chaos into the matter. I believe that there are better ways to help prevent the matter. Teachers should not be used as a defense system to protect the kids. There are people who’s job it is to already do that. I do believe that there is ways teachers can help to prevent matters. Teachers are not trained to use guns and should not be forced to do so.
Tyler Beckwith • Feb 28, 2018 at 12:23 pm
I would say that you provide a good point. Hiring more security. I agree with you on that point, but your other points I would have to disagree with. Your statement on the money aspect of the topic is easily disproven. You say you would rather hire a security guard then giving the teachers a pay raise if they carry? It would cost more to hire an armed guard than paying for safety courses, and a few firearms. Again not every teacher needs to have a gun. Also personally, if I was a parent and sent my kids to school every day. I would gladly pay slightly higher taxes to pay for some training courses and some guns, and I am sure you would too.
Also, you go on to talk about accidental gun shootings. This is a very rare case. One could say that we should ban cars because kids get run over. No nobody says that because it is very rare, and honestly would be more common than an accidental gun shooting. The shootings you used as an example were all careless accidents that could have been prevented. All it takes something called the safety. If the safety is on then the gun will not fire what so ever. It is that simple, and if you still don’t feel safe enough then why don’t we put them in a locked place where students do not know where or how to get into it. I have never heard of a gun magically going off. Even when it is dropped.
That is my opinion on the article
Ally Jones • Feb 28, 2018 at 12:15 pm
I agree, teachers became teachers so they could educate kids, not to become the police officers of the school.
Megan Dale • Feb 28, 2018 at 12:03 pm
I think that actually, we should use security measures to produce a safer environment in and throughout the school. You said that “We don’t live in a wealthy school district. Spending has been cut on educational programs.” Which is only partly true. We do actually live in a wealthy district, being the only one, in fact, that is not in debt but this is never shown to us. We are led to believe that we are poor. This is terrible but the Tyrone Council has yet to speak on this… But if we did have access to this money we could use it to hire another person like Officer Bub. This is the solution. Use the metal detectors that we never pull out to stop just any adult from walking into the school on a push of a button. It is ridiculous that we spent so much money on them and NEVER use them for anything.
I agree that teachers came here to be teachers. Their jobs are for teaching students, not to become a cop. It is insulting to think that teachers should be in charge of the students’ safety when we have officers who are trained to do things like this in a stressful situation. Not to mention that if we did give teachers guns, it would cause more trouble and fear in the students than without them!
I did this for rutter’s class. Also, love ya, Morgan!
Cate Baran • Feb 28, 2018 at 11:59 am
I agree with this. Teachers are here to teach not to carry guns. If they wanted to carry a gun they would have joined the forces.
Grace LeGars • Feb 28, 2018 at 11:55 am
Officer Bub isn’t going to be able to protect the kids being shot in the elementary school if he is in the highschool. If teachers, or at least some more individuals, have a gun on them, lives could be saved. They will already be on the scene and can draw their gun as soon as the shooter draws theirs.
Emily Detwiler • Feb 28, 2018 at 11:54 am
In your article, you only used teachers that were against arming teachers. Did all of the teachers that you talked to agree that firearms should not be inn school? I believe that teachers should be armed. They should have protection for not only themselves, but for their students. In all of your examples of concealed firearms going off, no students were harmed. That should be a risk that teachers should be willing to take. They should want to protect their kids.
Nathan Walk • Feb 28, 2018 at 11:54 am
Yes, I feel that arming teachers wouldn’t be ideal, but we need to have some type of armed professional in the school. Yes, we do have Officer Bub, but again, he is just one person. If we get more people like him to protect us, I personally would feel safer in the school.
Mia Kosoglow • Feb 28, 2018 at 11:53 am
I agree with you on this matter. Arming MORE people isn’t the solution to these school shootings. There are too many risks in doing so. To solve this problem, we need to look at the root of it. The responsibility shouldn’t lie in the teacher’s hands, but the hands holding the guns in the first place. Just like 2 wrongs don’t make a right, more guns don’t decrease the amount of shootings.
Luke Brenneman • Feb 28, 2018 at 11:52 am
I agree, arming the teachers would not do anything. They are not killers, they just want to teach
their students to the best of their ability. In the event of a mass shooting, will they really be able to kill their own student, I don’t think so.
Hanna Denny • Feb 28, 2018 at 11:51 am
Personally, I agree with Morgan in which I believe teachers should not be armed. I understand how people can have the view point of wanting them in order to fend off an armed attacker, but in an instance of a school shooting, people are going to get injured and killed anyway. A teacher trying to defend their students puts kids at a higher risk of being shot due to a potential misfire; when officers are added into the equation trying to take down the perpetrator, how are they to know who the enemy is when multiple people have guns going off? Furthermore, whats stopping a deranged student from stealing that gun from the teacher?
The risk is simply too high for the reward. I simply believe that anyone wishing to buy a gun go through a extensive background check and mental health check and then go through a month long waiting period to obtain a gun. Along with this, assault rifles should be banned. To quote the ex-Marine from a New York Times article: “The military issue M-16 is the model for the AR-15 assault rifle that the accused shooter used to kill 17 people this month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The shooter bought the weapon lawfully. He received zero hours of mandated training. There is no reason that any civilian, of any age, should possess this rifle.”
Martin Bakner • Feb 28, 2018 at 10:05 am
In response to Jeremy Byers (who was reacting to Frances Hugg), perhaps the proper quote would be “no civilian good guy with a gun has stopped a mass shooting”.
The NRA wants us to believe that it can happen, but there is no empirical evidence to make their case.
Jeremy Byers • Feb 28, 2018 at 8:45 am
It is very false that “no good guy with a gun has stopped a mass shooting”, I would love to know where you got that information from. Raising the age to 21 will do nothing, I am almost 16 and have access to multiple firearms in my house. Think of all the others under 18 who do, there will always be another way to get a gun, it will be like this forever.
Frances Hugg • Feb 27, 2018 at 1:47 pm
Combat veterans in the United States have come out consistently against this policy of arming teachers as a terrible idea. And it is telling that the students of Parkland and the other schools that have experienced gun violence are against the idea of arming teachers, as are the teachers unions throughout the United States. NO GOOD GUY WITH A GUN HAS EVER STOPPED A MASS SHOOTING ANYWHERE! THAT IS NRA PROPAGANDA! Most schools shooters have bought their guns legally, but at gun shows, where the dealers ignore background checks and it is possible for anyone to give the dealer money and walk away with a gun! (Perhaps you have seen the expose of a 13 year old getting a gun without a single question being asked, from a gun show dealer!) If we want to stop gun violence, we need to ban all gun sales from gun shows and private individuals. Ban bump stocks, all automatic and semi-automatic gun sales, and their ammo, plus large magazines on guns sold. We need to ban gun sales to anyone under 21. We need strict universal background checks, and no dealer giving a gun to anyone until that background check comes through! Dylan Roof was given his gun before the background check had been completed, which negates doing such a check, and certainly did in his case! Arming teachers in our schools would only turn every
school into the gunfight at the OK Coral, something we certainly don’t want!
Devon Henninger • Feb 28, 2018 at 11:08 am
Not to be rude. But the whole “no good guy with a gun has stopped a mass shooting”. Is factually false. Doing about a minute of research I found a pair of sources that prove a good guy with a gun has stopped what could’ve been a mass murder.
http://wnep.com/2013/10/15/guilty-plea-entered-in-plymouth-shooting-death/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-uber-driver-shoots-gunman-met-0420-20150419-story.html
The first one is about William Allabaugh who shot and killed Stephen Hollman and Scott Luzetsky(who later died) in Luzerene County. He was stopped in that spree, not by the police but by a civilian who had a CCP.
The second one was an Uber driver in Chicago. He used a weapon to stop a dangerous armed individual.
Kate Davis • Feb 27, 2018 at 12:41 pm
Morgan–thank you for your eloquence. You and I share many of the same ideas on this subject. And I appreciate you going to those who would be most affected–our teachers.
Well reasoned.
Zachary Neff • Feb 27, 2018 at 11:53 am
Even if it is a student that they have “nurtured” and “educated”, buy not stopping them they are risking the lives of their entire class. The kid that decided to enter the school with a weapon, no matter the weapon, made the decision to kill. Our teachers need concealed firearms.
Benedict DelBaggio • Feb 27, 2018 at 11:30 am
I see what you mean, but in my opinion more officers will work in the long run since not only would they help in an active shooter situation by trying to stop the shooter instead of hiding in classrooms like teacher would with guns, but they can help with normal operations by helping enforce school rules and other laws.
Benedict DelBaggio • Feb 27, 2018 at 10:04 am
Agreed, if they wanted more armed guards in our school, they should look toward hiring someone like our Officer Bub instead of paying for the guns and ammo of the many teachers in every school.