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 …show more content…
What if there is an accidental shooting or a guard becomes over zealous in what they feel that their responsibilities are? These factors could lead to major lawsuits that the school would be responsible for by either having to represent that officer or in paying settlement and court costs for a lawsuit. These are added costs that the majority of the schools across the United States cannot afford to take on. The safety of schools have been tested more in the recent years with news coverage of the most recent incident in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where twenty children and six staff members lost their lives. With the recent rise of school shootings it is no wonder parents are concerned for their children’s safety in schools. Where drugs and peer pressure were once major concerns, in today’s society, we worry about our children dying in the hands of armed shooters. While there is much controversy over how to protect the future of America’s children, lawmakers are supporting a bill to allow armed guards to stand and protect our children in the school systems by creating laws to allow armed security in the schools. “The Indiana amendment's sponsor, Rep. Jim Lucas (R), said he believes mass shootings like the one in Newtown could be prevented by more firearms.” (Resmovits, 2013). In support of armed guards, the National Rifle Association has paid for research
School should be a place of peace and opportunity, but gaps in the system of gun control threatens the safety of faculty and students. School shootings have killed a total of 297 lives, young and old (Slate Magazine). Gun control has been a continuous nationwide debate for many years. It seems that no one wants to take a stance against guns unless they are personally affected. In order to take control of the matter and prevent more incidents from continuing schools need to change. To achieve a safe environment in schools need to educate faculty, safe and students, heighten security, and assess mental health issues.
School security is one of the world’s biggest issues. In California not many schools have security for their schools and that raises many questions for parents and teachers. All parents want their children to be safe and they don’t want anything bad to happen to them. They don’t know what might happen to them when they go to school. Some schools don’t have security systems because they don’t have government support to afford security for their school. Parents think twice before sending their kids to school with no security because of the crime that’s been happening lately. Department of Education should know that when kids are at school it’s their responsibility to protect kids from any crime. The main problem is the crime that is happening
Teachers with guns is already in the class room in Clarksville School District, LITTLE ROCK, Ark, and so far so good they say "Fewer than a quarter of the teachers will have weapons I think that the public perception was that, you know, John Wayne was going to be up here in the classrooms teaching, and that's just not the case at all,"(Clarksville superintendent Dr. David Hopkins). All teachers with guns have been through a month of training and now the school feels they are adequate
Imagine the notion of being defenseless against an individual holding the purpose of wreaking mass devastation on the students and faculty inside of a school. In 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut endured a tragedy that carries historical significance to the notion of shielding those inside of a classroom in a worst-case situation. When twenty-six students had their life taken away during a school massacre, the thought of permitting teachers to carry handguns during class drew more consideration than ever. The safety of the students inside of a school facility may be in jeopardy as manifested in school shootings such as the ones which transpired at Sandy Hook Elementary School and Virginia Tech, where thirty-two students and teachers lost their lives (History.com). While many feel that presenting teachers with handguns may prove harmful to safety efforts, inflicting such standards would provide instructors and students equally with enhanced protection and overall security.
Although some say armed police officers in schools may be a danger to all, armed police officers should be present in schools because their presence alone can give a sense of safety. Having armed police officers on campus can deter bad situations from happening. They can also have an impact of the number of school shootings that occur. They can also help with situations that may occur with students that may have conflict with other students that a teacher or staff member may not be able to handle. In this era that we live in having armed officers in schools is a way to insure the safety of students.
Due to so many school massacres, different precautions are being executing within schools. Active shooter drills have become a frequently practiced precaution at schools. It is important that students know the correct procedures to follow in case someone brings a firearm on the school premises. The deliberation of whether teachers should be allowed to be armed at school is now underway. In some states like Texas, many schools allow their teachers to be armed in school. I
Several people think having an officer with a gun will lead to negative consequences such as student having easy access to the guns. It is true that students will be closer to a gun, but this is an officer that has been trained and it is not easy as it seems to remove a gun from an officer. According to College Quest, “The training program generally lasts around 12 to 14
Numerous studies have been conducted to determine if teachers should be in possession of a firearm while on school properties and if this will decrease the number and magnitude of school shootings. Many scholars believe equipping teachers with firearms will be costly and end up unnecessarily endangering more students, but many scholars claim that a teacher should be the last line of defense against a school shooter. The question this paper hopes to answer is how can equipping teachers who teach grades K-12 help to prevent school shootings in the United States. This paper will attempt to answer that question by examining the perspectives of school administration and law enforcement, the impact on student’s safety and education, the
Guns are becoming one of the top issues in the newspapers (The Monroe Evening News). There have been 394 incidents of students bringing guns to school in the United States since 1998 (Sutton). Legislators say that the law cannot prevent the tragedy of the fatal shootings in the schools
A school's staff are our children's first and foremost defense against violent attacks. Posting "Gun Free Zone" signs has proven time and time again, that it will not stop a criminal from leaving a trail of victims. Leaving our staff untrained and unarmed ultimatley leaves all those in the school vulnerable, defenseless, and in the position to potentially be harmed, or worse, killed. Arming our teachers, prinicipals, and staff will give our children and all else in the school a chance to fight for their lives, if ever threatned.
In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook elementary shootings, the NRA executive vice president, Wayne Lapierre, released a statement in a press conference that spoke of how politicians who wanted to make schools a gun free zone only serve to invite all potential killers that schools are the safest place to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk. “The only thing to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun” was an important aspect of his speech, which emphasized the need to protect the children in schools with guns. He made the point that the President is surrounded and protected by Secret Service agents who are armed. Lapierre wanted to employ the millions of qualified and active retired police, active, Reserve, and retired military,
Teaching at a typical small town school in rural America one day, shots ring out. Active shooter drills come to mind, but what do we do, where do we go, how many students are present? Panic sets in. Thoughts of hiding, running, calling out for help and screaming all flash across the forefront of the mind when a person can be seen walking down the hall with a large gun in hand. No one ever thinks it could happen in a town, school, or church like ours but when the act is committed everyone feels the betrayal. Although schools from elementary to universities have adopted drills for active shooters and have routes with plans drawn up we never know how we will truly react until the time comes. Armed guards stand at the ready at most entryway doors but they are only one person and can not be everywhere always. In a recent study of active shooters for the Federal Bureau of Investigations, J.Pete Blair and Katherine W. Schweit have said, “The second most common incident locations were in educational environments…and the study results established that …these incidents involved some of the highest casualty numbers” (20). Crime is always a threat to education and defending our students nationwide should be a priority. The trouble begins with the fact that the school shootings are becoming more regular. Allowing teachers to be armed gives administration, faculty and students a more successful chance at survival against an active shooter in our education systems.
In the past many schools have been victims of gun violence. Shootings, among other violent things are by far the most devastating. A few good ways to prevent gun violence, and violence in general, are timed locks throughout the school, metal detectors on the doors, gun safety programs at home and school, and more devices and policies to monitor students whereabouts. I; however, believe that the best way to prevent school violence, without violating the student’s privacy, is to install timed locks and metal detectors throughout the entire school.
To begin, I am a student. I am a student that feels this should be an extra safety precaution at ours schools to help parents and other students feel safer. How would you feel to get a call from your child’s school telling you that your child has been shot in a school shooting? How would you feel as a student to know that one of your, innocent, fellow peers might die at the hands of someone that they didn’t know? I can tell you now I know I would be very upset and feel very unsafe. As a high school student life is very stressful. From exams, to friends, to people you don’t particularly get along with, life is very stressful, we don’t need to be worried about someone coming to hurt us or our peers. This is why I believe all teachers should be armed at school.
With the many recent tragic school shootings, people are asking questions regarding if their children are under enough protection while they are at school. One of the biggest debate questions is: should schools have armed guards at the front entrance? This question has been answered by many people by giving their specific opinion. The question of armed guards in front of school has also been addressed on talk shows and to political leaders for their opinion. The answers that are given are either for having armed guards, or against armed guards standing in front of schools. Armed guard should not be posted at schools because it increases uncertainty and risk of student safety.