Gun Safety In Schools

First and foremost, guns do not belong in the classroom. It is not the teacher's responsibility to be a security guard. Even if they have a permit to carry a gun, it does not necessarily give them the qualification to defend in the case of an attack. Operating a firearm takes a lot of training, and using it in the event of an emergency takes skill, reflexes, and training. Most teachers likely do not have this training and probably do not have time to obtain it because of their responsibilities as teachers. When a teacher is in possession of a gun, it can take away from their most important

Imagine a world where school shootings did not exist. Parents could send their children to school without having to worry about them being shot. In 2013, thirty school shootings took place in the United States. The most devastating school shooting in U.S. history was the Bath School shooting. On May 18, 1927, Andrew Kehoe entered the Bath Elementary School killing thirty-eight people and injuring fifty-eight. Kehoe then returned to his truck, and committed suicide by using explosives. School teachers would have a better chance, in high risk situations if they carried guns.

Peter Blauvelt, President and CEO of the National Alliance of Safe Schools, said, “A faculty member whose gun gets into the hands of a gang member raises the possibility of that gun being in a school without anyone having the slightest idea where it is.” Although it is true that teachers are usually not taught how to carry and safely store firearms. More and more firearms instructors are trying to work with teachers, such as Guy Relford, the owner of Tactical Firearms Inc. There are other such instructors that know how to properly teach how to store and safely handle guns even in places such as schools. Fox News had a quote that said, “The safest way to store a gun is within a well concealed lock box. This prevents unauthorized access to the weapon.” This means there are ways of preventing the wrong people from having the teacher’s gun. Teachers need the extra way to protect their students as school shootings become more common. Although a gun would have a larger possibility of falling into the wrong hands in a classroom, a teacher would have ways to keep the gun safe and out of the wrong

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.

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

There have been many pieces of legislation on the state level and on the congressional level regarding guns on school property. A very polarized piece of legislation was introduced in the Nevada Senate. Nevada Senate Bill 286 was created in response to several violent acts involving school shootings (Taylor, 2008). The bill would have given teachers the right to possess and carry guns on school property regardless if the school is a gun-free zone as long as the teacher possessed proper permits the bill specifically required the teacher to possess a concealed weapon permit along with a proof of completion of a specific firearm training program (“SB286,” n.d.). The bill did not pass in the Nevada Senate, but the bill did help to start the much-needed conversation about the ineffectiveness methods of the prevention of school shootings.

Allowing teachers to carry guns will allow teachers to prevent school shootings on the grounds of preschool through college campuses. Everyone has their own opinion about teachers being able to carry guns including other teachers, parents, and government officials. Depending on what state the teacher is teaching in determines if they can carry their gun now, if they are in the process of being able to, or if their state is not passing a law to allow them to carry their gun while at school. Teachers would not stand out like police officers or security officers would while in the school which would allow for other teachers and all of the students to have normal days if schools did not have officers before. Research shows that allowing some teachers to carry guns in their school promotes school safety, protects the teachers and students, and promotes gun safety while still teaching their students.

The answer to gun violence in schools is not to put more guns in them. Equipping teachers with guns, who are little more than civilians, is not the smartest idea. This would not help prevent the type of deadly mass shootings we've been seeing lately. All that would do is increase the possibility of innocent people getting caught in the crossfire. Even if teachers were allowed to have access to weapons they would have to be locked up some where safe. They couldn't hide the gun in a classroom because it would be too dangerous and too easy to gain access of. If a student is holding a teacher hostage they wouldn't let them leave to go get their gun and come back. So why wouldn't you want a security guard arriving to handle the situation when they would always have a weapon on them? But what if the teacher did have te weapon on them and a confrontation happens in front of the whole class? Imagine the emotional distress it would cause the students to have all had to either watch their teacher or their classmate be shot to death. It wouldn't be worth it. Think about how you would feel if you had a child and had to send them to school everyday not knowing if their teachers are mentally stable

On April 20th, 1999, two students brought guns to Columbine High School in Colorado. They injured 20 people and killed 13, one being a teacher (Columbine High School Shootings). After this tragedy occurred, many people began to believe schools are unsafe, which lead to the idea that firearms should be allowed in school for teachers and students to use in case of an emergency. However, many oppose and believe allowing guns would lead to more chaos and tragedy that is unnecessary and can easily be prevented. Concealed carry of guns by students and teachers should not be allowed because students and teachers cannot be trusted, there are other ways to ensure safety, and students and teachers could feel unsafe in schools.

Gun violence in schools is becoming more common and out of control. The Freeman High School shooting was a total tragedy. Caleb Sharpe was a ongoing bully victim. I believe everything could have been prevented if he was assisted properly by the school.  I feel like the school didn’t help Caleb at all. In the article it says that Sharpe’s classmates alerted the counselors, but it wasn’t clear what the school staff did in response. Classmates reported troubling signs from Caleb, saying they knew videos he posted online playing with guns. Evidence like that is clearly a cry for help. Freeman High School consist of 300 students compared to other schools who have 800+.  The school have no excuses why they couldn't catch the warning signs earlier.

It seems like every day there is a new school shooting being reported on a news source. Unnecessary lives of American students are lost forever due to one, just one person, who decided it was rightful to take the lives of innocent children. There are many theories floating around about how these tragedies can be prevented, but the most common theory is arming teachers in public school systems. On paper, it looks like a good idea, but in practice, unfortunately, it is not the best solution for this unfortunate problem and here is why.

Nine year old Aaron Schmitt had been rummaging around in his dad’s closet and found a shiny new toy. He was enthralled with his find. As he felt the cold metal in his hand, he thought of the fun he could have playing a game of cops and robbers. Aaron spun the gun around in his hand wanting to show it to his friends. He knew he should ask for permission from his parents to take the gun but he figured his dad would never realize the gun was missing. He thought long and hard about what he was going to do and finally decided that he was going to take the gun to school and show it off. His decision made, he put the gun in his backpack to take to school the following morning.

Since 2010, there have been 109 school shootings in the United States. This is not new, with the first recorded school shooting dating back to 1764. Ever since the Columbine shooting on April 20th, 1999, there has been a debate across the country on gun use and restrictions in the United States. Teachers need to be armed in schools. The current system of prevention has only shown to be ineffective and unnecessarily expensive.

Should firearm safety be required in school? Many people debate about this but the truth is that if we had firearm safety there would be less accidents. For example, Wyatt Whitaker could have live; instead, he was not handling the firearm safely which lead to his death shortly after the accident.

The United States should impose intransigent and firm gun laws to protect our society. Integrating severe gun laws will provide peace of mind to parents. Imposing rigid gun laws in schools will provide a safe environment for future generations. Maintaining strict gun laws will positively affect the safety of our country. Failure to maintain rigid gun laws established by our government will make this nation insecure and untrustworthy.