Guns in Schools

“Are gun free zones worth having in American schools?” Through the recent struggles in policy related to mass school shootings in gun free zones, I believe that we should evaluate current policies and if need be, propose new policies, to limit or eliminate mass shootings in schools, which can and should be prevented. A common misconception when talking about ‘gun free zones’ is that Gun free zones can easily be misunderstood as meaning zero guns, but rather (usually) means that an unauthorized person cannot carry in that area (which may vary from state to state). But the issue isn’t with the misconception, but more so with the lack of safety that schools have or so we think.

My initial reaction after reading the article, Teachers With Guns by Wade Livingston, struck me furious. I recall thinking out loud and trying to explain to myself the reason as to why schools, which I had always thought to be one of the safest places throughout my childhood, had become projecting danger zones throughout our nation. Schools are supposed to be a place where a child can go and learn and not have to worry about being put into danger. I am not in anyway blind to the dangers of today’s society and with the amount of school shootings on the rise; I am in agreement with the argument that something has to be done. However my early response was that arming teachers was NOT the way to protect the campuses.

Guns and schools just don’t mix. Of course, this could be arguable from both sides. Only nine out of our fifty states allow guns on campus. Most private universities have the choice to decide if they want to allow concealed weapons on campuses. As for public institutions with the law in its state, they have no choice. Public institutions only have control of what buildings are limited. There are numerous reasons that it could be beneficial, but it can also be a complete catastrophe just waiting to happen. In today’s society, people feel the need to be more protected because of what’s going on in the world. There have been many reported incidents in regards to guns being abused on school grounds. Guns end lives, so it’s imperative that we understand the rules and why they’re so important. In order for people to really understand the pros and cons of having guns on campus, they first must began to understand its safety hazards, retaliation and prevention mechanism.

Over the past several years gun violence in schools has been led into many news stories. From the 1999 Columbine Shooting in Colorado to the Sandy Hook Massacre in Massachusetts, the death of students by armed intruders has ignited a debate among many Americans. At the root of this argument is the question: Should teachers and school staff be armed? Some argue schools would be safer if this occurs. The fact of the matter is; it would make schools a more dangerous place to be. Placing untrained individuals into a stressful school environment where their decisions have life or death consequences is a horrible idea.

Laws in many governments prohibit carrying a knife. However, carrying a weapon is permitted in come cases, such as the Kirpan, a ceremonial sword worn at all times by followers of the Sikh religion. Nevertheless, ethics and morals do not determine a law. Instead, what is just and unjust is what matters, as John Austin believed, and to some, religion is not a recognizable purpose to carry a weapon. Possession of a knife in itself is not evil; rather the potential for violence creates a need for control and so elimination of the possibility is vital.

Gun ownership is on the rise and even college students want firearms now. Since 1999 college students owning firearms for protection has increased over 19 percent (DiMauro 17). With this rise whether or not these numbers should increase has become a heated issue. As of now 26 colleges allow concealed carry on campuses, totaling in over 70 campuses(Burnett) and many others are in consideration. Organizations such as Students for Concealed Carry are at work to educate the public on the truths of how on campus carry would to some degree benefit college students, professors, and all visitors. Firearms can be and should be allowed on college campuses primarily because it is a not only a fundamental right guaranteed by the constitution but also

How many children have to die, before we realize that teachers being armed WILL prevent any more lives taken away in school shootings.

There are an abundant number of places in this country in which you would expect to see people advocating the reduction or revocation of gun control laws. The first places to come to mind would be Montana or Colorado, because of the more rural connotations those places have been given in the popular media outlets such as movies, magazines, and television. Montana is depicted as a state where there are large sweeping plains and horse ranches over every horizon, while Colorado is a land of mountains and forests with a very small amount of urban invasion. This argument however comes out of Brooklyn, from a Midwood High School newspaper deep in the boroughs of New York. Considering the fact that in a national gun ownership survey only 18

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.

Schools around the country have poor school security. After the Parkland shooting in Florida this past year, students at Blue Valley High, noticed that the school security is terrible. Anyone out of the 1400 kids could easily bring a weapon into the school to cause a massacre. Yes, it is very unlikely to happen, but it is better to be safe so everyone can have a nice learning environment with no worries. The best way to shield a school from a gunman is to have a metal detector.

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.

Gun violence continues to dominate national headlines. On average, the gun violence epidemic leaves a child or teen wounded or dead every hour in the United States, resulting in 47 American children and teens shot every day, and culminating to ___ shot every year. Deaths related to gun violence are now the third leading cause of death for American children. And these statistics are based solely on the actual deaths, but does not account for those exposed to this brutality—friends, family members, and other children who are psychologically damaged and struck with fear in their hearts.

There have been 215 terrifying school shootings of innocents across America since 2013. These tragic happenings have left the nation in shock and horror, opening our eyes to the reality of the growing problem of gun violence. There are more than 310 million guns in circulation in America, 90 guns for every 100 people (Gun Violence: Facts and Statistics), and on average 93 American people are killed by gun every day (centers for disease control). Gun violence has been increasing in past years, however, improved education and gun regulation can resolve this.

“From all these friends, I could not escape learning some of the statistics that I preferred not to know. Forty-one people at the mall had been wounded. Nineteen had died. Everyone said it was a miracle that only nineteen perished. What has gone wrong with our world when nineteen dead can seem like any kind of miracle?” - Renowned author Dean Koontz.

going to a public, private, or chartered school should not make a difference or judge a child’s smartness because every child works on their pace and not everyone that is successful has attended chartered or public schools. He is for the access of guns but hopes that people that have guns have limited access especially keeping the people with mental illness and criminals in mind. He wants guns to be legal for everyone as a sense of safety. Carson wants to get rid of Medicare and Medicaid and instead let every American citizen have two thousand dollars in their account just for health services. This solution is not that great because some people may need more or less than two thousand dollars and it isn’t realistically possible because as it