Many schools are considering applying a controversial initiative which is arming teachers because of the fact that school shootings have been happening more often since Columbine. According to the Washington Post ,“...mass public shootings are on the rise, and schools are now viewed as vulnerable targets. One of the deadliest in history claimed 28 lives, including 20 children, after Adam Lanza opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in 2012” (Wang). This shooting was the first mass shooting to really make parents consider their children's safety in public schools and have left some wondering what actions can be taken to prevent these shooting Yanan Wang shows the worry in her recent Washington Post article saying, “These …show more content…
Kingsburg Joint High in Kingsburg, California has implemented having guns in school, and they have begun selecting candidates for training (Wang). These school districts are hoping that the thought of having guns in qualified hands will keep staff and students safe, and arming teachers will help make mass shootings a thing of the past. In today's society many parents and employees of school districts are worried for the wellbeing of students and staff when inside a public school. This fear has caused many schools to take action, placing guns in the hands of school district staff. School security expert Doug Wyllie states “...the Hanover School District 28 in Colorado has joined school districts in Texas, Oklahoma, and California that ‘have also backed allowing teachers to carry weapons following the attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012.’” Schools have been hearing parents worries, and across the nation schools have been taking action placing guns in teachers hands. Another example of schools implementing this idea is in Texas and Indiana where proposals to arm teachers have just been introduced. The introduction of this idea shows the spreading of the idea farther west (Wang). Because this idea has been moving west one could see the concern of students safety slowly spread across the nation as the nation continues to reel from school shootings across …show more content…
With many accidental firings of firearms in homes around the country giving guns to first time gun owners in such a heavily populated area such as a school is seen a dangerous to some people. School security expert Ken Trump reported that “ school staff with guns would take on significant responsibility and potential liabilities that I firmly believe are beyond the expertise, knowledge-base, experience, and professional capabilities of most school boards and administrators” (Arming). Many people believe that giving guns to these first timers is a liability to the school district in case of an accidental firings that may injure or kill a student or employee. For this reason many parents don't feel safe leaving their children on the hands of first time gun owners. In the end both sides have one common goal which is student safety. Student Safety is decided by school districts using their resources to make a decision that protects students for years to
“Every Teacher in America Should Have a Gun” by Steve Siebold delivers the message about why teachers should be armed with guns. Primarily he thinks that shooters will be less motivated to try to attack a school that is able to defend itself against the gunman. He also goes on to say that “Every second counts in a school shooting. Calling 911 and waiting for police to arrive isn’t good enough.” He gives us the idea that we need to take action against these shooters and potentially end school shootings once and for all.
I Don’t Want a Gun in My Classroom” offers many claims that can convince the reader that what Anthony is saying is true and/or realistic. These claims range from reasoning to the tone that Anthony employs throughout the article. Anthony has stated in this article, with a strong opinion, that weapons should not be allowed in learning zones and that citizens should not have these types of guns without any proper training. As Anthony expresses his concerns and opinions, he also brings up another point. What if this horrific event were to happen in his very classroom?
Also, according to www.debate.org, they said, “What if children are too scared to go to school, because of guns?” Well, there's no telling how students will truly react to guns at school, until it is tried. But, this point is true. Kids may not feel safe knowing that teachers are armed, and they may feel like one of the teachers has it out for them, or that they do not trust the teachers to have guns around them. This would decrease the amount of children in school and cause a serious loss in learning in children.
“Taking a gun into a school creates a security risk that wasn't there before, gun control advocates say. What if a child gets hold of a teacher's gun and thinks it's a toy? What if a student or teacher gets angry and knows a gun is in reach? There is no time to cool down (OneFile 16).” There are so many questions that go along with this country wide argument.
This is the reason why giving teachers guns is up in the air and not yet put into effect. There are different pros and cons to having guns in our schools. Some pros could be that it helps with protection, and a con could be that it can also be dangerous. But there is a lot of them, so with it being safer yet also more dangerous it is a standstill in that argument. Another pro to the list is that the children won’t be as afraid to go to school anymore as they were before.
The issue with incorporating more guns in a school campus is a terrifying idea and in most issues, can backfire. A victim from the school shooting in Forida stated, “I understand what it's like to fear for your life.” , students shouldn't have to fear their own school. Many students are against gun violence and are having walkouts and protests, they want their voice to be heard and want to see a change in schools. Many students from across South Florida supported the Stoneman Douglas High students by walking out of their classrooms.
Over the past few weeks, arming teachers has been a controversial topic throughout the country. School shootings have taken the lives of many over the past few years, yet they are becoming more and more frequent. In today’s society children shouldn’t have to go to school worried if they are going to be safe that day. If teachers are armed it will add that extra bit of protection to the children. A big question is if arming teachers is even going to matter if an active shooter happens to be in that school.
People think that guns would keep them safe but more guns aren't the answer. Heather Hagleberg (a teacher) inferred that “I don't want teachers to be armed, I don't know a single teacher that wants that.” I agree with Heather's opinion because more guns won't solve anything, it will cause more violence. Heather also added that “I'd probably quit than carry guns,” This infers that teachers carrying guns is unnecessary. Jessica Blythe (A Citizen) added, “i'd stand in front of my kids and take a bullet”.
But It actually increase the protection levels. Because the teachers have a something to defend themselves with instead of a number 2 pencil. My first piece of evidence is The superintendent of Harrold, Texas, school district sees guns as a tool used to defend oneself and loved ones. This proves That the superintendent is encouraging the teachers to get training. So they are allowed to carry a gun in school.
Imagine being in a class room for 8 hours a day surrounded by fellow students and a firearm knowing it could go off or open fire at any possible moment. not the most conferrable feeling to have to for 180 days, Maybe you remember your little sibling getting hold of something they weren’t supposed to or maybe where your parents hid Christmas gifts. Kids find almost everything what goes to say they won’t be able to find a firearm inside of a classroom surrounded be innocent loved ones, this is all the more reason why teachers shouldn’t be allowed to carry firearms. If we allow teachers to carry guns to school that’s not the most conferrable feeling for students in the classroom. According to Ken Corbett “the presence of guns has the capacity
Therefore, limiting the number of teachers able to carry guns in school lessens public worry. The teachers going crazy with their handguns has now become a huge concern in the public. Even though most people think it is a horrid idea; the reality is, that increased publicity has caused people to react negatively. They need to understand that there is a specialized handler training for those teachers that do carry, in-depth background checks for those individuals and schools could limit the number of teachers with guns.
Hypothetically, a law is passed stating that teachers are allowed to carry guns in school. In a sick twisted world, the teacher becomes the school shooter. Your student is in class and their teacher pulls out their government funded school weapon and starts shooting. How is your child supposed to protect themselves if the approved district teacher starts shooting the students with a malicious intent. Teachers should not be allowed to carry guns at school.
Guns have no role in our country schools. Schools and colleges are places of education. Students should be free to learn in an environment away from every day violence. The catastrophes that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Columbine High School, and Virginia Tech. confirm the penetrating conclusion guns have in our nation’s schools. Violence on campus has Students, Parent, and University Staff all concerned and looking for preventative measures.
According to David Emery, of the “18” school shootings this year, only 2 of them were a gunman opening fire in a school with the intention of hurting or killing students. Not taking anything away from them 2 schools because these are tragic and sad situations, but the media has no reason to lie and say that there were 18 school shootings. In an article written by Richard Florida, he said that 39 states allow guns to be carried by trained professionals on school premises. There are two sides to this debate and both sides have valid points. On the left, they argue that some teachers are “crazy” and there shouldn’t be guns put into their hands, there is also a chance that a student may steal the weapon and go on a rampage.
A huge priority of school is that students should be kept safe, and that happens from staff being allowed to search students. In 2013 a Company called “Everytown” did some research about gunfire in schools. During this research, they found out that from 2013 to 2015 there were about 200 firearm related incidents in the USA. These incidents included fatal and nonfatal assaults, suicides, and unintentional shootings. 53 percent of these attacks happened at K-12 schools and 47 percent happened at college and universities.