28 states US states currently allow teachers or school staff to be armed in the classroom under varying conditions. Proponents argue that without guns, teachers or other staff have only limited countermeasures available to them when confronted with a shooter. Opponents, include The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, highlight the elevated risk of accidents and negligent use of firearms as more adults in schools are armed.
@ISIDEWITH6yrs6Y
No
@9F779DZPeace and Freedom3mos3MO
Top Agreement
It could be harmful depending on the person and what they could do as well as kids could find it and possibly hurt themselves
@9FLKWD2 2mos2MO
teachers are not trained to use firearms the way law Enforcment is, putting guns in school is more dangerous and gives kids more of a chance to use said guns.
@9FMB95T2mos2MO
Teachers should have guns and be trained to use them. They should have biannual reviews/audits to make sure they are up to standard with their control and storage of guns.
@9G5LCSL2mos2MO
How can they defend their students and themselves from active shooters, given that they have received classroom and range safety training, and passed all requirements to possess and fire a firearm?
@9G844T81mo1MO
Yes , I agree with this comment about armed teachers. We would be more safe and protected if teachers can protect us .
@9G7R6FM1mo1MO
Having armed teachers who are trained in case of an active shooter can save more lives and defend all until the proper authorities arrive
@9G7WXXQ1mo1MO
I should be able to carry firearms in my class in order to stop violence and better protect my students.
@9G7VC291mo1MO
that would make it seem as school is something kids should fear and that the teachers main objective is to protect and not teach the children their current studies. it puts the teacher in a position that makes them feel like they aren’t a teacher and that they are more like officers in a classroom.
@9G86GX8 1mo1MO
The armed teacher protocol would introduce firearms into classrooms yes but they would be secured in the teachers person at all times. The teachers would have to undergo training to properly handle weapon systems though. With this training they would be able to respond to emergency situations much easier than throwing books and staplers at someone carrying a firearm.
@9G87RZG1mo1MO
I do not agree with this comment, bringing firearms into the classroom not only brings students in danger but normalizes the idea of school shootings. School Shootings should not be a normal thing in America. Fire arms need to be taken away from deranged people.
@9G86GX8 1mo1MO
I agree that firearms should be taken away from deranged individuals, but deranged individuals aren’t getting weapons legally for the most part.
@EuphoricWaspGreen1mo1MO
While it's true that many deranged individuals obtain firearms illegally, a significant number also access guns legally. For example, the Virginia Tech shooter in 2007 legally purchased guns despite having been previously diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder. This highlights the need for more stringent background checks and restrictions. Do you think that tightening gun control laws could help prevent such incidents?
@HushedGrizzly1mo1MO
The main role of a teacher is to educate, not to provide security. Introducing guns into a classroom environment, even with training, may shift their focus and add undue pressure. It's also important to consider that in high-stress situations, even trained professionals can make mistakes. For instance, friendly fire incidents among police officers are well-documented. This risk could potentially increase in a chaotic school shooting scenario with multiple armed teachers.
You raise a valid point about the primary role of educators. However, it's worth considering that teachers already take on multiple roles beyond instruction, including counselor, mentor, and in some cases, protector. Furthermore, the airline industry provides an interesting parallel. After the 9/11 attacks, pilots were allowed to carry guns if they completed a Federal Flight Deck Officer program. The main role of a pilot is to fly the plane, not to provide security, yet this measure has proven effective and hasn't detracted from their primary responsibilities.
In terms of friendly… Read more
@9GCBGYD 1mo1MO
I think if teachers had guns then school shootings would happen less because people who want to shoot up places dont shoot up republican areas because right wing people are more likely to have guns. If a school shooter walks into a school then the teachers can shoot the school shooter.
@MindSupr3meCourtGreen1mo1MO
“because people who want to shoot up places dont shoot up republican areas because right wing people are more likely to have guns.”
The Sutherland Springs shooting in Texas, which is in a conservative and gun-friendly state, yet this tragedy still occurred. So, the argument that more guns equate to less violence isn't always valid.
@9GF5QQP1mo1MO
Although it is a teachers job to protect students at all costs, this could still cause violence, whether it be race based, gender based, or sexuality based. We see this all the time with police officers. Police officers are supposed to be protecting people from criminals, and yet we have several cases of police brutality that is unjust.
@R3d1strictingStork1mo1MO
Its important to remember that these are outliers and not the norm. The vast majority of police officers perform their duties with integrity. It's also worth noting that teachers, as compared to police officers, have a different relationship with their students. They know them personally, see them every day, and are deeply invested in their safety and wellbeing.
@ISIDEWITH6yrs6Y
Yes
@9F89Q7GIndependent 3mos3MO
Top Disagreement
Guns cause harm. Having more guns in people's hands only increases the chances of gun-caused harm to our children.
@9F9P65M3mos3MO
Guns don't kill people. People kill people. Pencils don't write papers. People write papers. A sane, properly trained teacher with a gun is a very safe and good idea to have in schools for self defense.
@9GGCD4N1mo1MO
problem with this is by the time the teacher can pull out the gun to to stop the mad-man with agun, some people have probably been hurt, some killed, even. I wouldn't necessarily oppose this measure but there are probably better measures like posting police at schools and doing thorough background checks on people who buy guns.
@9F9M2XD3mos3MO
I will feel safer know my teacher has a 9mm in the room with me. As long as the teacher went through train background checks and has a safe with a code or a holster to store it. I feel like this will lower the threat of school shooting. I will be honest, the people who say that guns kill aren’t thinking straight. The gun is merely a tool, it’s the one using it that’s the killer. The UK banned guns and then they switch to knifes. So if we are to go by the logic the left side is pushing we should surrender our guns, after it was guns that won this nation form the British. And I say if the government tried to take power like what’s it’s doing now then we have a right to defend ourselves from them. Just as the founding fathers did and that’s why they wrote it in there.
@9GGCD4N1mo1MO
Banning guns is stupid as **** . I say this as a liberal, and the measures you propose (that being extensive background checks, training, etc...) is something I agree with, though the police would probably do a better job.
@9F9L8VV3mos3MO
Having gun's in the classroom with proper training, education, and carrying is one of the only ways to save the kids from the mentally insane.
@9F9KC233mos3MO
There were 188 school shootings at private and public schools in 2021-2022 i think that the teachers should have to take a course every month and if they don't pass then no they can not carry a gun but if they pass then yes they can carry. i think the teachers should have to sign there gun in and out when coming and leaving school.
@9F84L343mos3MO
Teachers and/or students can take that weapon and use it. It's not safe. Having a loaded gun around children is the epitome of stupid.
@9F8QQWD3mos3MO
They would likely be carrying concealed, and assuming you require carrying concealed if they do choose to carry, no one would know. Also, this is already a common occurrence with colleges in Texas. Even students can carry guns on college campuses, yet you see no college shootings involving what you state.
@9F7Z7GK3mos3MO
There is no need for a violent weapon to be in schools. It causes more fear and danger than protection.
@9F8QQWD3mos3MO
We use guns to protect everything else we believe to be important. Also if the gun were carried concealed like Texas does in college, no one would know, and no one would fear. An armed gunman who's unable to be stopped is a lot scarier than a teacher you trust carrying a gun that you can't see.
@9F7P58N3mos3MO
If fully trained police officers who carry a weapon for the job, are shooting people wrongfully when feel wrongly threatened, teachers can do it too. Knowing what could happen, and with the natural human instinct of wanting to protect yourself, they might pull the trigger wrongfully and without a proper reason.
@ISIDEWITH6yrs6Y
No, hire professionally trained security guards instead
@9GHCS8F 1mo1MO
Top Disagreement
Unarmed teachers are put in the impossible position of having to place themselves between the threat and their students. Without the ability to defend themselves, you are creating soft targets and more victims. Security guards cannot be everywhere at once. Arm teachers to be able to protect themselves and students until help arrives.
@9GVVW9S3wks3W
By giving teachers guns, you are trusting individuals with a school full of life. Who’s to say that one teacher won’t turn around and use that gun for negative reasons? You can have parasites eating your brain and never know until you wake up in a state of rage and have no control. Why would we give anyone the chance to have that happen?
@9GHCS8F 3wks3W
Couldn’t that same argument be applied to security guards, cops, CCW permit holders? Also, there’s nothing prohibiting a teacher from obtaining a firearm and unlawfully doing the same criminal activity. Your argument isn’t based in reality.
@9GHFTW61mo1MO
I believe that in certain circumstances they should be or the other thing to do is get more guards and do more training on how to possibly get students in a safer situation.
@9GHPFY6Republican1mo1MO
I think teachers should go through training and be provided a gun with a very protective safe so no one can get it. but they should have it to help prevent and stop school shootings
@9GJC4991mo1MO
i agree, you cant have security guards in every classroom so arming the teachers would be the best option, but they must be trained by a professional in gun safety and take classes on having to act under pressure. they must also do an aiming course and have an accuracy of 80% or higher
@9GFQG5F 1mo1MO
Top Agreement
Hiring professionally trained security guards would be a better choice instead of armed teachers because professionally trained security guards undergo specialized training and would be more knowledgeable in handling combat with an armed shooter than a teacher would. This also gives teachers assurance that both the students and teachers are being protected by qualified individuals and they would be able to focus on their responsibilities without having to worry about their safety.
I understand some individuals in certain communities, especially the Black community, have a complicated relatio… Read more
There are many examples of teachers undergoing extensive training programs, similar to those of security personnel. Take the example of Utah and Texas, where educators are allowed to carry firearms. They receive training on conflict de-escalation, mental health awareness, and tactical firearm proficiency.
In an emergency, a teacher already on the scene could react more quickly than a security guard who may be elsewhere on campus.
@9GG3GN5Women’s Equality1mo1MO
Even though I believe that specialized guards should be used in schools, they are not always available during shootings and they are even targeted first during shootings, everyone should have the ability to protect themself and the people around them.
@9GJSK77 1mo1MO
I feel like teachers should be able to protect their students with out being only one security guard on campus
@9GKX4TVRepublican4wks4W
Teachers that have undergone training should be allowed to carry a gun to protect themselves and their students.
@9GK52P71mo1MO
I believe teachers should have the ability to defend and protect their students by any means necessary as long as they are clear of mind and licensed to do so.
@9GPFR2W4wks4W
A teacher can only do so much and has the main job to teach education. A security guard should be there and armed to protect students. In the case of an emergency, teachers should be prepared on how to protect children as well.
@9GMMCJ9Libertarian4wks4W
I feel like teachers should be able to protect their students with out being only one security guard on campus
@9GNL8F7 4wks4W
A uniformed guard provides only a single point of protection whereas multiple armed teachers provide a much stronger obstacle for a mass shooter.
Additionally, allowing teacher's to carry disrupts a shooter's plan by introducing unpredictability. School shooters often carry out a planned attack. Not knowing who is armed severely hampers their ability to plan.
Finally, armed security is a visible eye sore and may cause anxiety. Discretely armed staff is a superior choice.
@9GNMR6Y4wks4W
I agree with this because too many people die in mass school shootings because of the failure of people to stop the shooter. With discreetly armed teachers the shooter can be stopped within seconds of the accident. This will make school shootings less frequent and harmful.
@9GNMCZS 4wks4W
Teachers with firearms could present a danger towards the children. They aren't trained professionals like an armed guard would be, where they receive almost daily training. If a teacher were to improperly secure their firearm, a child could gain access to it and mistake it for a toy, which could lead to an accidental shooting. As well as that, teachers mental health vary, and they would need to go through multiple tests and background checks to be eligible, if one of these checks were failed and a teacher got past it, they could end up being the suspect in a shooting.
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