The Pros And Cons Of Arming Teachers
Arming Teachers: Increasing Potential Harm On April 20th, 1999, two high school seniors, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, shot and killed thirteen innocent students at Columbine High School after a bomb they set earlier that day failed to detonate. This tragic event inspired many to make changes in school systems around the country, yet since Columbine, there have been more and more school shootings, all leading up to the recent Parkland shooting in which seventeen people were killed. Michael Roberts, an author at Westword wrote, “The Parkland incident was at least the 208th school shooting to take place in Columbine's wake.” 208 school shootings in just nineteen years does not make schools look safe. Also, these shootings have had a massive
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Many ideas have been brought up, but the United States government seems to come to a standstill because no one can agree on what solution will work best. One idea that has been growing is arming teachers in schools to stop the threats right in their tracks. Upon first hearing this suggestion, most people think it sounds completely absurd. After considering both sides, however, the argument starts to make more sense and may not be as ludicrous as one may have thought. Even the president of the United States is calling for arming teachers. Although the topic proves worthy of debate, schools should remain gun free because students may feel uncomfortable thus affecting learning, it could potentially be more dangerous to students, and there are other ways to prevent school …show more content…
First of all, if a teacher were to conceal a gun at their side, a lot of potential for misuse may arise. For instance, in a demonstration or simple showcase to students of the firearm, shots may be fired accidentally. If those who are armed unconsciously switches off the safety, disaster may strike. Another considered idea was locking a gun in a safe, but this could pose just as many dangers. Teachers who do not pay close attention to the safe could risk a student meddling with it or stealing a key which allows a potential break in, thus allowing a student to get ahold of a gun more easily to turn on other fellow students. Not only do safes allow the potential for break-ins, but if they are stowed in a very secure area, teachers may not have enough time to get to the safe and unlock it before it is too late. Now if a shooter enters a school and begins firing, even if a teacher obtains access to their gun in enough time, another major problem arises. Teachers will need to find and to lock down on one specific target while the rest of the school runs. “Even police officers with years of training still have doubts -- and make mistakes -- during critical moments at crime scenes. Deciding when to open fire and who to fire at during adrenaline-filled moments is tough business,” (USA Today). Armed teachers, with no real life experience in shooting a criminal, will face
Many ideas have been brought up, but the United States government seems to come to a standstill because no one can agree on what solution will work best. One idea that has been growing is arming teachers in schools to stop the threats right in their tracks. Upon first hearing this suggestion, most people think it sounds completely absurd. After considering both sides, however, the argument starts to make more sense and may not be as ludicrous as one may have thought. Even the president of the United States is calling for arming teachers. Although the topic proves worthy of debate, schools should remain gun free because students may feel uncomfortable thus affecting learning, it could potentially be more dangerous to students, and there are other ways to prevent school …show more content…
First of all, if a teacher were to conceal a gun at their side, a lot of potential for misuse may arise. For instance, in a demonstration or simple showcase to students of the firearm, shots may be fired accidentally. If those who are armed unconsciously switches off the safety, disaster may strike. Another considered idea was locking a gun in a safe, but this could pose just as many dangers. Teachers who do not pay close attention to the safe could risk a student meddling with it or stealing a key which allows a potential break in, thus allowing a student to get ahold of a gun more easily to turn on other fellow students. Not only do safes allow the potential for break-ins, but if they are stowed in a very secure area, teachers may not have enough time to get to the safe and unlock it before it is too late. Now if a shooter enters a school and begins firing, even if a teacher obtains access to their gun in enough time, another major problem arises. Teachers will need to find and to lock down on one specific target while the rest of the school runs. “Even police officers with years of training still have doubts -- and make mistakes -- during critical moments at crime scenes. Deciding when to open fire and who to fire at during adrenaline-filled moments is tough business,” (USA Today). Armed teachers, with no real life experience in shooting a criminal, will face