Current Events: Arming Teachers
Following the events at Parkland, Fla., there has been nationwide discussion regarding how to protect students and staff in schools, the most controversial of which is the arming of school staff. Supporters for the arming of teachers claim that having armed staff would make students feel safer and would deter possible attacks, while dissidents claim that arming teachers would be unreliable and dangerous, as teachers likely don’t want to go to school knowing that they may have to kill one of their students. The debate has been going on for a while now, and both sides have provided rational reasons for their arguments.
Where these arguments really matter, however, is in the federal government, and the government is just as divided over the issue as the rest of America. Little over a week ago, during a press conference about the Parkland massacre, Donald Trump suggested that if teachers were armed with handguns, it would greatly deter any and all attacks, but his statements have largely been met with ridicule from critics. Even his fellow politicians are unwilling to try and make it into a law.
In light of recent public outcry, it seems that support for arming teachers is an unpopular one. Right-wing politicians like Trump and gun-support groups like the NRA have been meeting widespread criticism for their views. And as for school officials personally enacting these policies, very few schools have actually put this policy into effect. Security measures for schools across the nation have been increased, but other than that next to no one has authorized arming school staff with firearms.
Check out some responses from our students at JMA.
