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With several mass shootings happening in learning institutions these days, the question of whether or not educational institutions should take preventive measures to protect students and staff alike has been raised many times. One of the possible ways to do this is to allow teachers to carry guns in school.
What are three reasons why teachers should carry guns? The author of this sample essay gives us major justifications as to why teachers should carry guns in school, highlighting the overall benefit it provides school districts.
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Should Teachers Carry Guns?
No one in this generation will ever forget what happened to Columbine High School. Transpiring in 1999, the killers were young twelfth graders Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, and they were able to end the lives of 10 students and 1 teacher in a bloody shooting spree. The two eventually committed suicide once the deed was done. One of the most chilling mass shootings ever committed at that time, it left thousands of students and staff traumatized after being locked down in the institution for hours. In this particular case, the police force was widely criticized for not intervening in the situation.
More copycat cases of the Columbine shooting had occurred in the years following the incident. For instance, there was the Sandy Hook school shooting, where a twenty-year-old shot and killed 26 people in Sandy Hook Elementary School. Most of the victims were 6- and 7-year-olds.
When a mass shooting happens on school premises, there is so much at stake. The priority is to protect students at all costs, and for the most part, the teachers carry that responsibility since they are locked down in the same building as them. From this issue rose the discussion on whether or not teachers should carry concealed weapons to class. It goes without saying, of course, that the purpose is to equip teachers with the tools to protect children should this happen on their own grounds.
However, there is plenty of skepticism around this issue, given the debate on gun control and gun laws and the fear of more violence happening on school property as a result of gun possession. In this essay, I would like to outline three major reasons why allowing teachers to carry concealed handguns may ultimately be for everyone’s benefit, despite the obvious risks.
Armed teachers carrying a gun can disarm a shooter and spare innocent people
There is wisdom when we arm teachers with guns on school campuses, as long as they are legally entitled to gun ownership. In a situation where a shooter manages to enter school buildings, they can legally disarm him or her and even use it as a form of self-defense. It is a practical way to prevent school shootings and their unimaginable long-term consequences and repercussions on the mental health of the students. This is especially helpful in the case where police officers deem it more dangerous if they stepped in and tried to handle the shooter themselves. Teachers who carry firearms can actually do a great job in helping stop gun violence when it happens.
Allowing teachers to possess guns and training them to use them is cheaper than hiring armed guards
The Arkansas district found out that it made more sense to have each teacher carrying their own guns instead of hiring school security. They discovered that one armed guard would cost the institution around $50,000 annually while training thirteen staff how to carry weapons safely and use them well would only amount to about $68,000. With more people able to carry a gun and being knowledgeable in its proper use, more lives can be saved.
Arming teachers definitely makes sense in this aspect since they are physically with the endangered students in the classroom, and they already have a trust-based relationship with the children. In a lockdown situation, there is a better chance of survival for the vast majority of the whole school when teachers are allowed to carry guns in the absence of a police officer at the scene.
Shooters are more prone to taking their own lives when they are confronted by a defender with a weapon
Evidence and experience have shown that when a shooter encounters someone carrying guns in the school environment while they are on the move, it is more likely that they will take their own lives to save themselves. In fact, it is lauded as one of the most strategic and effective ways to prevent gun violence during school hours. When a killer knows that there are concealed weapons at play, he or she knows that the place that he or she is trying to attack is not completely defenseless. This is why school staff should really be trained in handling weapons and why government officials should support this initiative.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, I believe that the benefits of enabling teachers and school officials to bring guns are ultimately helpful for the school district. Teachers carrying guns are a protective measure that lowers the chances of more students being injured or killed in the event of mass shootings. Of course, if the elementary, high school, or college campuses can hire armed guards on top of this, then all the better.
However, I understand that many parents and school boards in most schools have reservations about this. No new and radical change comes without the presence of risk. It may even cause some unrest and anxiety among the student body. But this is where I would like to interject that there can be ways to find safe and reasonable ways to introduce this measure. It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing scenario.
To ensure the safety of the students, for instance, it may be advisable to gradually ease into this by only selecting a handful of already-trained and experienced teachers to bring weapons to class. Ultimately, only adults who are licensed to carry weapons or firearms should be allowed to do so on any given school day.
I believe that it is also crucial for learning institutions to begin educating students on the context behind this new safety measure and to organize a forum where they can air out their fears and concerns. This can be particularly triggering for some students who have had an experience with this in a previous academy, so counseling support may also be essential in organizing this event.
The school principal, as the face of the institution, should be the person taking lead in this and should be present in all gatherings related to this matter. Students may ask questions about gun control and they have to be prepared to answer these tough questions. It is important to emphasize in this conversation that this is a precautionary measure being taken to protect innocent people from getting hurt and that this is the academy’s way of being equipped to take on an emergency situation like this when it would take hours for police to arrive or even step in.
To wrap up, I firmly hold to the conviction that armed teachers are a wise and strategic way to prevent a school shooting from happening. If any student on campus plans to massacre his or her classmates and teachers, he or she might have to think twice, knowing that there are plenty of defenders in each building ready to respond when the need arises. Arming teachers and getting collaborative support from families, the school board, and the students themselves will go a long way in eradicating the problem of gun violence in educational institutions.