Ever since the somewhat recent mass murders in Aurora, Colorado, and the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, gun laws have been scrutinized and severely re-evaluated. As reaction to a multitude of horrific shooting stories and catastrophes recently, a school in Arkansas is attempting to arm it’s staff with guns in order to keep it’s students safe. Arkansas will not be the first to make the same call, as six other states have picked up on the new protocol.
Although some believe that arming administrators with guns will protect those inside the schools, there are those opposing the idea as well. According to the article, many state educators are disagreeing with the idea, and one called the plan downright “awful”. Arming teachers with handguns would allow a deadly weapon to be in the presence of children, and the possibilities of something going wrong would multiply, especially with younger, more naive children. What if a teacher accidentally left the safe with the gun unlocked? Or if a student were to somehow get a hold of the gun? What if a teacher happened to have a breakdown and use the gun on his/her students? The amount of risks that are introduced could be too much of a high cost. The right for adults to bear arms goes back to our Constitutional rights as people. Should Arkansas allow teachers to carry arms in thier classrooms, the law cannot do anything to stop the decision, could it? Our right to possess a weapon for protection makes sense, but should the second amendment stretch as far as allowing such weapons to be present in a classroom? Personally, as a student, knowing a police officer or guard was armed would be reassuring if an intruder entered the school. I would not, however, feel safe knowing a teacher of mine possessed a weapon in the classroom, or had access to it at all. Although I do understand it is strictly for protection, the risk is too high, and not worth paying if something were to go wrong.
Although some believe that arming administrators with guns will protect those inside the schools, there are those opposing the idea as well. According to the article, many state educators are disagreeing with the idea, and one called the plan downright “awful”. Arming teachers with handguns would allow a deadly weapon to be in the presence of children, and the possibilities of something going wrong would multiply, especially with younger, more naive children. What if a teacher accidentally left the safe with the gun unlocked? Or if a student were to somehow get a hold of the gun? What if a teacher happened to have a breakdown and use the gun on his/her students? The amount of risks that are introduced could be too much of a high cost. The right for adults to bear arms goes back to our Constitutional rights as people. Should Arkansas allow teachers to carry arms in thier classrooms, the law cannot do anything to stop the decision, could it? Our right to possess a weapon for protection makes sense, but should the second amendment stretch as far as allowing such weapons to be present in a classroom? Personally, as a student, knowing a police officer or guard was armed would be reassuring if an intruder entered the school. I would not, however, feel safe knowing a teacher of mine possessed a weapon in the classroom, or had access to it at all. Although I do understand it is strictly for protection, the risk is too high, and not worth paying if something were to go wrong.
On the other side of the spectrum, NRA vice-president wishes that the government force armed guards in every school in the country. The idea to have an armed person in a school facility would be reassuring, but to go as far as to arm teachers is too much of a step in a potentially dangerous situation. I suppose it is ultimately up to the state and it’s person opinions on whether or not the benefits outweigh the dangers.
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