Do as I Say, Not as I Do: Teachers with Guns
For 12 years, I have been a teacher at a very small school (7-25 students, grades K-8) in northern California. I have never felt unsafe or threatened in my isolated community, so I was shocked to learn that teachers in a small town in Texas can carry guns to school. With the increase of school shootings lately, this just seems ludicrous. How can we tell students not to bring guns to school when their teachers can?
Harrold, Texas is a town of about 300 residents (70 more than my community). Harrold has become the first town to allow its teachers to bear arms. School superintendent David Thweatt explains, “We are 30 minutes from law enforcement. How long do you think it would take to kill all 150 of us? It would be a bloodbath.” Of course, Harrold’s teachers will receive training in “crisis management”.
- » See also: Grow Your Own Tree Hugger: 101 Activities to Teach Your Child How to Live Green
- » Get Eco Child’s Play by RSS or sign up by email.
Thweatt continues:
We’ve had a very disturbing trend of school shootings in the US. It is my belief this is caused by making schools gun-free zones. When schools were made gun-free zones, they became targets for people who wanted to rack up the body count.
Children need to feel safe to learn, and schools should be places that protect their health and welfare. Teachers with guns are not the solution to societal problems. In my opinion, we need to be greening our schools, not arming our teachers.
Image: WBZTV
“Children need to feel safe to learn, and schools should be places that protect their health and welfare. Teachers with guns are not the solution to societal problems. In my opinion, we need to be greening our schools, not arming our teachers.”
1) There is a difference between “feeling” safe and being safe. The concept of a “gun free zone” shouldn’t make any rational people “feel safe” — it should make them feel unsafe because it gaurantees that only the bad guys will have guns. A sign saying no guns allowed doesn’t mean much to a gunman intent on killing.
2) What does teachers having/not having guns have to do with greening of schools? The two have nothing to do with each other.
3) Legally armed citizens aren’t the source of the problem. Those who wish to carry should (and frequently do). Since most of those people do carry concealed, the people who don’t “feel” safe arond guns don’t have to worry. They may keep their heads safely in the sand.
4) It wasn’t that long ago that guns were allowed in school. Kids checked guns in at the principal’s office and went hunting after class. Schools taught marksmanship in gym class. You had plenty of guns in schools then and no school shootings.
5) Why is it OK for teachers to have guns and not kids? Because teachers are adults and it is OK for adults to own guns. Not kids. Teachers demonstrating responsible gun ownership might be setting an expample for future gun owners.
6) People in gunfights without guns typically do not prevail. Like it or not, you can’t simply wish gun violence away. School shootings will continue. It should be up to a teacher if they want to be a victim or part of a solution.