Following the tragic massive shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which killed 17 students and injured 14 others, an Alabama lawmaker proposed a bill that would allow teachers to carry guns in school.
Rep. Will Ainsworth of Guntersville, who is running for lieutenant governor, said educators in his district asked him to bring legislation to allow them to protect themselves. He said he will sponsor the bill to allow some public school teachers and administrators to receive firearms training and be authorized to carry concealed weapons during the school day.
This is a big debate amongst school boards, teachers, parents, and students. Personally, I wouldn't trust anybody with a gun. Even those who are trained, certified, and have experience can have that small possibility of abusing their power. In other words, I wouldn't be surprised if I saw, "Teacher Shot Student" in a headline on T.V. in the future.
What if instead of allowing teachers to carry guns, we have one somewhere in the school where it's accessible in case of an emergency? It takes three to four minutes for an emergency to escalate. A teacher or staff member wouldn't be able to retrieve the weapon fast enough to use it in self defense.
On the other hand, some students, parents, and other staff members would feel safe with a few teachers having a gun in an easy access place to protect themselves. But who will provide the ammo and firearms? The school? The police department?
We as a society need to admit to ourselves that providing and adding more guns into the equation isn’t a solution, and banning them isn't part of the solution either. All we need are stricter gun laws, including background checks, waiting periods, and valid licenses.
At my old high school, there were about 3,000 students and we had doors that would lock automatically around the building, security, and metal detectors. In my four years attending, there was not one incident. Those could be possible solutions only if budget allows it —sometimes it doesn’t. Therefore, new and realistic solutions need to be proposed in order for students to be safe in the years to come.
