Guns in Public Schools

Breaking news; December 14, 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, Gunman kills 20 schoolchildren at Sandy Hook Elementary school. February 12, 2016, Glendale, Arizona Two 15-year-old girls found dead in an apparent Murder-Suicide at Independence High School. These images that should be seen as far away nightmares are the horrific reality of life for Americans on a day-to-day basis. School shootings are now seen as a normal part of 21st century American society, and I am arguing why fighting fire with fire and allowing access to guns in public schools is not the way to go.

Using a gun to defend yourself in any situation is not to be taken lightly. Most people would not have the skill, rationality , or nerve to do it on the spot. By placing guns in public schools, you would be taking people who were trained to educate, many of whom most likely never owned or even fired a gun, and essentially transforming them into the appointed weapon conductors of schools This route could also change the population of teachers in our public schools. An extremely capable and experienced educator could be lost simply because they do not want the responsibility of holding a weapon. A teacher’s primary responsibility is clear; to educate and help their students learn. But when guns are brought into the picture, this becomes more difficult. Staff would be spending hours on gun safety and usage that could be spent on improving teaching and learning. How much training do police officers or swat teams undergo before they are ready to handle dangerous encounters? At least 200 hours. How exactly can we prepare school staff in a such a shortened time frame?

Furthermore, this approach would require us to be placing guns in schools now- guns that could easily be used inappropriately. Don’t for a second think that a secured gun would be inaccessible. For it to be available for defense, the gun needs to be accessible! This means that realistically, anyone could get their hands on it. Ironically, guns that are meant to protect students and staff would be putting them even more at risk.

There is not only the question of safety, but also the negative effects exposure to guns has on youth. According to the child mind institute, exposure to guns is not good for optimal child development, nor is it good for public health. It can lead to depression, increased levels of anxiety, and lower grade point average. Why would we compromise our children’s development? Especially in the place meant solely for that.

Though you could argue that gun violence is today’s reality, adding more firearms into the equation is not a logical solution. In order to not continue down this path of violence, we must reduce the normalcy and usage of guns instead of hugely increasing it. We, as Americans, must target the root of the problem rather than fighting fire with more fire; or, in other words, guns with more guns.