Teachers being armed a good idea?

By Elliott Beltran

Eob9@txstate.edu

SAN MARCOS, Texas – After mass shootings in schools, President Trump wants to arm teachers. People have mixed feelings about a teacher being able to carry weapons.

The United States had reignited a debate on allowing teachers to carry guns in school after the Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida shooting according to Pew Research. President Trump insists on passing this to prevent mass shootings in the future.

Politico showed that 2 in 3 Americans want gun control to be a lot stricter since the murder of 17 people killed in Florida shooting.

 Photo by Sataurus Jackson and Elliott Beltran

K.T. Phelps, a military veteran, said that it’s a not a good idea and that they are not trained to shoot a weapon.

“If you do not train daily or a lot to in order to fire that weapon while under pressure, while you’re scared, while the adrenaline is pumping. You are to shoot somebody another than what you want to shoot,” said Phelps.

 Photo by Shanell Smith and Payton Samudi

Texas State student, Darius Partee, said teachers being armed wouldn’t solve anything. In addition, he said it would come to the point where students will try to get the gun in their own hands.

“I feel like it wouldn’t solve a problem. No one is fixing to grab a gun to be Superman. That’s just my opinion,” said Partee

There is only a small percentage of schools that allow teachers to be armed in school. According to The New York Times, a secret group of 40 educators called "first responder team" that can retrieve firearms in under a minute.

Photo by Robert Dillon and Cole Sanchez

Katrina Grinns, a psychology major, has mixed feelings about schools already having armed teachers.

“I guess it would make me more aware of the problem so it might make me more nervous. It’s not the gun itself that would make me nervous but the fact that they feel like they constantly have to be protected would make me more aware of the constant threat around any given corner,” said Grinns.

 Photo by Shanell Smith and Payton Samudio 

Lynell Richter, a public administration major, said that it’s not the gun that kills people, it’s the person holding the gun.

“I look at it this way, the first murder was not committed with a gun, it was a rock. So, it is not the gun it is the hatred involved,” said Richter.

Photo by Robert Dillon and Cole Sanchez

Joe Pieczynski, a business administration major, said if it’s needed as a safety measure to carry a weapon and the teachers are properly trained then he is not opposed to it. In addition, he said that having an armed teacher could have given a chance to prevent the shooting.

“I think it may have, I don’t think it would’ve hurt. I think given the police response and the way their claim to have just completely avoided it and went outside, I think that it would’ve given somebody a chance."

Photo by Carlos Mercado

Daniel Leboeuf, a Texas State University student, felt devastated after hearing the Florida shooting. He agrees with teachers being able to carry a gun in schools.

“Man, that was some tough stuff when I heard of the Florida shooting. It really hurt my heart knowing people out there really be shooting innocent people. If it was up to me I would definitely arm teachers so that less of this violence happens in schools,” said Leboeuf.

Trump thinks we are well on the way to solving problems that happen far too often in the United States according to The Washington Post.