By: Shelley Kellar
SAN MARCOS, Texas – According to a new CNN poll
conducted by SSRS, the recent school shooting in
Parkland, Florida, has altered many Americans opinion regarding current gun
laws and has introduced the possibility of arming teachers K-12 in the future.
This sudden escalation in support for gun reform hasn’t been seen
since 1993, according to a report by CNN. Many students are conducting
walk-outs and protests to show support for reformation, as well as
voicing concern with the school's and governments ability to keep
students safe.
Allison Cuellar, Photo Credit: Raul Biscaino |
“I feel like it is definitely one of two bigger issues here.
The easy access of guns in general and the types of guns citizens are able to
purchase are issues which should be addressed,” said Cuellar.
Many teachers are stepping up alongside students and
pointing out that carrying a gun isn’t something all of them want to do. The #ArmMeWith movement is their direct response to the potential
change in dynamics between teachers and students who would then turn into
supposed protectors that must react appropriately.
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High school
English teacher Casey Sigerman said reacting appropriately in those types of
situations is not what teachers are taught to do in the education system and
negates the idea of the way students and teachers relate to one another.
“It’s interesting
because when I went into education, never did I think that this was something I
would deal with in my profession. I wasn’t going into law enforcement, I wasn’t
going into the military, I was going into public education. I didn’t think this
would ever be something that I’d have to talk about or deal with and it’s
extremely sad,” said Sigerman.
As of today, 14 states arm their educators while another 16 states give
local school boards the authority to decide whether school staff can carry
guns, according to data compiled by VICE News.
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Communications disorders major Morgan Glenn supports arming
teachers K-12 in the future and said it could be beneficial in a way because if
another school shooting were to occur then the teachers could help protect the
students rather than leave them completely defenseless.
“I think they should have the basic handgun license training
just like anyone else who gets their concealed handgun license is required to
do … But I think there should also be more protective drills,” said Glenn.
Protection from the unthinkable is keeping some students
feeling safer in their schools. Although there are two sides to every opinion,
some students welcome the idea of having their teachers armed.
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Public administration major Katie Johnston said she would
support the idea of arming teachers as long as it was regulated and
the prospective teachers underwent proper mental health evaluations, as well as appropriate
training on how to use firearms.
“I definitely think it’s okay if anyone who’s handling a gun
goes through the proper training and it’s regulated by the state rather than at
their own discretion … I would feel safer,” said Johnston.
Of course, some students and faculty members disagree. Alexa
Browning, a public administration minor, said that a gun is a very powerful
weapon and if a teacher is having a bad day then a lot of things could go
wrong.
Alexa Browning, Photo Credit: Rachel Lauten |
“I would personally feel uncomfortable knowing that all of
my teachers or all of my colleagues owned guns and carried them with them
because we are just people,” said Browning.
Browning’s comment sheds light on an all too real incident
that occurred in California where a gun-trained teacher accidentally discharged
the weapon in the classroom with students present to show them it was not
loaded when in fact it was.
Jamie Bouzard, Director of Christ Chapel at Texas State University,
said arming teachers K-12 is the dumbest idea he has heard in a very long time
and proposed that first, we keep things in perspective.
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“Asking teachers to not only do their job, which is
difficult enough, but to be packing heat and be ready to use it even with
training in that kind of situation while they’re supposed to be watching their
kids at the same time, it just seems to me to be putting too much on them to
the nth degree. Let trained professionals handle that kind of work,” said
Bouzard.
The debate regarding arming teachers K-12 and changing the
legal purchase age for firearms is still up for debate. No matter what side of
the fence Americans are on, there are many things that need to be discussed before seeing legislation make its final verdict.
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