Should we arm school teachers? | The Tylt
In a White House listening session with gun violence survivors, President Trump said he'd consider a proposal to arm school teachers in order to prevent future massacres. The president said "teachers and coaches... would have a concealed gun on them. They’d go for special training.” Critics say arming teachers will only make the problem worse, and that we must enact real solutions to America's gun violence epidemic. Others say this is a creative solution to protecting our kids. What do you think? 🔫

Santa Fe High School was put on lockdown after an active shooter was reported to be on campus.
A shooting was reported at a high school near Houston on Friday morning, with local media reporting that a gunman entered Santa Fe High School and began firing. The school was put on lockdown, but the situation is now "contained," officials say.
According to CNN, there has been an average of one school shooting every week this year.
We're only 19 weeks into 2018, and there have already been 21 school shootings where someone was hurt or killed. That averages out to more than 1 shooting a week.
After the Parkland shooting, President Trump held a roundtable in which he suggested arming teachers would be the best way to prevent future school shootings.
Gun-control advocates were appalled at the idea of arming school teachers. Does the president really think putting the responsibility for stopping school shooters on overworked, underpaid teachers is a good idea?
Trump just told a room full of students who survived a mass shooting that he wants to arm their teachers with guns. These are the kinds of solutions proposed by a president who is bought and paid for by the NRA to the tune of $30 million. #BanAssaultWeapons
— Ryan Knight 🌊 (@ProudResister) February 21, 2018
Why should they be armed? They are not members of the armed forces and are already overworked. Nothing is stopping those of you yelling "arm the teachers", from volunteering to give up your own jobs to police schools, for free, on a regular basis. Go on...get to it.
— ThemaKhaldun (@Amplify246) May 18, 2018
Why is the answer to gun violence always more guns?
Trump's proposal during his "listening session" to arm teachers and bring more guns into our schools is beyond preposterous. That's like saying the solution to lung cancer is to smoke more cigarettes. #ParklandStudentsSpeak
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) February 21, 2018
Others say perhaps teachers should be armed, but that should not be the only reform we make.
If Trump wants to arm teachers, then fine. Do it. See if it helps. But also stop selling AR’s. And require licensing for all guns. And deny gun access to those with emotional concerns. Do these also. See if they help too. Do it. Please.
— Tombo (@TomboCo) February 21, 2018
Samantha Michaels of Mother Jones points out we already have data about concealed carry: it doesn't work to prevent mass shootings.
The primary rationale for [concealed carry] laws, according to their supporters, is safety: School shooters, they say, are less likely to succeed in their attacks if students and teachers are armed and able to fight back.
But a new study from Johns Hopkins University shows that campus carry laws are unlikely to deter rampage shooters and may in fact lead to more injuries and deaths.
Trump is also wrong that arming more teachers makes students safer https://t.co/j0YFVtjgHw
— Mark Follman (@markfollman) February 21, 2018
Others say teachers could be the good guys with guns that we need in order to prevent these massacres from happening in the future.
Don’t want to get political but Trump is spot on!
— Cash King (@CashKingPicks) February 21, 2018
Arm 20% of teachers (appropriately trained) in a school building with a fire arm and put an end to this madness. Been saying that for years.
Ok, back to making the Kingdom followers money. Dilly dilly pic.twitter.com/BU84GusPZW
Arm the teachers, those with qualified training should absolutely be allowed to protect the students. The police are minutes away and seconds count! Guns don't kill people, mentally unstable people do. Great Idea Trump! Thats why you're president! #MAGA #NoCollusion pic.twitter.com/17ycWeadPD
— ~WeAreTheStorm~ (@Trump_Card45) February 21, 2018
The top law enforcement official in Polk County, Florida says his department started a program that will train and arm teachers in schools.
Judd said if teachers there were armed, the incident could have had a different outcome.
"We had coaches that ran to stand in front of their students with no gun," he said. "Why not give them a fighting chance?"