Teachers should be allowed to carry firearms

Chance VanNoy, Photographer

Schools would be safer if teachers had guns, and it could be a smart option. Imagine if there was a shooter that had broken into the school. Students would have teachers trained to use guns and be able to defend them better than they could if they were unarmed and untrained. 

Before teachers are armed, they would need to go through excessive training to obtain the right to have a gun at the school. The training would help to ensure gun safety and officials would need to determine if the teacher is mentally fit. If the teachers cannot complete the gun safety training or a mental check, they would not be able to have a firearm at school.  

Junior Aiden Powers was asked what his thoughts were on teachers having guns in school without training. “Without training, I think it’s not a good idea because I feel like if you need to use it, you need to know how to use it,” he said. 

Without training, I think it’s not a good idea because I feel like if you need to use it, you need to know how to use it.

— Aiden Powers

Powers then shared his thoughts on teachers having guns with proper training.  

“If they had training, I’d feel a lot safer knowing that the dangers of terrorist attacks on schools could happen less if there was protection.” 

Powers prefer that qualified teachers have guns.  

“I’d prefer they have guns,” he said, “Most of the weapons I’ve seen teachers with is like a yard stick or something of the sorts. I don’t feel safe knowing that’s what they’re protecting us with.” 

Students like Powers don’t like having unsafe schools, but some students wouldn’t trust or feel comfortable around teachers with guns. Either way there would have to be restrictions and safety regulations to make everybody comfortable and safe. 

The right to have a gun would also need to be the teacher’s choice. If the teacher does not want to have a gun, or if it is against their beliefs, they would not be required to possess the firearm.  

Some parents may not want their kids to be around a teacher with a firearm either. This makes sense; if they don’t trust the teacher having a weapon, then they might not want their kids around them. That is why there should be a select amount of teachers that are allowed to have firearms in the school.  

Overall, teachers having guns would be for the better safety of the students. There would have to be restrictions and strict policies put in place and the teachers would definitely need proper training to be ready in case of an active shooter situation.