For reference: Wikipedia’s list of school shootings, going back to Colonial times. Regrettably, this list does bust the narrative of this being a new problem. The numbers are larger now, but so are schools. Before somebody else mentions it, modern guns are easier to use than Colonial era muskets, too.
Now, let’s talk about the idea of arming teachers for a few minutes. Here’s what I said in 2014:
I’ve been trying pretty hard to think of a way it is possible for a teacher/professor to carry a weapon such that it is both secure to prevent possible injury to students and available for use in an emergency situation. Hip carry? Too much chance a student could get hold of it. Concealed carry? Well, you see what has already happened twice this school year and it’s not even the third week of September. Locked in the desk? Yeah, just ask the Bad Guy to wait while you unlock that desk, professor, great plan. Perhaps some of the more firearm literate readers can think of a way to secure the weapon such that nobody gets accidentally shot but Bad Guys can be intentionally shot.
Nor am I the only person to say it’s a really bad idea. Here’s a collection of quotes — with links so you can read the original context — from Kos. It’s been a really really long time since I saw anything worth quoting over there, and most people know it leans very left, sometimes all the way to stupid-left. So for balance, I offer a collection of teacher opinions from the IJR, with leans right — sometimes medium right, sometimes way-out-there right. Those are real teachers’ thoughts, the people we’re talking about arming.
So just to review, there are voices both right and left saying putting guns in teachers’ hands isn’t the great answer to end all school shootings.
And finally, a few choice words from an actual educator whom I have known for roughly 35 years:
In Short, there’s got to be a better way to protect students.
In Closing: LBJ . Hoped to say more about that story, but it’s going to have to wait.