Romero Frances Argument Essay

SHOULD TEACHERS PACK SOME HEAT?
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Authors Note
Abstract
As I think back about my public-school education, I was never in fear of anyone coming to the school and shooting anyone, but in our society today, that is not the case. Public schools seem to be a magnet for those wanting to take out their frustrations on someone. Imagine being defenseless against an individual who possesses a firearm. Should teachers today make the choice of having a gun in their classroom? The issue of teachers being allowed to carry guns with the intention of creating a safety net for learners is debatable. However, we cannot completely rule out its significance too. Some learners might feel a lot safer if guns are involved. Schools might see it as economical since they will not have to hire security guards. Personally, I believe guns in the classroom would put our learners at more risk.
Keywords: schools, teachers, firearm
Should Teachers Pack Some Heat?
Introduction
All across our country today, teachers face the awful situation of someone coming into their classroom with the intent of killing someone. Should the teacher have to make the choice of carrying a gun in order to protect her/his students and themselves? Some teachers are comfortable with carrying a gun or having one in the classroom. Some teachers feel that if someone enters the classroom, they are better prepared to protect their students before anyone is hurt. Those teachers feel that they can handle the situation before help arrives.

This essay attempts to provide with reasons and examples, a detailed argument against teachers being allowed to carry guns into the classroom.
Body Paragraphs
On the other hand, many rural school districts have a response time of an hour or more to call, so these districts are more in favor of arming their staff, and by doing this, they don’t have to spend more money on armed security. It also seems that many feel that having more armed staff would reduce the possibility of being an easy target. Many agree that we as a nation have to protect everyone and everything except our students. If the local administration isn’t going to provide funding for armed security, we as teachers will take the situation into our own hands. It is sad to see preschoolers having to practice lockdowns or shelter in place drills.
Many teachers believe that just knowing there is a gun in the classroom would cause an uneasy feeling to students and teachers combined. It could distract the students from their learning. Therefore, effective teaching and comprehension of studies cannot take place. The chances are that it is very possible to be attacked in the class; therefore, the tension might be unnecessary. Teachers are taught to teach not to protect with firearms. That is the duty of the security personnel.
Moreover, students might also be tempted to want to handle the gun and mess around with it which could have some serious repercussions. They might even accidentally kill one another. If a teacher carried a gun and had it in the classroom, the teacher would want to make sure that the gun was placed in a secure place and locked up. If it is locked away, and an intruder enters your classroom, how are you going to be able to get your keys, go to the secure place, unlock the gun, hide your students and take out the intruder without students or you getting killed?
Teachers might be psychologically affected if they are given the guns and end up failing to fully protect their students. Has anyone thought about the teacher’s overall well-being? What if a teacher who had a gun in the classroom was not able to protect their students during a shooting? This situation could possibly lead to the teacher’s mental state deteriorating causing them to commit suicide all because they couldn’t protect those they were in charge of. It is our moral obligation to avoid this.
Lastly, the time used in guns training is the time that could be consumed teaching useful experiences. Teachers want to focus on their teaching, and it takes years to be that good teacher. So, wouldn’t it take time for teachers carrying guns to be perfect marksmen? Wouldn’t these teachers have to do training like the one’s police officers and the military go through when they are preparing for combat? It just doesn’t happen overnight. It takes lots of money and time that many school districts don’t have.
General statement on the topic
Arming teachers with guns can protect the students in case of an emergency. With proper training, it can mean the difference between life and death. However, I would not feel safe with a teacher caring a firearm. We should avoid being carried away by the idea that guns are going to keep our students safe and instead think about their harmful consequences. We should allow teachers to do what they have been trained to.
Conclusion
It is my opinion that with the recent shootings especially in the black community, guns are no longer a symbol of safety but insecurity. Without appropriate training and storage of guns, they would cause loss of life to the same people we want to protect. Furthermore, teachers are educators, not security agents.