Arming Teachers Is NOT Common Sense Gun Reform

Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

After all of these devastating, deadly mass shootings in schools, it's so alarming that the government still cannot seem to come up with an appropriate response. One common solution to ending the seemingly never-ending slaughter of our students? Put more guns in schools.

As a teacher, I will not stand for this.

In the wake of the most recent school shooting in Florida, President Trump wants to give "concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience." This is also a position held by the National Rifle Association (NRA), the gun lobby that gave at least $30 million to Trump's campaign.

How is the proliferation of millions of more guns the answer? My job as a teacher is to connect with my students and teach them French and Spanish. My job is not to carry a deadly weapon and stop would-be shooters. Arming schools is not common sense gun reform. In fact, it's absurd to think that putting more guns in schools will help end these travesties.

It's bad enough that active shooter drills have become the norm. It's bad enough that the government seems willing to consider funding all of this when we can barely afford basic school supplies.

A classroom is not a war zone and I am not a peace officer. The government must acknowledge that arming teachers is not the answer. Instead, we must support common sense gun reform, including the demands from the affected Florida students like banning assault weapons. Please sign my action to send a strong message to your Congress people now.