In a Sept. 2 press conference, President Donald Trump stated he would be open to former military members who are teachers to carry guns in the classroom. As of Sept. 10, there have been 47 school shootings in the U.S. this year. These shootings have occurred in elementary schools all the way up to college campuses.
During the press conference, Peter Doocy, a White House correspondent for Fox News, asked Trump his opinion about potentially sending armed National Guard members to schools as added protection for potential gun violence. Trump responded by suggesting military veterans carry weapons in the classroom as teachers.
Trump's comments on this matter were made in less than a week after a deadly school shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school on Aug. 27, in which two students were killed. As gun violence becomes a hallmark of the American school system, the possibility of gun reform seems to move further away. The suggestion of adding guns to schools, in the form of National Guard members or teachers, is incredibly harmful as it spreads the opinion that the only way to fight violence is with more violence.
While the discourse over arming teachers is not new, even entertaining the conversation is precarious as gun violence continues to spike. Instead of addressing the actual issue, which is the accessibility of guns to those who are unqualified to yield them, many lawmakers and gun lobbyists repeat the mantra, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people."
Placing the blame on the shooter is necessary, but it does not erase the action. Removing one aspect of the problem, the guns, may not solve it in its entirety, but it can reduce its impact. In response to gun violence, Britain imposed stricter gun laws, which led to a decrease in shootings.
Instead of attempting to solve the problem, Trump’s comment highlights that his solution would add more fuel to the fire. Voluntarily bringing more guns into school will not decrease school shootings. If anything, it may make them more likely to happen. It may cause more undue fear for students who have lived with the threat of gun violence their entire lives.
A teacher’s job should not be the sole protector of their students against gun violence. Educators should be concerned for the well-being and safety of their students, but their primary responsibility is to educate. Having teachers carry a gun, even if they are registered and well-trained to use it, adds much more stress on the teacher because of the potential for misuse.
For example, imagine an elementary teacher working with a group of kids and, while focused on their students, a student finds the gun and sets it off. While this is a hypothetical, there have been various instances of accidental shootings in school.
Furthermore, the suggestion of military veterans being the ones carrying the guns is dangerous because post-traumatic stress disorder greatly affects military veterans. PTSD has a variety of effects, one of which is re-experience, which can be especially dangerous in a classroom setting. PTSD victims also tend to protect themselves and the people close to them, in this case, their students, which can be dangerous for everyone involved if a shooting were to happen on a school campus and the teacher had access to a gun.
While the solution to gun violence in school may not be banning guns or even imposing stricter limits on their ownership, adding guns into schools is a step in the wrong direction.
Bridget Thomas is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Bridget about her column? Email her at bt037924@ohio.edu.
