Should teachers be able to carry concealed weapons on campus?

In some states, carrying a concealed handgun in public was permitted some few years ago, but the law still requires them to have "unrestricted carry" and do not require permits. Proponents of concealed handguns say that criminals are less likely to attack someone they believe to be armed. But on the other hand, opponents of concealed handguns argue that increased gun ownership may lead to more gun crimes and unintended gun injuries. It is therefore important to look at the pro associated in carrying concealed guns in campus and the misfortunes it would cause when the gun gets to the wrong person's hands. It is important to understand the several con and pros that are associated with the decision of allowing teachers to carry their guns to campuses. The argument in this essay discusses the reason as to why teachers should not be allowed to conceal any weapon in school. Their holding of guns may result to tension among students, especially when learning is going on. No one would be comfortable in a class with a teacher concealing a weapon. It is therefore important to understand why the law should not allow teachers and schools to access and conceal guns, and the problem that would raise in case of any misfortunes in the school. This essay also discusses on the impacts of the government enforcement to gun laws on teachers, and the effects it causes to students when they realize that the teacher is carrying a gun to class. Guns and school are not usually associated with each other, but when they are, it's often under catastrophic circumstances.

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In other researches, proponents assume that teachers should carry guns to schools because in their point of view, it is deemed safer for students especially when there are attacks in the school. This notion was once a despicable and an unthinkable act, since no one would have dared allowed guns near or in schools. In this era, the law has permitted staffs and teachers to conceal guns and carry them around so long as they have the necessary permits. They argue that guns in schools should be permitted in cases where they need to defend themselves from hostile parties. They say that when teachers conceal guns, they have an opportunity to defend themselves and stop assailants before other people are injured or killed (James 12).

There are two approaches of guns that should be considered a mistake; buying a gun without knowing how to use it, or to avoid guns completely because of fear. In most cases, just like driving a car, one has to be trained and ensure they have enough practice to enable them to operate the car. Training and practicing of how an individual should use and operate a gun is not enough, but it will ensure the individual acquires fresh skills and readiness in case a firearm is needed. Having a permit to conceal a gun doesn't necessarily mean that the teacher should carry it to school, it simply mean he has permission to own a gun and shouldn't misuse it with the intention of putting fear or intimidating another person. In a class where students are always observant and keen to their surroundings, they will be able to know if and if not the teacher is carrying a gun. This could be dangerous because among them there may be the mischievous ones who would try to get their hands on it, without the consent of the teacher. This could turn to be chaotic and dangerous especially if the student dislikes the teacher or if he is trying to instill fear to other students (Selena 43).

Teachers carrying guns produce tension among students and make them feel less safe. They will always be on the lookout thinking that something might happen, instead of concentration to whatever the teacher is teaching. Many students tend to handle their problems using their hands and not their minds. In case a student is bullied, they may find a way to get hold of the teacher's gun and in the act of trying to intimidate the bully, they may unknowingly pull the trigger, because they lack training in gun operation and they are in a state of mental disturbance due to the bullying. It is also not advisable for teachers to carry guns to school because, in a case where a teacher grows sick and tired of a certain colleague or student always picking on him, and they cannot take it anymore, the only solution in mind for him would be to pull out the gun and try to intimidate him or her. Unfortunately, this in return makes him/her loses his temper and eventually starts going psycho around the school only to realize later on the damage he might have caused (Hanford, 45). In this argument, it would be a little bit safer to let teachers do their jobs, which is teaching, and allow the law enforcement personnel such as school guards and securities worry about meeting such dreadful circumstances in order to provide protection to the students.

In several occasions, you will find a student confronting a teacher due to a poor grade he or she has received. If the teacher in this case is in possession of a gun, he may feel the need to withdraw it and intimidate the student or the student may get hold of it first and try to intimidate the teacher so that he can change the grades. This may turn out to be chaotic and traumatizing for either one of them. So what if at times shootings happen in school? Is that reason enough to allow teachers to carry guns in school? Why can't the school management hire well trained security personnel and guards to take over that responsibility and ensure the student's safety?

Changing of laws and regulations so as to allow teachers to carry weapons to school is a bad idea. It a poor excuse for the government to respond to unnecessary school tragedies in the name of ensuring there is peace in school. If at all swat teams and police officers undergo thorough training before they are ready to encounter and handle dangerous situations, what makes the government think that teachers are ready to carry guns in a shortened time frame? People who become defenders, such as police and the army, know what exactly they are getting themselves into. The teachers never signed up for such line of work, and therefore they should not actually carry guns in schools. In this point of view, it shows that very soon the law would allow placing guns in schools - guns that could be used inappropriately by either the teachers or may be the students. Nevertheless, for these guns to be available for defense, they will be highly accessible to more than just the principal, the teacher. Therefore, the government should understand that this will be a major concern should there be more countries passing such laws and allowing the teachers to carry them in schools (Corinne 6).

In most countries, you will find campus students get involved in violent demonstrations and within no time the government troops are asked to intervene so as to ensure there is order. If teachers in those campuses carry guns, they might find themselves in compromising situations of students demanding for the guns and as a result many of those innocent students would lose their lives while trying to confront the police. In most cases, any person threatening another person with a gun, the police will assume him to be dangerous to himself and to others and so if he does not cooperate, they may be forced to shoot. So what if people have permits to own a gun? Should they find it necessary to use it when an issue arises? The answer to this question is no. This is because, it would be traumatizing if people came to you, as a teacher, and demand for your gun or else they would kill you.

Giving teachers the power to carry guns to school is the same as appointing them as school defenders. Assuming that the teacher or the principal doesn't act fast, or could not find the key to where he has locked his or her gun, or if he is outside the school building when the school is confronted by shooters, this would become a heavy burden for them because they are incapable of protecting the others since they are unarmed. The rest of the school would lose confidence in him because he cannot be trusted when such situations arises. According to research, it is unethical and irrational for teachers to carry weapons in school. This would portray a bad picture to the students, in that they will see nothing wrong in bringing guns to school, and before you know it, almost every student in the school has a gun and later on there would result to an increase in intimidating cases and injuries among them (Brad 17).

Therefore, they should leave their guns at home so as to reduce threats to systems such as drugs, alcohols and etc. As many proponents view it okay for schools to allow teachers to carry weapons, because they view it a safer measure for students in case of being attacked, opponents would presume this act as indecent and despicable because, having more guns would just result to more shootings and access to these guns. And in order to limit these results, the law must control gun ownerships and usage by those with permits.

In the sense of allowing the teachers to carry guns to school, it is important to understand that, the sole profession of teachers is to teach, but the law is trying to force them to become school defenders. There would be increased cases of shootings and injuries especially when a short-tempered teacher feels provoked or intimidated by his colleagues or students. There is no justifiable reason for allowing guns in school since it creates tension between students once they realize their teacher is carrying a gun and hence, they may feel insecure and unsafe around him. Teachers can always be over-powered by students who can in turn get a hold of their guns resulting to havocs and wreaks in the school. It is never guaranteed that just because a teacher carry's a gun to school, that they are fully protected from gunmen. In case it happens, due to the panic and chaotic moment, many innocent people may find themselves in between crossfires and hence, result to an increase in the number of deaths and injuries.

The law can reduces the occurrence of these unruly results by ensuring that they limit gun ownership in order to control shootings that might increase with the increase number of guns. It would also be wise, if the government hired qualified security personnel for schools in order to reduce the increased chances of being targeted by gunmen. There should be regulation measures that would restrict schools from keeping guns in their school because when chaos arise, those guns are accessible to not only the teachers but to the students. After examining the issue of guns in schools, it is evident that there is no guarantee that there will not be loss of lives, once the guns fall in the wrong hands. It is therefore important to understand that, Guns and schools do not mix with each other, no matter how much training a teacher has undergone through.

WORKS CITEDSelena, H. 'Should Teachers Carry Guns on Campus', Chicago: Chicago University Press. (2012). Print.

Ewen, Callaway. 'Carrying a gun increases risk of getting shot and killed', New Scientist, (2014), http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17922-carrying-a-gun-increases-risk-of-getting-shot-and-killed.html.Brad, K. 'Should teachers be allowed to pack a gun?' New York: Prentice Hall. (2011). Print

James, C. 'Why Teachers Should Carry Books and Guns', London: Oxford University Press. (2010). Print.

Corinne, L. 'Teachers with guns in school feel able to protect students' New York: McGraw

Hill. (2010). Print.

Hanford, J. D. Does concealed carry make sense in schools and on campus? Chicago: Chicago

University Press. (2012). Print.