Guns: Keep Guns Out of the Classroom
My class is no place for a firearm
I am a teacher. I teach at a an urban high school in San Bernardino. My school is located next to one of the city's toughest housing projects. Most of our students receive free or reduced lunch. We have an active gang contingent on campus and off. We have lost current and former students to violence on the streets.
We have a school police force and an armed resource officer on campus. We also have a security staff that rides bikes and wear body armor. We have had our share of fights on campus. We have had a couple of lockdowns because of violence in the adjacent projects. We even had a kid, non-student, who was stabbed and killed right behind our campus. The only weapon I remember was brought by a former student of mine who was about 4' tall and she stuffed a knife in her bra as big as she was.
With all that, I still wouldn't want to be responsible for carrying a handgun or other weapon on campus. Many gun advocates, NRA head Wayne LaPierre being the first, have said that that is how we protect our children from enraged gunmen who would take their lives. I have been going over in my head how that would look at our school and I have questions.
Who would be responsible for for carrying weapons? Would it be all teachers and administrators or just a select few? Would we have takeover drills and have to practice like we do now when we have fire and earthquake drills? What type of certification would be required to have a weapon? Where would the weapon be kept at night? We have had several break-ins. Would we allow female teachers to carry guns and what happens if a student overpowers her during a fight with another student and takes her weapon? What if that 5'3" teacher felt threatened by one of her 6'3" male students? Would she be able to draw her weapon in self-defense?
You may think I am being facetious but I'm not. I am asking real logistics questions that would be presented if my colleagues and I were asked to carry weapons in the classroom. In my opinion, and I think I have earned one we would be looking at a logistical nightmare.
This idea that we need more guns to protect us from those who have guns is a farce. It has been perpetuated by the NRA because of their cozy relationship with gun manufacturers. The truth is that more and deadlier guns have led America to a more violent society.
I grew up with guns. My father still has them in his home and uses them to hunt. My brother is an avid hunter. I don't want to get rid of all guns and I respect the 2nd Amendment to the constitution. But it's time to bring some sanity to this debate about guns and gun violence in America.
Putting a Gun in my classroom is not sane!
