1) Think about all the teachers you’ve had (from elementary through high school or college). I’ll bet almost everyone can name at least one teacher from their past – maybe even half a dozen or more – as someone who shouldn’t have a gun in school. Maybe it’s a teacher who had problems with anger management. Or a teacher who was a little bit weird about conspiracy theories. Or a teacher who was getting old and forgetful. Or a teacher with a macho obey-me-now-because-I’m-the-boss attitude. Do you really want those people to carry a gun?
2) Even if we allow teachers to carry guns, they’d have to be trained in how to use a firearm and how to respond to a crisis. And not just an hour or two of training. Here’s what a local police chief said in my local newspaper:
"The use of a firearm in a crowded, chaotic and dangerous environment still has rules. An officer may have to refrain from firing, even while he is taking fire, because of the danger of striking an innocent person. The use of cover, teamwork and communications with other officers, and innocent-person awareness, are all required in these incidents and require extensive and ongoing training.
"This is one of the most complex environments imaginable for law enforcement and we train extensively. It is not a situation in which you want to place an amateur, no matter how well-intentioned they may be."
3) Suppose a teacher has a gun and something happens. Do they stay in the classroom and lock the door to defend their students? Or do they go out into the hall to hunt down the shooter (and thus, leave their students alone)? Does the teacher with a gun then shoot anyone with a gun? What if the shooter is a teacher?
4) When the cops show up, and they see ten people with guns (including nine teachers and the shooter), how do they respond? Let’s assume the shooter could be a teacher, a student, a parent, or anyone else.
The solution to the problem of school shootings is not to put more guns in schools. That’s just crazy.