As a result of recent school violence, representative Frank Lasee proposed that teachers should begin carrying guns as a means of self-defense. He justified this position by stating that arming teachers worked well in Thailand, and thus it would be effective in America. Lasee equates ongoing and violent fights with Muslim separatists to a few disturbed individuals whose crimes, although horrid and tragic, do not merit a need for armed teachers.
Arming teachers will likely cause more violence than that which already occurs. Students who formerly had little to no access to weapons would have a facilitated means to get them. For guns to be useful for self defense
the teachers would have to be able to easily access them, but having guns out in the open would increase the amount of school violence because students would have no difficulty in getting them.
Furthermore, the cost to employ this law must also be taken into consideration. Teachers would have to be provided the guns, and the training to correctly use he guns as well. If proper training was not provided, the teachers could cause even more damage than the original danger because they wouldn’t know how to use the guns. The risks associated with arming teachers clearly outweigh any potential benefits.
Statistically, the safest place for a child is school, and most students will never experience school violence. For those that do, there are trained school officers who are employed for the sole purpose of ensuring protection. Allowing more weapons in schools will compromise the safety of the students.