Thread by @teacherken

Thread - a teacher reacting to the idea of having teachers and other with firearms in school #Schoolshootings

1/ Let me make it clear. I am opposed. I listened to the President, and Iistened to those at the event, largely adults, who advocated for "trained" people with hand guns in the schools. #Schoolshootings

2/ first, you cannot have them walking around with guns in their waistbands or carrying in holsters. There would always be the risk of a student trying to grab the gun #Schoolshootings

3/ Second, if you try to lock it in a gun safe, you presume that the teacher would be near that gun safe at the time it would be "needed" #Schoolshootings

4/ the idea that most school shooters would be deterred by knowing there are people with guns in schools is bunk - many school shooters are willing/ready to die, and at Columbine the school resource officer exchanged gunfire w/the shooters - it did not stop them #Schoolshootings

5/ trying to take down someone who has an AR-15 with any handgun is NOT an effective way of doing things. To be close enough to lay down effective fire makes one very exposed #Schoolshootings

6/ I have seen statistics that say trained policemen in shooting situations hit their targets only 18% of the time. In a school,where might the rest of the rounds go? #Schoolshootings

7/ the more guns that could be going off, the greater the likelihood of people being shot #Schoolshootings

I was a better than average shot while in the Marines,but have not fired a weapon since qualifying with an AR-15 in 1966. Were teachers starting to carry weapons in my school I would immediately quit my job,& I would not carry #Schoolshootings

9/ There is no legitimate reason for AR-15and equivalent weapons to be in civilian hands. Ask former Chair of the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen, or even most flag officers of all service #Schoolshootings

10/ There is also no real justification for people walking down streets with loaded magazines inserted and/or a round in the chamber- long gun, or handgun #Schoolshootings

11/ too many people with too many weapons means too many deaths. We need less mass killing weapons on the street. Declare such as weapons of mass destruction & treat their use in schools as acts of terrorism #Schoolshootings

12/ I fully expect that if either the gun nuts or the Russian bots/trolls find this thread I will be attacked. I don't care. I don't want any more students dying, or #Schoolshootings

13/ people in a mall, at a Post Office, at a movie theater, or anywhere else. Just remember, this is not an issue of mental health, for two reasons:

14/ most mentally ill people do not kill lots of other people, and we do not have any more mentally ill ppl than other countries. So what is the difference? #Schoolshootings

15/ we have too many guns. Plain and simple. Other countries have far more restricting of various weapons & have far fewer shootings, in schools or elsewhere #Schoolshootings

16/ and while I understand the desire to "harden" schools, we need to be careful - we do not want to turn schools into prisons or why should the students want to come there or be expected to learn? #Schoolshootings

<this is the end of this thread> I will read responses, but as a teacher I have planning to do, lesson plans to draft, papers to grade. At least I dont have to clean my weapon. #Schoolshootings