Should teachers and staff at schools be armed? John Stossel and producer Maxim Lott made a video analyzing that question, and used CPRC research to do so.
More information on concealed handguns at schools is available here. There are a couple of nitpicking points to make about the video. The accidental discharge in California occurred at a firearms training class outside of normal school hours. It was not a typical school environment. One fact the video doesn’t mention is that 18 states currently have teachers and staff who can carry permitted concealed handguns, though the rules vary considerably across the states.
Here are two graphs from the video based on CPRC research (raw data is available here).
I don’t know that we need to arm teachers but we need to repeal the ridiculous gun free zone laws. I would entertain a law that allows gun free zones so long as the business or organization is held financially liable for the safety of people entering the gun free zone; i.e. if someone is injured or killed in a gun free zone, the business or organization is liable.
We don’t need to arm teachers. We need to allow permitted citizens to carry in schools. Which would include teachers, but wouldn’t mandate it.
Of COURSE teachers should be armed. But just the grownups. The ones who aren’t adult enough to already carry shouldn’t. They also shouldn’t be watching our kids since they’re not responsible enough to do the right thing.