The Issue
In recent years, gun violence and school shootings have been an ongoing issue. Some lawmakers feel that arming teachers will increase school safety and security. However, many teachers don't want to be armed and are against this idea. Schools are educational spaces where students and staff should feel safe. Teachers are meant to teach, not play the role of educator and security guard.
What Is Being Done?
In response to the proposal of arming teachers, several teachers spoke out online by starting the #ArmMeWith movement. They posted pictures of themselves holding up posters that read "Arm Me With..." and then a list of items other than guns. For more information on the movement, read this article:
March For Our Lives
On February 14, 2018 a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The lives of 17 innocent victims were taken that day. The students of Parkland organized the March For Our Lives protest against gun violence, where they pushed for stricter gun control laws. The march was one of the largest youth protests in history, with 1.2 million people attending marches across the U.S. More than 200,000 people attended the march held in Washington, D.C. Check out the March For Our Lives website for more information on the movement:
Statements
Students are against the idea of teachers being armed. Listen to them voice their opinions on the matter:
"I spoke with a teacher who was there in that room with me, and she's been teaching for 19 years, and she said if one day she came to work and they said 'alright, we're gonna start arming you guys with firearms,' she would quit." Former Parkland student Samuel Zeif.
"We reject turning our schools into prisons." Student Member of the Board for Montgomery County Matt Post makes a speech on the steps of Capitol Hill.
Public Service Announcement
Check out this PSA I created :