North American School Shooting - Should Teachers Carry Guns?

These names are burned into the minds of the people who saw or heard the news broadcasts in the aftermath of the gunfire. The shooters had no trouble locating a weapon or ammunition for their terrible deeds. In one of the latest shootings the mother of the accused, who is also a victim, is being blamed for owning the guns involved. How would arming our teachers solve school shootings or even reduce the devastation of them? More guns have never seemed to be the answer. That choice would be placing guns directly into the classrooms we are trying to keep them out of. There would be accidents. Guns going off when not expected or teachers over reacting and mistakenly shooting a student, fellow staff, or parent. There is also the possibility of the teacher being over taken by a hostile student(s) who without premeditation could become a school shooter. The students would be growing up believing the only way you are safe is with a weapon. This would be a complete false sense of security. Ask any police officer if being armed makes them less fearful of a shooting death or their family members feel safer when they are on the job. When did becoming a teacher and becoming a cop both end up with loved ones worried if they will come home at the end of their day?

So if training teachers to properly carry, fire, and treat a gun is out of the question then how do we fix this? 

If we add armed security guards some of the same problems will be apparent in considering accidental shootings or the gun falling into the wrong hands. Our schools could become more like a federal prison. The children would be in full lock down with security cameras at entries and transition rooms with metal detectors. New schools could be built with court yards and older schools could hire more armed guards for recesses and outdoor gym. Then again, what about our children? They would grow up desensitized to the sight of guns and will grow to feel safe only behind locked doors. It would create a generation of recluse shut in’s.

There are so many variables to this problem but the one option that seems less intrusive on the children is education. We could teach the older children about warning signs and ways to report on their fellow students who seem at risk but younger children are not targeted by their peers. So this is what it all comes down to. The variables and which pros out way which cons. Do we alter who our children will grow up to be by keeping them safe at all costs? Or do we chance it and send them to school hoping they will come home each day. Or in my case does my dream of being a teacher only become reality in my own kitchen as I protect my three children with home schooling?

*Canadian names include all documented shootings in Canada history. U.S. names are those that have occurred since 2010. www.wikipedia.org