Making Schools Safer

While there's no doubt that everyone wants schools to be as safe as possible, Americansboth young people and adultsdisagree about how to make that happen.

Some Americans believe that the root of the problem lies with firearms and firearm access. Currently, federal law requires firearms dealers to perform background checks on all buyers, and certain people, such as those with criminal records, can legally purchase firearms. People who have been diagnosed with severe mental illness and are either committed to a psychiatric hospital or declared mentally incompetent by a court are also banned from buying firearms, according to federal law. In addition, states have various firearm laws, with some allowing and others prohibiting the purchase of semi-automatic weapons.

Many firearm control advocates support new legislation to limit firearm access. Some argue that limiting firearm access to people with psychiatric issues is notefficacious, as only a small percentage of firearm violence is carried out by people with mental illness, according to the American Psychological Association.Factors other than mental illness, such as social isolation and substance abuse, may affect the actions of mass shooters, they say. Some firearm control advocates support stricter rules governing who can purchase firearms, such as broader and more comprehensive background checks to determine whether firearm purchasers have criminal records. Others focus their arguments on the need to ban certain weapons, such as semi-automatic rifles. They argue that these weapons, which can fire bullets in rapid succession, have no purpose other than to inflict grievous harm on large numbers of people.

Other Americans believe that owning a firearm is a right that is guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitutionand that federal laws limiting firearm access to citizens amount to an abuse of government power. Also, they point out that many people legally and responsibly own weapons that they use for hunting purposes or for protection. Gun rights advocates argue that in the wrong hands, many objectsnot just firearmscan become dangerous. So the problem, they contend, is not firearms but shooters who have apenchant for violence. Some people advocate for stricter legislation that would help further prevent people with mental illness from having access to firearms, arguing that while firearm violence in general is not associated with mental illness, people with mental illness are responsible for a significant percentage of the mass shootings that have occurred in the U.S. (The Parkland shooter had been diagnosed with emotional problems and had received treatment for mental health problems in the past.) Others say that firearmswhen they're in the right handsenable people to protect themselves and others in the event of a shooting.

Arming Teachers?

In fact, some firearm rights advocates support the idea of allowing teachers to carry firearms. They maintain that providing teachers with firearms and firearms training would make schools safer, while others say that bringing firearms into school buildings would actually compromise school safety, citing concerns about possible accidents. After the Parkland shooting, lawmakers, teachers, and others spoke out.

"Our most valuable, most precious resources are our children. Why in the world are we going to put them in a circumstance where there is nobody [who] is armed and trained at any of our schools to be able to respond quickly to an active shooter situation?" said Florida State Senator Greg Steube.

Utah teacher Kasey Hansen agrees, saying that carrying a concealed weapon in school is "more of a solution" than hiding from an armed intruder.

Conversely, Texas teacher Tara Bordeaux said that although she is comfortable with firearms, she can't easily envisage herself carrying one in class.

"Would I get the same training, and would I have the same type of instinct of when and how to use it?" asked Bordeaux, adding, "I don't have any instincts in me to be an officer of the law. My instincts are to be a teacher."

Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, said that arming teachers is a bad idea. An educator's hand firearm, she said, would be no match for a more powerful weapon, such as a semi-automatic rifle.

"The solution is to ban these...weapons from people who shouldn't have them," Weingarten said.

Americans will continue to debate ways to make schools and other public places safer, but the question remains: Which actions are most appropriate?

• Intro-Hook
• Background about topic
• Argument
• Body 1 Introduce your first point
• Evidence
• What does the evidence mean
• How does it connect to your argument?
• Rebuttal
• Counterclaim and evidence
• Conclusion: sum up the points you made and make it a final statement