Words by Nick Slay
In a tweet posted the other day, Samuel L. Jackson wasn’t shy about his feelings on arming school teachers.
In the wake of a mass shooting at the Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, there have been many questions on how this tragedy could have been averted. In recent tweets posted by the celebrity in chief Donald Trump, he felt arming educators and school administration was the answer.
Armed Educators (and trusted people who work within a school) love our students and will protect them. Very smart people. Must be firearms adept & have annual training. Should get yearly bonus. Shootings will not happen again – a big & very inexpensive deterrent. Up to States.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2018
….If a potential “sicko shooter” knows that a school has a large number of very weapons talented teachers (and others) who will be instantly shooting, the sicko will NEVER attack that school. Cowards won’t go there…problem solved. Must be offensive, defense alone won’t work!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018
….History shows that a school shooting lasts, on average, 3 minutes. It takes police & first responders approximately 5 to 8 minutes to get to site of crime. Highly trained, gun adept, teachers/coaches would solve the problem instantly, before police arrive. GREAT DETERRENT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018
For many, (especially teachers) this raises many alarming questions about who should be responsible for the safety of students and faculty doing an emergency featuring an armed shooter. Now with it coming to light that several deputies were on site that were armed and did nothing to stop Nikolas Cruz, the question begs to be asked how do we best protect our scholars? Many people feel that Trump is is skirting the issue, focusing on mental health and arming teaching professionals than dealing with the real problem at hand, people who have have been flagged for any numerous of reasons attaining assault weapons. So this prompted a response from one our favorite profanity using celebrities, Samuel L. Jackson.
Can someone that’s been in a Gunfight tell that Muthafukka that’s Never been in a Gunfight, the flaws of his Arm The Teachers plan??!!
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) February 23, 2018
Jackson may have a point. If highly trained and armed individuals failed to act or may have not acted accordingly, how can we assume that teachers and professors would be more effective? How we do ask people who dedicated their lives to education and enhancing student lives now be obligated to carry “heat” at school? How would you feel if your teacher or kid’s teacher had a “burner” at school, to quote Cardi B. In the wake of the original school mass shooting, Columbine, it resulted in more officers being hired which led to an alarming parallel that more minority aka black and Hispanic students finding themselves being persecuted by the law? Can we promise that arming teachers won’t lead to black and Hispanic students being shot by teachers, claiming the same defense as police officers have claimed in recent years, “I feared for my life?”
