Texas Teachers Carrying Concealed Weapons
As the end of August fast approaches, parents are rushing around helping their children find new pencils, books, backpacks and clothes in time for the first day of school.
Teachers are also busy finalizing lesson plans, decorating their classroom and maybe even bringing a gun to school – at least in one town in Texas.
The Associated Press reported in a recent article that teachers in Harrold, Texas will allow the staff to carry concealed firearms in order to protect against future school shootings; the teachers must meet and follow certain requirements.
Employees will be allowed to carry a concealed handgun as long as they have a license in Texas to carry concealed weapons, are authorized to carry by the district, have received training in crisis management, and use ammunition made to minimize the risk of ricocheting bullets.
While the Harrold Independent School District has yet to include the new mandate in the Employee Handbook for 2008-2009, Harrold is the first known district in the United States to support such a policy.
Since the campus sits near a busy highway and is 30 minutes from the Wilbarger Country Sheriff's Office, Superintendant David Thweatt reportedly feels that the school is an easy target for attacks and that the new policy will save the students and staff from being stranded during an emergency.
The gun carrying policy was approved last year after officials considered a couple of options to add to their already-existing policies to protect the school from a shooting. As of August 25, teachers will be allowed to bring a concealed weapon into the classroom. It is not known how many of the 50 or so people on staff will be armed.
Added Ammunition to Bring Help or Harm?
But will parents really feel that their children are safe from harm when there is greater access to ammunition? Do people really feel that the concealed weapons in the classroom will not fall into the wrong hands?
A recent editorial in The Dallas Morning News, suggests that placing firearms in the classroom sets the stage for accidents as well as makes it easier for an angry student or staff member to get a hold of a gun. No longer will troubled people need to worry about sneaking a weapon into school when the firearm is already present in the classroom.
Injecting firearms into a school setting opens the door to tragic but avoidable accidents. There are no certain safeguards to prevent an angry student – or teacher – from getting hold of a gun that was carried into the classroom.
Coping with the Violence in Our World
In the past decade, parents, teachers and officials have been trying to comprehend the sad fact that sending their children to school is not as safe as it use to be. School shootings have become a reoccurring topic, especially during the nine months when school is in session.
With the numerous accidents and school attacks that have taken place, the topic of carrying guns has been controversial. Total Lawyers has covered other situations where courts are interpreting the people's rights to carry guns. Check out these other articles on our site to read about recent gun laws and news.
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