Pistol Packing Pedagogues: Thirty-Two States Now Allow Teachers to Possess a Firearm On Their Campuses

Pistol Packing Pedagogues

Thirty-two states now allow teachers to possess a firearm on their campuses.

In April, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law that allows teachers to carry guns on school grounds. If an educator wants to participate in the program, he or she must go through a permit process that includes emergency medical and communication training, as well as quarterly firearm and annual “live scenario” training. The legislation applies to private and public K-12 schools and colleges.

Also, in April, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a law allowing teacher carry. Armed teachers and staff will be required to undergo 40 hours of training and then be allowed to carry handguns in their classrooms. The legislation also requires criminal and mental health background checks and a psychological examination.

Additionally, a concealed carry bill for teachers is in the works in West Virginia. House Bill 4299 would allow teachers who have concealed carry permits to keep a concealed gun at school. The proposed law also requires them to get training from law enforcement.

According to the United States Concealed Carry Association, 32 states now allow teachers and staff to carry firearms on campus. As USCCA notes, the laws vary from state to state. In some of them, either the individual school, school board, or school district must approve teacher carry. In Arkansas, the law only applies to teachers in private schools.

Educators are split on the idea. In the fall of 2022, the RAND Corporation surveyed teachers across the country, seeking their feedback on school safety issues. The results showed that

20% of respondents think allowing teachers to carry firearms makes schools safer, and 26% reported that they felt it wouldn’t affect school safety, while 54% said that policies allowing teachers to arm themselves would make schools less safe.

Not surprisingly, the National Education Association thinks arming teachers is a terrible idea. After the laws were passed in Tennessee and Iowa, the NEA posted a lengthy piece on its website excoriating the notion. Instead, the union thinks the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, enacted in 2023, will go a long way to change things. The BSCA expands background checks before the purchase of firearms and targets interstate gun trafficking. It also supports state “red flag” laws, which allow courts to temporarily prevent someone in crisis from accessing guns and provides nearly $1 billion for mental health supports in public schools.

Whatever. The country, as well as individual towns, cities, and states, can pass a zillion laws, but with about 400,000,000 firearms in the U.S., any cruel or crazy person hellbent on mayhem and murder will be able to get his hands on one of them. And that person is most likely to exhibit his wickedness in a place where there is little chance of him encountering someone who will impede his evildoing. While the notion of “gun-free zones” sounds good, it is simple-minded. In reality, mass public shootings occur in gun-free zones 98.8% of the time. —>READ MORE HERE

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