Teachers must not be armed

Although everyone would like to see the senseless, horrific gun violence in schools stopped, thus far we have been unable to reach consensus as to how to go about doing it. I don’t pretend to have the answers, but I do know one thing. Arming teachers, as Ohio voted to do on June 13, is not the answer.

If a teacher (or any school employee) is going to use a gun to thwart an intruder and protect her students, she will need to have the weapon loaded and on her person — or within reach, at all times. Does anyone really think this is a good idea? What about the curious primary child who innocently pulls the weapon out of the teacher’s holster just to see what it looks, feels, or sounds like? Or how about the older student who comes unhinged because his girlfriend gave him the boot?

A teacher must never have a gun within the school setting, not even in a locked drawer or cupboard. A loaded gun is far too risky, and an unloaded one stuffed in a special hiding spot is useless.

Iowans may not agree on what we should do to solve school shootings, but I sincerely hope we can agree on what not to do.

Jacquie McTaggart

Independence