By James England via concealednation.org: Ohio school superintendents are increasingly implementing concealed carry programs in their schools. District by district, each school is deciding how it wants to implement new concealed carry policies for faculty and staff. With some districts like Coshocton hoping to have a faculty member carrying concealed in each school, it has raised concerns as some communities claim they had little or no notification of those changes. From the The News-Messenger:
“Five years ago we probably wouldn’t have considered it, and even three or two years ago I would still have been saying this is not the direction we want to go,” said David Hire, Superintendent of Coshocton City Schools, who hopes to have armed staff members in his schools by year end. “But we’re living in a society where this is becoming almost weekly or every other week where there is some event somewhere around the country.”
In previous articles, we’ve mentioned that some counties are taking proactive measures; not just by allowing faculty to be armed, but giving them additional training to prepare them.
This makes the most sense.
We’ll likely hear plenty of parents, other teachers, and media pundits lambaste the notion that teachers should be given guns to protect themselves and their students. After all, when a teacher signs on to instruct children, he or she likely has absolutely no preconceived notion about having to defend their students in an active shooter situation.
But, here’s the thing: teachers aren’t being required to carry concealed in the classroom. In an increasing number of Ohio school districts, they’re being given the option and, when possible, additional training that will enable them to make terribly difficult decisions.
Fortunately, there’s been something of a lull in school shootings. That’s something no one in the gun community is complaining about. But we know it will happen again. There’s not a law in existence nor a policy that will prevent some horrible person from attempting to take the lives of innocent children and faculty.
When that happens, every student and teacher will be forced to make difficult decisions. And they won’t have the option to ‘opt-out’. An armed faculty member who is there and ready to respond can buy students and staff more time, likely saving lives.
Time is the most precious commodity in these situations. Buying even a few minutes to allow law enforcement to respond can mean the difference between another unanswered tragedy and a crisis averted.
There are going to be a hard decisions for Americans to make. Regardless of whether or not you stand for the right for teachers and faculty to be armed or believe that guns have a place in schools, you have to acknowledge the reality that another tragic shooting will eventually occur at a school.
Should we prepare for it?
Many Ohio school district superintendents are overwhelmingly saying yes.