Within the last two decades, numerous school tragedies have taken place; therefore, in order to ensure student safety, teachers should be permitted to carry firearms.

Many might argue that permitting firearms will only increase the chances of a tragedy occurring because the gun will be easily accessible; however, teachers will go through extensive training, and the school will exercise proper gun safety protocols. According to a New York Daily News report, “with a single exception, every multiple-victim public shooting in the U.S. in which more than three people have been killed since at least 1950 has taken place where citizens are not allowed to carry their own firearms.” Eighteen states already allow teachers to carry firearms, but none of the school shootings occur because the present firearms; therefore, the particular concern would not be problematic.

One of the most catastrophic school shootings known is the Columbine High School tragedy, which took place in Littleton, Colorado on April 20, 1999. The unfortunate event took the lives of 12 students and one teacher, thereby resulting in 13 deaths total. Due to the fact that there were not many options to utilize that would lead the students to safety, the teacher died trying to save their lives. If the teacher would have had a firearm for protection, lives might not have been lost, and the tragic event could have potentially been avoided completely. Whether or not teachers could handle the pressure of a firearm in an emergency due to nerves and fear may be questioned. However, when considering fatal situations, teachers perform to their utmost ability to ensure student safety no matter what the circumstances may be.

Moreover, the Virginia Tech shooting that took place in 2007 is also one that will never be forgotten. Thirty-three lives were taken, along with 15 injured citizens. A 76-year-old Aeronautics Engineer Professor, who survived the Holocaust, was shot to death while he was trying to save his students’ lives. The professor barricaded the door so students would have more time to escape out of the classroom’s window to their safety. Due to the absence of a weapon, such as a gun, the professor and students had nothing to do but hope their lives would not be taken. A firearm could have prevented his fatality, and he could have initiated an attack on the shooter.

The student’s lives and safety are the utmost values worth considering. Parents send their children to school every morning believing they will return; although, history proves that sometimes a dramatic turn of events occur unexpectedly. Teachers play a vital role in determining the outcome of a school tragedy, so various options must be in place to respond to fatal emergencies. The school system must permit teachers to carry firearms and initiate the highest level of safety procedures in order to protect the value of students’ lives for the benefit of the future.