Opinion: In chalk I trust

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A former neighbor has been bugging me to spice things up a bit (yes you, JM!), so here goes nothing. As an educator, I find the prospect of arming teachers utterly ridiculous. You can agree or disagree, but trust me when I say we are the last people you want packing heat.

First, most schools are already prison-like. We sentence kids to 12 years of highly structured days where they can’t even use the restroom when they want. If you add a bunch of armed guards, aka “teachers,” you’re only a barbed-wire fence away from Shawshank High. I prefer not to work at a state penitentiary, and I certainly don’t want my own children incarcerated in one (Wilson Family goal No. 6: Avoid penal institutions at all costs!). I’m there to teach, not to patrol the halls with my Glock.

Second, most teachers would make terrible shots. I took a handgun class a few years ago in preparation for the zombie apocalypse and have also spent time with my husband, Doo, an avid hunter, “learnin’ me some rifle shootin.’” If I had an hour or so, I could maybe load the thing, fire off a few rounds and hit a paper target, perhaps once. Unless someone plans on sending me to sniper training and offering professional development sessions in marksmanship every week for the rest of my career, I will not be effective in a crisis situation. My medium is chalk, friends, not bullets!

Obviously, something must change in our nation, and we need to engage in conversations about meaningful, realistic solutions. But trust me, arming teachers is not the answer.

Peace out.


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