MEMPHIS, Tenn. — “Teachers are not interested, we are not trained. It’s not our calling.”
That’s what Keith Williams with the Shelby County Education Association told WREG when we asked him about arming teachers.
He said he’s not on board with the idea of giving some teachers guns and training them to shoot back in an emergency situation.
“To make school armed camps would be tantamount to the destruction of this civilization,” Williams said.
Parents said they have some concerns too, like where the guns would be stored and what teachers would be selected.
“The kids could get a hold of them,” said Monica Lambert.
“Teachers are supposed to do one thing, and that’s teach, said parent Glenn Thomas.
Days after a mass shooting at a Florida High School, some states already called for a discussion to arm certain public school employees.
Local Tennessee Lawmakers told WREG nothing like that has been filed yet.
That hasn’t stopped the conversation. Hundreds of viewers gave us their opinion on Facebook.
Danielle Little wrote, ‘What makes you think we can teach kids and make sure our guns don’t go off? Or lord forbid, a student get a hold of it.”
Scott Dawkins chimed in, “Mass shootings occur in gun free zones. People are sitting ducks, unable to defend themselves. The shooter feels completely safe an in control.”
Lauren Johnson said, “I will remove my children from their school and will home school them before I ever send them to a school with armed teachers. These teachers are begging for pencils, copy paper and printer ink from parents, and you think there is available money to arm and properly train them?”
If you’d like to join the discussion, just go to our Facebook page and let us know what you think.