Teachers Carrying Guns in School: A Really Bad Idea

State senator Bob Beers of Nevada has proposed legislation that would allow teachers in his state to carry concealed firearms in class. He adds that such teachers would be required to undergo a thorough training program as a prerequisite. His rationale is that if potential terrorists are aware that teachers are armed, then a Beslan massacre simply could not happen. The lists of opposing reasons is convincingly long and logical. Teachers are not physical specimens and could easily be subdued by determined and trained terrorists. Further, in the event of a teacher-student confrontation, do we really want teachers to command order only by the sanctioned guns they wear? While it may be feasible to teach teachers the mechanics of gunplay, the safe and proper use of handguns is far more mental then manual. I fear that most teachers who pack heat will either not use them as intended as in a crisis situation, or what is worse, will use them inappropriately and thus tragically. Teachers ought to focus on the essentials of their craft and leave the safeguarding of it to trained professionals.