Wed., December 19, 2012 3:00pm (EST)

Let Teachers Carry Guns? Some State Lawmakers Say Yes

By Mark Memmott

Updated: 5 months ago

There are reports from a variety of states about local lawmakers who want to give teachers the right to bring guns to school. They're making the case that school shootings such as the one Friday in Newtown, Conn., that left 20 small children and six adults dead could be prevented or stopped if some school staffers were armed.

Monday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said that teachers with licenses to carry concealed handguns should have "access to weapons in their school."

Tuesday, Huffington Post counted "at least six states" where lawmakers "have outlined plans to introduce legislation in 2013 to allow teachers to carry guns into schools or require several teachers to be armed in school buildings." Those states: Florida, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota and Tennessee.

Today, there's word from WMBF in South Carolina that a legislator there "has prefiled a bill to allow teachers to carry guns in schools."

While proponents point to incidents where an armed citizen helped end a shooting rampage, some experienced police officers caution about the heavy burden of carrying a gun and having to weigh whether or not to use it and the dangers involved.

Note: That's just a question, not a survey of public opinion.


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