In 2012 alone, the U.S. has had forty-four deaths due to school shootings. This jaw-dropping figure is not only a number; it represents lives that were taken too early. This current issue has lead to a very controversial question: should teachers be armed in the classroom? The answer is no. Teachers should never be carrying a weapon in the classroom.

“Teachers, like anyone else, are under stress. And stressful people can sometimes have psychological breakdowns,” said junior Kara Gratzek, obviously hinting at teachers using their guns for the wrong reasons.

Why would it be a good idea for teachers to be armed? Some gun rights activists defend this position by saying that it is a teacher’s duty to defend the children in the case of any emergency, no matter what.

While I agree that teachers need to guard their students from harm, I think that in times of trouble a teacher should protect their children by bringing them into safety, not by fighting back. Fighting back could only make the situation worse. One more person will have a gun in their hand, so there will be double the chance of an accidental (or purposeful) gun injury, whether an injury inflicted on students, or on the teacher him or herself.

It’s not safe to have a gun in the classroom. If the teacher does not pay attention to a single student for the slightest amount of time, the weapon could be in the wrong hands, and accidental shootings could occur.

Kenneth S. Trump, President of National School Safety and Security Services stated on schoolsecurity.org, “The vast majority of teachers want to be armed with textbooks and computers, not guns.”

While I fully see the severity of the situation at hand, I firmly stand opposed to having my teachers carrying around guns in order to protect us. What kind of message is that sending students? To fight violence with violence?