“If my intent is to write something useful that people can understand, then it’s better to write about the way things are instead of what we imagine them to be.”
The latest school massacre has once again separated online America into three camps. On one side, the anti-gun camp uses the deaths of children as proof that we need stronger regulation on all types of guns everywhere. On the other side, the pro-gun camp uses the same mass murder as proof that concerned citizens need more guns to protect them from lunatics. In the center, the majority of the country is shocked for a moment, frightened for a time and then complacent as they go back to ignoring the problem of gun violence in America. Everyone takes their position, using the dead children as a weapon in their war of ideology.
The sound bites from all three camps often ignore certain realities of mass shootings and the greater legal, political and social environment that impact their positions. I’d like to point out some of the obstacles to the most extreme positions and then offer a solution that I think will protect more people without waiting for the war of words on gun control to play itself out.
I am not offering this idea as an authority figure, expert or pundit. I am simply using my legal background and my studies on violence as a writer to offer ideas not tied to any other position on this issue.
Why Giving Guns to Teachers Isn’t Helpful
I have seen many pro-gun proponents suggest that arming more civilians would create a deterrence effect that will eliminate shooting sprees. Some of them go on to say that if the killers are not deterred, the armed civilians will be in a position to protect themselves and the children around them. There are several potential problems with this concept that will occur before, during and after a violent incident. Taking the guns in school example, consider that:
Before a killer walks into a school:
Many teachers have an aversion to guns and will not carry them, and they may refuse to work in an environment that requires carrying or using a weapon. This will decrease the already limited pool of qualified teachers in America.
Many parents would refuse to send their children to a school where the teachers were potentially armed and would be in a position to sue the school board or the state for creating an unsafe environment for their children.
Liability for potential gun related accidents for the school or the school system could be substantial.
The risk of gun related accidents or incidents between students or involving student theft of the weapons can create unintended consequences
Most importantly, deterrence is a powerful incentive for a rational thinker to take or avoid certain actions. Recent mass shootings have involved killers who were not rational. To assume that an irrational person will think rationally and be deterred could be a severe mistake.
If you want to spend more time in the world of Crime and Passion, sign up for the free RSVP Newsletter.
When a killer walks into a school:
Even if teachers or school officials wanted to carry firearms in school as a deterrent, many teachers who are overworked, stressed or distracted may not have the gun readily available in the critical moment.
A person confronted with sudden violence is likely to freeze because of a fatal loop within the OODA cycle (Observe, Orient, Decide and Act). That freeze can prevent them from ever using their gun even if it is in their hand when the killer arrives.
Many people have a natural aversion to killing other people, even to save their own lives. Many soldiers on the battlefield, who were trained to fight, have failed to fire their weapons at an enemy that was actively trying to kill them. There is a very real chance that a teacher faced with a killer might not be able to shoot even if they have a gun.
The accuracy of an average person who does not have substantial training with a firearm is extremely low. If the teacher did have their gun and didn’t freeze in the face of a killer, there is a high chance that they could hit one of the children instead of the killer.
If two or more people are exchanging fire in an enclosed space and other teachers or officials arrive (because they are also armed), if could be very difficult in the smoke, noise and adrenalin boosts that everyone is experiencing for the new teachers to hit the right person. More children could be inadvertently killed by the people who are trying to help them.
Any teacher who is killed without using their gun for any of the reasons listed above is providing an extra potential weapon for the killer.
If the teachers are focused on attacking the killer then it will be difficult for them to focus on removing the children from the situation which leaves them in greater jeopardy as the killer closes in.
After the shooting has stopped
In the same way that other teachers in the school might be confused about what is going on and who the real threat is, first responders will arrive on the scene without knowing who is a killer and who is a teacher. While they are trying to sort through the chaos teachers could be mistaken for killers and inadvertently injured or killed. Killers could be mistaken for teachers or victims and escape. There could be an extended delay for EMS to help the children because there are so many live weapons in the area.
After the incident, there will be significant civil and criminal liability for the teacher, the school and the school system if any parent decides to go after the school because their child was injured or killed by a stray bullet.
Finally, the support and comfort that communities display after a violent massacre that help everyone move on can be twisted into a force that tears a population apart if people start to feel like their loved ones were killed because of the failure of the teacher.
In my next post, I'll try to explain why the anti-gun movement can't achieve the goal of protecting children in the short term with stricter regulations or bans on guns.
Gamal
If you want to spend more time in the world of Crime and Passion, sign up for the free RSVP Newsletter.