ZU Magazine is a publication of ZU Media. The following is an article from Issue 5: Revolution.
Staff Writer | Heather McCarthy
In light of the recent school shootings, many are calling for teachers and professors to be armed in the name of protecting students.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been a total of 58 mass shootings in America in 2018.
Since the Parkland, Florida shooting in February, citizens have erupted with personal responses and for how best to prevent school shootings. Among possible solutions is the concept of arming teachers.
However, a survey reported by Time showed nearly 75 percent of teachers are against the idea of being trained to carry guns.
Veronica Bass, a Spanish teacher at Thousand Oaks High School, said, “I believe that having a firearm in the classroom should be voluntary. If a teacher knows how to use guns and wishes to have one in their classroom to protect their students, then they should be allowed to have one.”
She then pointed out the potential futility of this debate. According to Bass, if somebody wants to cause harm, they will do so no matter what.
“Shooters are not afraid to die,” she said. “On the contrary, oftentimes they are suicidal and just want to take others with them…They just want to be remembered, even if it is for doing something evil.”
Several Azusa Pacific professors have shared their own opinions on the debate.
Michael Dean Clark, associate professor of writing at APU, acknowledges the danger.
“Guns are not to be trifled with and they’re definitely not a solution to an active shooter situation,” he said. “It’s a ridiculous attempt at a psychological response.”
Justin Smith, assistant professor of biblical and religious studies, proposed questions for consideration.
“One is what is legally right, and then what should Christians do?” he asked.
Jessica Wong, assistant professor in the department of theology, said that there are more options to explore.
“It’s not either we arm everybody or be victims of terror,” she said.
Wong hopes to find a middle ground between these two extremes.
Similarly to his coworkers, Dr. Bala Musa, a professor in the communication studies department, said professors do not go into the academic field thinking they will be routinely bearing arms.
“[It] would be uncomfortable for a lot of people,” he said. “If they asked me to volunteer, I would not be eager to.”
Regardless of whether teachers are armed or not, people are calling for change for current firearm policies in America.
President Donald Trump has said in multiple interviews that the problem is not the ability to obtain guns, but mental illness in general.
He’s quoted in an ABC interview as saying, “No matter what you do, you’re always going to have difficulties … people are going to slip through the cracks. The gun laws have nothing to do with this. This isn’t guns … We have a lot of mental health problems in our country.”
Clark acknowledged this.
“Not all teachers are stable,” he said. “There are teachers who should not be in the position to decide ‘I’m going to employ my gun as a way to manage my discipline situation [in the classroom].”
Bass believes this entire debate could be behind us in a matter of time, no matter which way the tables turn.
“Once it loses its novelty, people forget it is there,” she said.
There have been calls for gun reform ever since the 1936 National Firearms Act was introduced as the first legislation on the topic. Despite this, protesters believe that change is more crucial now than ever before.
Kris Brown, who runs one of the longest-standing gun control groups in the nation, says the difference that we’re seeing now is that “they’ve really sparked something in the youth movement, and kids across the country are getting up and walking out and demanding change in record numbers.”
This involves young people now more than ever, and that could be the key to substantial change.
“This is a group who is coming of age in a very particular moment,” Clark said. “These students are watching conservative lawmakers ignore them,” and turning anger into fuel.
While some may believe more guns in school will help diminish mass shootings, others believe that fewer guns and more restrictions in the United States would be worthwhile.
Dr. Musa points out that neither side will be able to fully come to an agreeable decision if they don’t listen to one another.
“That is why there needs to be dialogue,” he said. “They need to be listening to both sides. If you bring the strengths to the table, then you’ll be able to have a more holistic and balanced solution.”