(FiveNation.com)- Following the school shooting on May 24 in Uvalde, Texas, the Republican-led Texas legislature is focusing on the twin problems of mass violence and school safety. To make schools less of a target, legislative committees examine earlier legislation, such as the Guardian and Marshal programs that let teachers carry guns.
Reports show that interest has increased significantly following the most recent incident, according to school administrators and handgun instructors in the Lone Star State.
Schools on Target, a business owned by Jeff Sellers in Marble Falls, Texas, prepares teachers to carry weapons in classrooms. Sellers told reporters that he added nine extra classes since the school shooting, double the usual number for June through August.
According to an online publication, Bryan Proctor, owner of Go Strapped Firearms Training in Arlington, Texas, stated that the number of training requests for the Guardian program had increased significantly. Proctor explained that he’s seen a dramatic increase of roughly100%.
Proctor suggested that despite what people may be hearing from some voices in legacy media, teachers want to safeguard their pupils and themselves. What you’re witnessing, according to Proctor, is a noisy minority. Giving teachers weapons instead of more responsibilities means providing them with a last line of defense.
State lawmakers in other states are looking into ways to equip teachers to make schools safer.
According to media reports, Louisiana is presently considering legislation that would permit teachers to carry firearms in classrooms after undergoing specialized training. Ohio requires 700 hours of police training and board permission before allowing teachers to carry weapons. Ohio’s most recent measure seeks to be less restrictive than the state’s present legislation.
Republican governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Bill Lee of Tennessee took measures to improve school safety. Reports show that on June 6, Lee issued an executive order to guarantee that school safety procedures were in place and to assess the effectiveness of training for active shooter situations. On June 7, DeSantis ratified legislation pertaining to school safety that emphasized crisis intervention and training, as well as mental health awareness.
Better to be safe than permanently sorry.
