Tennessee lawmakers consider bill that would allow teachers to carry firearms in classrooms

In the wake of a deadly shooting at Nashville's Covenant School, Tennessee lawmakers have introduced a polarizing bill that would permit teachers to carry firearms in classrooms.
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[@paulstevens7528]

During last summer's special session of the legislature to address school shootings, the group that is leading the opposition to this bill was able to get 30 to 35 volunteers to show up at the state legislature. They opposed measures to fund improvements in the physical security of school buildings. They opposed funding for more police officers to be assigned to schools as School Resource Officers. Their argument was that schools should not be prisons. When the Tennessee Senate passed their version of this bill earlier this month, this same group only managed to get 2 of their volunteers to show up, and when a reporter asked them what they wanted done before they would feel safe sending their kids to school, their reply was "no comment". They offer no solutions for the issue of school shootings - they only voice opposition to solutions proposed by others, while insisting that we need more restrictions on the process of purchasing guns and on gun owners in general.

[@ReedRosson1987]

How will the cops know who’s who once they do arrive?

[@PoormansMachineGun]

When a fire breaks out in a school, faculty have fire extinguishers, and other fire mitigation systems through out the school that are positioned in areas to help control a fire before the fire department can get on scene minutes later. Why is it UNACCEPTABLE to have armed personnel, already present to respond to a deranged person in the school, who has made a CONSCIOUS DECISION to act on their HOMICIDAL INTENTIONS with a firearm? The duration of any mass shooting is solely dependent on how fast an armed counter response can get bullets into the shooter. It DOES NOT matter if that armed response come from the police, security, teacher, janitor, or the lunch lady! Police on the way will not save the day!

[@TheThewyrdwoman]

I'm 52 and can recall multiple times students left the room crying. Some Teachers would be verbally abusive, and so emotional we were scared. The thought of one of them with a gun is terrifying. Not to mention the rampant racism . I believe that a child of color will be the first to die , and the system would do If they can show a system where people are vetted and Psychologically tested maybe I might be less afraid. But Tennessee doesn't work this way, sadly.

[@ForgingMyWins]

I can't believe you compare a fire to a shootout LMAO

[@critterjon4061]

If the police couldn’t stop a school shooter what good do you think a 60 year old lunch lady could do

[@oliviakathryn8444]

Districts will not be responsible if the firearm is misused!!!

[@chanabayla1823]

Hope it passes. We all must be allowed everywhere in the US to carry openly. Its our constitutional right

[@sanderdeboer6034]

Nope, it is NOT! Read the constitution for once in your life! Plus the constitution isn’t holy, and it isn’t called the second AMENDMENT for nothing!

[@Darkmattermonkey77]

Well, technically, it’s your natural born right to carry and defend yourself. The constitution makes it clear that the government cannot touch that right.

[@critterjon4061]

I once had a teacher in high school that had severe schizophrenia do you honestly think that someone like that should be allowed anywhere near a gun

[@ginlane2867]

Could someone here tell me, now that this law has been brought in, do teachers in Tennessee schools have a duty or obligation or are in some way legally required to carry firearms? Or is this just that it is permissible under the law. Essentially, do teachers have the right to say, no thanks, I'm not carrying a gun in school, and where do these teachers stand legally? Could the school authorities say to a teacher, Well if you're unwilling to carry a firearm which we we require you to do as as part of your job, then you're in breach of your contract, so then, we're firing you! Is this scenario an actual possibility now?

[@pghurd3340]

Back in the 70s-90s, we never tested our good teachers and authority figures and elders in the community, because we knew there was a high possibility that we'd get clapped on-sight, imprisoned, AND failing with an 'F' for violating. Make Losers Un-Cool Again, Memphis.

[@sirloin2418]

Wait, wait, teachers can ONLY carry guns if they get a permit, pass a mental health eval, and a bunch of other stuff? Why not make that mandatory for ALL gun buyers? Isn't it strange that the SAME people who like Teachers to have GUNS, do not trust them to decide which BOOKS to use in their classrooms?

[@TheThewyrdwoman]

As a Tennessean , I can tell you people here are scared of this Bill. Teachers don't want it , parents don't . Too many things can go wrong. Honestly our officials care more about power , and money than people. If you have the money, Tennessee will let you do Anything. Why do you think they wanted 13 to be the age of consent, I remember our Teachers coming into class in the 8th grade telling us a Classmate was marrying a 23 year old man, and that it was normal. It's always been the way here, it's even sanctioned by most of our Churches. Tennessee is a Volunteer State, which means you're hard pressed to find someone to tell that's actually going to help. Please, don't raise your children here they will just be Prey.

[@paulstevens7528]

As recently as the 1980s, it was considered normal for there to be shotguns and rifles in vehicles that were parked in the student parking lots at Tennessee high schools. Then the federal government banned guns at schools. A suit was filed against that law, and the US Supreme Court ruled the ban unConstitutional. The US Attorney General advised Congress how to reword that ban to comply with the specifics of the Supreme Court ruling, and they passed it again. Since then, have school shootings become more common, or less common?

[@rosemadder5547]

These are the reasons I homeschool in TN. I remember my teachers... Some don't need guns.

[@NoNO-tl8fg]

As a Tennessean, I can tell you people here are THRILLED that a teacher that wants to carry a weapon to protect children in schools, should the need require it.will be passed. Also, TN is not the only State that allows this.

[@darrelrhyne4332]

Children are prey in gun free school zones.

[@DavidCB420]

My mother has pulled my younger brother out of school for this reason, and I’ve been out for other reasons, god speed to anyone else

[@tj11r]

If trained cops was hiding behind walls in Ulvade because the were scared of bullets and the had body armor. If a teacher should engage in gun man! How many hours in weapons combat should teacher get? Now will the gunman go direct after the teacher instead.

[@Darkmattermonkey77]

Your point being? If an individual wants to risk being shot, it’s more likely they’ll avoid the armed persons. Your logic is similar to the “G** Free” zones.. because clearly, they don’t do anything bad in those places since they know that no one else carrying. Go ahead, name several instances where a place had a sign warning that employees were armed, plus the number of mass shootings that occurred there? On the opposite side, you’ll run out of fingers and toes counting all the places that criminals KNEW no one was armed.

[@bfattori01]

Are we going to have to watch some teacher defend killing a student "Kyle Rittenhouse"-style?