One Unarmed Teacher

Inevitably, whenever tragedies like Newtown, Colorado, or Manchester Brewing occur the conversation turns to the Second Amendment. Understandably, hunters would like to continue their sport and maintain the freedom to purchase guns of their choosing to participate. The NRA wants people to have the right to bear arms. Those conversations, or fierce preservation of gun rights, has somehow turned to arming teachers. I can understand why people believe the answer is in arming teachers; they want the opportunity to prevent future deaths of innocent people. I understand that.

However, they have probably never had a gun pointed at their head. They don't understand what it means for your body to be frozen in fear. Except for your dripping brow. Pounding heart. Brain working overtime to make sense of your situation. Although your lips are unable to formulate words two questions continuously circle your mind: will I live or will I die? By the time the gun has been removed from your forehead you are not thinking, "if only I had a gun I could've prevented that." Not even when a bullet whizzes by your ear. Missing your head by a couple of slim inches. Finding its way into the wall to your back left. Not even when your aggressor is maniacally laughing. The only thing that you are thinking is, "I need to get out of here."

I have listened to a lot of view points on the radio, television, and even from family members. The conversation seems to always turns to arming teachers or schools. When your only experience with guns is hunting, target shooting, or gun collecting there is a lack of understanding of what it actually means to be on the other end of a gun. Until then, and it is my hope that those folks never experience that, we need to focus our attentions on more sensible solutions.