Tony, the data on mass shootings in gun-free zones is more complicated than that. A large majority of that 98% figure includes private homes as gun-free zones. Some pro-gun experts like John Lott have also counted military sites like Fort Hood as “gun-free” just because private citizens are not allowed to carry in them, even though there are armed guards present. Then there’s the debate over how many deaths make something a mass shooting event. But when we look at incidents in a public gun-free zone, where no armed guards were present, the numbers are much lower.
Of course these sorts of problems will happen. And when they do, they will be widely publicized.
And what would them being widely publicized accomplish? Even if it raises awareness, it’s worth it to you that kids and educators might accidentally get shot or killed on occasion thanks to the introduction of guns into schools? How much publicity have school shootings had before all this talk of making teachers carry weapons? Why didn’t it do much good then?
What problems might we have if we allow teachers to drive cars?
For a lot of reasons, this is a poor comparison. Teachers don’t drive their cars through the halls or in the classrooms. The places where they do drive them outside have crosswalks and crossing guards to escort children around safely. Maybe we should make children wear bullet-proof vests, then, if we’re going to allow guns in schools?
Mostly though, if you think vehicles driving through school parking lots are as potentially dangerous or lethal as a firearm, I don’t really know what else can be said to reason with you.
And here’s the final benefit.
The sign outside that explains that staff are armed and willing to use deadly force will help insure that they don’t have to do it. Mass shooters will pick schools where guns are not allowed.
That’s a great argument in defense of a sign, Tony, but that’s about all it is. Put the sign up and keep the guns out and it’s even safer still. My folks did something similar by putting a sticker for an alarm company on the windows of our home for a while, even though we didn’t actually own a home security system. Of course, the difference again is that a home security system might call the police to your house by accident, but it’s not likely to get you wounded or killed if you mistakenly trip it or can’t enter the code in time.
