Letter to the editor: How arming teachers could backfire

Let us take a look at a few of the problems that have not been considered by the people who think that equipping teachers with guns is a good idea, including our president.

An analysis of New York City police statistics shows that only 30 percent of the rounds fired by a police officer during a gunfight were able to hit their target. Under extreme stress – that is, fire being returned from the shooter – the officers were able to hit their target only 18 percent of the time. Now, consider how a schoolteacher would perform if the shooter he was facing were returning fire. Let’s say the shooter had an assault weapon with 100 rounds of ammunition while the teacher had only nine rounds in a handgun. Who did you think would win this deadly game?

Consider how a SWAT team arriving at a school would react when they saw a man with a handgun firing at something or someone. What would tell the SWAT team that the person firing the gun was a teacher? The SWAT team has been informed that a shooter is in the school building. When they go into the building, they find a shooter – then what?

Under extreme stress, people act first and ask questions later. When all facts are considered, arming schoolteachers is a very poor idea. Banning assault weapons, including all military-style weapons, is an excellent idea – not just the sale of new assault weapons, but also all assault weapons in the hands of nonmilitary personnel.

We need to vote out of office all politicians who will not fight for sensible gun control, including our representatives who hide in their office in Washington and say nothing.

Theodore L. Davis

Bath