Kathleen Parker’s June 7 endorsement of arming teachers is flawed.

I work as a school nurse, and I am also a USAF veteran trained in using weapons. The flaw is that the likelihood of an undesirable outcome is many times greater than the chance a teacher will recognize the threat, secure the room and children, unlock the gun, take off the safety, maintain trigger discipline, then get the drop on the intruder with body armor and a semi-automatic rifle.

More likely scenarios are theft, teacher error while handling, or students getting the gun and hurting someone. Talk of arming teachers is a distraction from addressing the unfettered access of highly destructive weapons by the young and unstable.

Brent Thompson PhD RN
Cliff Island

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