The horror of another school shooting -- this one at a high school in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed -- re-ignited the debate over what to do about this problem.
One idea has been to permit teachers to carry guns while in school in the hope that armed teachers would be able to deter or stop a shooting.
READ: Are more armed teachers the answer or 'common sense gun laws'?
So we asked our What You Said question this week: Should teachers be permitted to carry guns while in school?
Few issues are more emotional than guns, especially guns in schools.
But the debate on our Facebook page, where hundreds of people weighed in, was remarkably civil (especially by Facebook standards) and well-argued.
Despite the divisions and emotions, the debate here seems to indicate that a rational dialogue can take place, one that is focused on reasonable solutions. Politicians, take note.
What you told us is that many who can accept teachers carrying guns in schools want them to be well trained.
Timothy MacDonald emailed:
My answer is yes they should but with proper training! Gun Free zones scream "hey look our kids are right here with no resistance" for criminals. Lets think about this: how often do you see criminals shooting up police stations? They understand that they are heavily armed and will be met with resistance. I've been trained in Tactical Training and it is very true that most criminals prefer to carry out crime in places where they are met with no resistance. Once resistance is encountered, they usually flee. Arm and train our teachers! If people or places are willing to use armed guards to transport money or valuables, I think kids well meet that criteria as well.
They should be carefully selected and gun security should be paramount, wrote Samantha Baker Anderson:
David Andy Baucom said no to teachers carrying, but would like trained, armed guards at schools
But many of you brought up the potential problems with letting teachers carry and bringing guns into schools, even legally.
The guns could be taken, says Mike Lowery:
Several said teachers have enough to do without also being given the serious responsibility of armed security:
Randy Walton emailed:
Teachers have a big responsibility with teaching the students. They should not have the responsibility of security in the schools too. I believe that part of the cost of school should be to put in place armed security guards along with scanning stations. These of course should remain outside of the actual school so students don't feel like they are in a prison. There should be also a centralized command station with cameras covering the entire school (outside). By putting up a perimeter, this should prevent someone from penetrating the school to cause harm.
And not all teachers are angels, points out Obryan Moon:
Why arm teachers when we already have police, asks Rodney Burdick.
Obviously, we should see how teachers feel about this. Teacher Neil Stewart is adamantly opposed:
We saved the final thought for Margie Kemp, who longs for a simpler time:
Remember way back, when kids went to school to learn. I have grandkids in school. I am scared very scared for them ... Please, whoever heard of a teacher packing a gun, but if it saves my kids and everyone else. God Be with them.
Thank you for listening....
Next week, we'll ask your opinion on another topic. In the meantime, you can go to our Facebook page or Twitter and share your thoughts there. You can share your opinions in the form of text, photos, video, drawings or audio recordings.
And take a look at our Feedback Friday page for another way to express your what's on your mind.
