Question of the Week: Safety at school

The Modesto City Council held a workshop last week on updating the city's strategic plan. On the subject of student safety, Councilman Dave Geer said schools should consider having some teachers and administrators carry concealed weapons because the police no longer can provide officers at every campus. What do you think of this suggestion?

Vasu Tadimeti, Modesto High School

I think this suggestion has pluses and minuses. In general, if more people have concealed weapons because of less police activity, this can be dangerous to the outside community and pose a threat to the people within that area. For example, if schools start carrying more concealed weapons, as a student, I would be concerned that people could easily access these weapons and there would be more violence. However, there are more pluses, because if these arms are kept in a very safe area, in a school, for example, students might feel safer that the school has weapons that they could use in an emergency. As a student of Modesto High School, I see that the area around the school is not very safe, so concealed weapons could ameliorate a serious act of violence toward the school.

Emily Hoeksema, Senior, Ripon Christian High School

I definitely support this! As long as the weapons are legally obtained, this will help kids and teachers stay safe in case there is a threat on campus from which they need protection. We don't need new gun control laws, because guns don't kill people, people kill people. With the guns in the right hands, lives can be saved instead.

Zachary Senn, Junior, Home-schooled

In their fight for the right to needlessly own and carry open and concealed weapons, many Americans are slowly working to undermine the day-to-day liberties and assurances that have been for so long enjoyed by U.S. residents. Honestly, this proposal sounds a lot closer to totalitarianism than the mere removal of guns from everyday society.

Mark Borges, Freshman, Hughson High School

Well, lets put it this way … there's a lot of teachers at my school that I wouldn't want to be packin' a concealed weapon (No offense!), especially if I they're in a bad mood. There's many different ways we can promote safety without bringing guns onto a school. The idea seems ridiculous to me.

Carolyn Stevens, Junior, Whitmore Charter High School

I think that it is a horrible idea. If school staff started carrying concealed weapons, it would be just too easy for students to get their hands on them, which would create more problems. Besides, I would feel very uncomfortable in the knowledge my teacher was packing a gun. And if schools are attempting to teach nonviolence to students, what kind of message would it send to have the teachers armed on campus?

Julie Fogarty, Sophomore, Central Catholic High School

It seems like a bad idea to me. I don't think having a few more guns on campus is the answer, and it seems like it would just encourage more violence.

Shelby Sutter, Sophomore, Enochs High School

I can see both sides, it could be good and it could be bad.

Taylor Menezes, Junior, Central Catholic High School

I'm all for student safety, but seriously? If we give teachers concealed weapons, it will only cause more problems. In some cases, it may be a positive change, but accidents happen and people have strange motives.

This question is answered by members of Teens in the Newsroom, a journalism program for high school students.