What Do Combat Vets Think Of Trump’s Proposal To Arm Teachers Against School Shootings?

In the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, Florida, President Donald Trump offered a simple solution to end the United States’ sad tradition of school shootings: Arm teachers with “military or special training experience” against potential gunmen.

Responding to criticism of a Wednesday listening session in which the president proposed concealed carry among school faculty and staff “adept with the firearm,” Trump tweeted on Thursday that teachers “must be offense” because “defense alone won’t work.”

I never said “give teachers guns” like was stated on Fake News @CNN & @NBC. What I said was to look at the possibility of giving “concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience – only the best. 20% of teachers, a lot, would now be able to

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018

….immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions. Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that do this. Far more assets at much less cost than guards. A “gun free” school is a magnet for bad people. ATTACKS WOULD END!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018

….History shows that a school shooting lasts, on average, 3 minutes. It takes police & first responders approximately 5 to 8 minutes to get to site of crime. Highly trained, gun adept, teachers/coaches would solve the problem instantly, before police arrive. GREAT DETERRENT!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018

….If a potential “sicko shooter” knows that a school has a large number of very weapons talented teachers (and others) who will be instantly shooting, the sicko will NEVER attack that school. Cowards won’t go there…problem solved. Must be offensive, defense alone won’t work!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018

It’s worth honing in on one particular element of Trump’s proposal: the prerequisite of some sort of firearms training. And consistent, rigorous training, beyond entry-level boot camp rifle or pistol quals, matters: One of the reasons bystander interventions during mass shootings are rarely effective is that a significant portion of firearms owners never received formal safety or marksman training, according to a July 2017 public health study. (Heck, just consider the “18 school shootings this year alone” statistic that’s been bandied about recently; most of those “shootings” were accidental discharges.)

Instead of would-be Rambos, Trump’s logic goes, perhaps it’s those Americans who fully understand and respect the power of firearms who are worthy of safeguarding our schoolchildren. To which a lot of veterans on Twitter responded: Fuck that noise.

https://twitter.com/TheGospelOfTom/status/966664061197934592

By all means, let's recreate the shootout at the OK Corral in our schools, nothing could go wrong with that other than maybe the good guys shooting some kids too. It wouldn't be on purpose though, so they don't count. #VetsForGunReform https://t.co/7EHj8vw3Xe

— Jeffery Anderson (@Jeffery1954) February 21, 2018

We have created a generation of military service members who suffer from the impact of their service, and now we are doing the same to our children due to the threat of violence in schools. #VetsForGunReform

— Frank Blair (@FrankBlair71) February 21, 2018

https://twitter.com/iAmTheWarax/status/966447501892050944

I am a vet, I work in a school. Guns do not belong in classrooms. Period. We don’t pay teachers enough to educate, now you want them to be armed bodyguards too? Are you willing to pay them what you pay your security detail? Doubtful.

— Cheryl Burris (@3gr8k1ds) February 22, 2018

No.. no it won’t. I never thought that a prerequisite to teaching would be to know how to shoot and use a gun, and “you must be willing to kill someone.” I am a teacher…. I am an Army veteran as well… and this isn’t the solution sir. Arming teachers with guns.. nope!

— Murry 🌊 (@seagullsquirrel) February 22, 2018

https://twitter.com/GunsAintFreedom/status/966691908851585024

This … is not a new trend!

https://twitter.com/Dennis_Magnasco/status/965413209376247808https://twitter.com/Dcwriley/status/965284972721557504https://twitter.com/MediocreJedi/status/965330136047394816

I am a retired combat #veteran and I support common sense reform of our current gun laws.#VetsForGunReform & #2A

The legislation absolutely must be steered by people who know about guns & unpolarized by 2A…NOT the @NRA @PPFA or @splcenter pic.twitter.com/SxF92Lz5NC

— “Chief” Beck ᚦᛟᚱ (@valor4us) February 19, 2018

This is true. I shot competitively (tried out for the ‘84 Olympics), and spent 16 years in the Army. I was qualified as an Expert in both Rifle and Pistol.

In live fire simuulators I had a really high hit rate, almost 40 percent. Think about that. https://t.co/CUjUrWDhiC

— T Karney (@pecunium) February 22, 2018

This is the weapon I carried in a theater of war to kill people with. I did this as part of a "well regulated militia" (FLARNG) When I came back, this weapon was turned in. I do not believe civilians should have access to these weapons of war. #VetsForGunReform pic.twitter.com/cY0bOZCbgT

— d'arcy carden is very tall and I love that (@Lollierot89) February 19, 2018

On the left: Me, carrying an M4 rifle in Afghanistan.

On the right: Me, dropping a 120mm mortar round in Afghanistan.

Giving civilians assault rifles meant for war makes about as much sense as giving them mortars.

America should not be a war zone.#VetsForGunReform pic.twitter.com/RiAA7DPHcD

— Jay Kirell (@JasonKirell) February 20, 2018

https://twitter.com/JimmyB1775/status/965267131892842506

As a soldier, I wielded a rifle that could hit targets out to 500m. Its sole purpose was/is to take as many human lives as efficiently as possible. As a civilian now, I see no need for any of my fellow citizens to have unfettered access to similar weaponry. #VetsForGunReform

— Dan Kim (김명준) (@danielmkim) February 19, 2018

https://twitter.com/josh_walker/status/964937313485774854

When it comes to the efficacy of armed vets in school, I’ll let people who have actually seen combat make that assessment.

WATCH NEXT: