Nelson Creath

Oral Argument Transcript (AIP Part 6)

Audience Example: Federal and State government officials that would be involved in legislation
related to this proposition.

Introduction (about 100 words/45 seconds)

The Federal/ State Government(s) should ban teachers from having firearms in schools/ class-
rooms, provide school districts and schools a small team of highly trained armed security to pre-
vent threats and protect students from threats, and offer mental health support services to stu-
dents.
Allowing students to be exposed to such dangers shows negligence and a disregard for
the safety of our children. This threat can take many forms but the common theme is guns in the
hands of people who are untrained and unqualified. This proposal suggests that we keep guns out
of the hands of anyone other than a trained professional. This is not to infringe upon any right
outside of the school and only applies to grade 12 and below. No person on a school campus
should be carrying a gun other than armed security.

Body (about 700-750 words/5-6 minutes

Allowing teachers to have guns in classrooms is more of a risk to students, it does more
harm than good. There is no evidence suggesting students are safer with armed teachers. Stu-
dents can take the gun because it is not secure with the teacher. Teachers cannot properly secure
weapons like this in a classroom/ school setting There have been numerous accounts of this hap-
pening. Teachers possessing or even carrying guns; losing them to a student. This could happen
to any person carrying around a school who isn’t properly trained. (Everytownresearch.org ,
2020)
There is no evidence to support allowing teachers to have guns. “ There are no studies
showing any conclusive evidence proving the justification behind arming teachers.” (Sonali Ra-
jan, EdD, MS and Charles C. Branas, PhD, 2018) The only evidence says that it puts students at
risk.
State Government should provide schools a small team of highly trained armed security
to prevent threats and protect students from threats…Security can help prevent potential and ac-
tive threats to students.
There have been numerous accounts of school security preventing threats such as school
shooters such as this one in New York where students were planning to attack the schools with
guns and explosives… (www.nyssba.org, New York State School Board Association) More and
more schools are using security officers to keep students safe because they are effective.
“Albion is one of an increasing number of school districts in New York that utilizes
school resource officers (SROs) to protect the health and safety of their students. In 2019, the
number of school resource officers across the state doubled, from about 200 to 400.2 SROs are
sworn law enforcement officers assigned to work in public schools by the police departments for
which they work. Numerous other school districts contract with private security firms to place
armed security guards in their schools, or hire their own.” (www.nyssba.org, New York State
School Board Association)
Nelson Creath

High- Risk Individuals should be banned from having weapons. These are people who
have proven to society that they cannot responsibly own a firearm. This will help to make
schools safer. Eliminating firearm access to high-risk individuals helps reduce the possibility of a
mass shooting by someone who is potentially mentally unstable. Eliminating this risk helps to
justify not allowing teachers to have firearms in the classroom because there would be less of a
threat. “Firearm prohibitions for high-risk groups — domestic violence offenders, persons con-
victed of violent misdemeanor crimes, and individuals with mental illness who have been adjudi-
cated as being a threat to themselves or to others — have been shown to reduce violence.”
(www.apa.org, 2013)
In order to help eliminate the risk of a student becoming a threat, schools should offer
mental health support/ counseling to students who need it. This effort also helps justify banning
teachers from having guns in classrooms because this will help make schools safer.
“Instead of using guns to create the illusion of safe schools, let’s make schools actually
safer places for the kids that go there by increasing spending on mental health support.” (Michael
Hansen, 2018) Increasing mental health support for students will help make schools safer. In-
creasing the quality of life of students by helping them improve their mental state if they are
struggling. Helping to eliminate the risk of a student becoming a threat.
“Addressing mental health needs in school is critically important because 1 in 5 children
and youth have a diagnosable emotional, behavioral or mental health disorder and 1 in 10 young
people have a mental health challenge that is severe enough to impair how they function at
home, school or in the community. (acmh-mi.org) Many students struggle with mental health is-
sues. It is important to offer support to students because it affects the entire collective mental
health of the school.

Conclusion (about 100 words/45 seconds)

Schools should offer mental health counseling to students to help reduce the risk of a stu-
dent becoming a threat in the school.
States should ban High-Risk individuals (domestic violence offenders, persons convicted
of violent misdemeanor crimes, and individuals with mental illness who have been adjudicated
as being a threat to themselves or to others) from having firearms.
Banning teachers from possessing firearms can also be justified by the presence of a
highly trained armed security service. Security services can help eliminate threats before they
happen and can respond to an active shooter situation in a strategic and effective manner.
All these efforts justify not allowing teachers to have firearms in a classroom while still
increasing the safety of students by means of protection physically and through the law.
Teachers should NOT be allowed to possess a firearm on school campuses regardless of
prior experience and training under any circumstance.