We applaud the students, educators, and community of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School who are demanding their elected officials take action to make sure that this type of tragedy never happens again. We support their call for sensible gun control measures like a ban on assault rifles and expanded background checks.
“We were disappointed to hear Senator Scott Hammond’s short-sighted and ill-informed ‘Let’s arm the teachers,’ interview yesterday on KBET 790,” said Natha Anderson, President of the Washoe Education Association and high school English teacher. “The answer to keeping our schools safe includes commonsense gun control laws and additional supportive services. The last thing we need is more guns in schools.”
Ruben Murillo, Jr. is President of NSEA and a special education teacher. “After tragedies like Sandy Hook or Stoneman Douglas, NRA allies such as Scott Hammond talk about arming teachers. This proposal has been overwhelmingly rejected by educators across the country because we want our schools to be places to learn, not armed prisons. If you want to arm teachers, do so with resources that address mental health issues, add counselors, provide intervention opportunities, and encourage parental involvement. As educators, we will remain focused on making proper investments in our schools, reforming gun laws, and supporting organic efforts like the response to last week’s shooting by the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas,” said Murillo, Jr.
