Editor:

I’m writing to discuss the issue of guns possibly being carried by teachers in Uinta County School District No. 1. In response to a recent challenge issued in another letter, I am writing this letter twice — once using a quill and ink and once in electronic version to be easily reproduced by the Herald as my handwriting is atrocious.

I am myself liberal and would make the argument that the type of weapons in existence today did not exist in the 18th century. I would further make the argument that a primary purpose of the Second Amendment was to ensure the existence of an armed militia, as there was no standing military at the time — again, a situation which is not the same today. I would direct attention to those two often-overlooked, words in the Amendment — “well regulated.” 

I have no problem with legal gun ownership, but I am absolutely in favor of reasonable regulations regarding that same gun ownership. However, none of this is relevant to this discussion.

Armed teachers in schools is problematic. The argument by some is that teachers have the right to defend themselves. I’ve read that only certain people — administrators and law enforcement personnel — would be privy to information as to who is carrying. This would violate my right as a parent to know whether there was a gun in my child’s classroom. 

Evanston schools typically honor parent requests for teacher assignments; what happens when teacher requests are no longer for purposes of the best teacher for each child but are instead because parents either do or do not want a teacher to be carrying a gun? 

I would insist that my children not be in a classroom with a gun-carrying educator. What happens if that teacher is the only teacher for a given subject, as may be the case in middle or high school?

I grew up in Evanston and attended Evanston schools. I know of at least two teachers I had who ended up committing homicides — tragedies for families and our community. These individuals obviously passed background checks and processes. 

What’s to prevent someone like this being able to carry a gun into our schools? How do we ensure that someone charged to carry a gun does not instead become someone who harms our children, in a situation where they would undoubtedly be “soft targets?”

The district is right to examine and minimize risk — it’s an unfortunate reality. However, as a parent I am 100 percent opposed to teachers carrying guns for these and other reasons. There have been newsworthy events where armed staff have accidentally left guns unattended in restrooms. What would be the effects on the psyche of a young child who may see a gun in the classroom? 

The saying that the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun is just that: a platitude that oversimplifies this issue, and not a universally accepted truth.

Sheila McGuire

Evanston