To Arm… Or Not To Arm Classroom Teachers In Alabama

VERNON, Ala. (WCBI) – After the school massacre that left 17 Florida students dead, lawmaker Will Ainsworth of Guntersville introduced this bill to the Alabama State House on Tuesday.

Our Victoria Bailey hit the road to alabama and spoke with residents about what they think the pros and cons *could be* if this legislation passes to law.

“We’re just going to have to have some real serious discussion about it before we start letting everybody bring a gun to school,” said Lamar County Sheriff Hal Allred.

It’s a bill that’s generating conversation throughout the state. Alabama Law maker Will Ainsworth of Marshall County proposed a bill would would give teachers the option to have a fire arm while on the job.

Allred says maybe we should take a moment to consider before allowing any and everyone to tote

“If you had a certain designated people to have them and had the proper training such as fire arms retention active shooter training and stuff like that would be better than letting everyone packing a pistol to school,” said Allred.

Under the proposed bill teachers would be enabled to act with their fire arm in the event a life threatening situation occurred but Alabama resident and parent Shawna Hawthorne says it poses the question of effectiveness.

“Whether or not they are willing to put them selves in harms way. I don’t know that there will be a benefit. The laws they would put around that isn’t going to make it as accessible. You’ve got someone entering the school with a weapon ready to do harm and where does that put the teacher. are they able to access their weapon and load it before anyone in their classroom gets hurt or they get shot themselves,” said Alabama resident Shawna Hawthorne.

An amendment introduced Wednesday would require any teachers and administration, who opt to carry be required to go through 40 hours of training through the Alabama Peace Officers Standard Commission.

Allred says a standard training may not be enough.

“They would have to have some specialized training. You can go out and shoot a paper target but that paper target isn’t shooting back,” said Allred.

Hawthorne says maybe guns aren’t the answer but something must be done.

” A lot of schools in larger cities have security guards that are armed standing at the doors, they’ve got metal detectors you have to walk through, wands they are wondering the children with we don’t have that in our country,” said Hawthorne.

Under the proposal, the State will foot the bill for the mandatory training. Teachers and administrators would be responsible for the purchase of the fire arm and ammunition.