On Monday, we talked about whether teachers should have the option of being armed.
One of the responses I got came from school teacher Luke Peters. He teaches social studies at Gus Wetter School in Castor, Alta.
He is also a Firearms Safety Course instructor.
He believes training teachers to safely carry concealed firearms, preferably a Glock, for use in case of an active school shooter is an excellent idea for his area. The closest police station is a 20 minute drive away.
Luke points out that teachers are already held up to the same high standards as police, so there should be no concerns about safety when training them to responsibly carry firearms.
The benefits he offers include the potential to stop a shooter and the preventive aspect of knowing a teacher may be armed.
He doubts it will ever happen in Alberta, though, what with a provincial and federal government that both appear to be anti-gun.
Thank you, Luke Peters, for adding your thoughts to this discussion.
It’s great to hear from someone with actual knowledge and experience on both sides of this important issue.
I am also open to hearing from those who say teachers should not be armed with anything more than curious students.
Bob Layton is the news manager of the Corus Edmonton group of radio stations and a commentator for Global News.