Check out the latest editorial cartoon from Neal Obermayer below.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Nebraska State Sen. Mark Christensen (R-Imperial) wants to arm teachers with guns after a few hours of training. His new bill mirrors language that the NRA has been pushing around the country. Christensen says this will help rural schools. There is no evidence arming teachers helps decrease gun violence, and not a single documented case where an armed teacher was able to stop a criminal from harming our kids. Police and firefighters are trained for years to handle crisis moments, making sure they have resources to their job. Funding for mental health is the answer, not arming our teachers. —Jane Kleeb

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More resources: 

  • The FBI and other law enforcement agencies have increased the training requirements and resources – including specialized virtual reality devices – for their agents in order to deal with close quarter shooting arrangements. (Source)
  • Given the high degree of training needed for police officers to appropriately engage against armed assailants in close quarters, the International Association of Chiefs of Police has recommended against arming staff or volunteers to protect schools, calling it a “distraction.” (Source)
  • Of shootings in emergency rooms in American hospitals, 23% are done with a weapon taken from an armed guard. (Source) The presence of armed guards who are not properly trained law enforcement officers may add to the danger at a school. 
  • There are cases of successful civilian intervention in mass shootings that involve former police officers and military personnel. However, research into every mass shooting incident over the past 30 years found not one documented case of an otherwise licensed civilian successfully intervening while the shooting happened. (Source)
  •  A nationwide poll by Widmeyer Communications found that 61 percent of the public believe arming teachers is a bad idea. (Source)