President Donald Trump thinks it’s a good idea, but Florida Gov. Rick Scott says he’s against it.
It was part of a town hall discussion with Martin County leaders Thursday, aimed at preventing another school shooting.
In response to the Parkland massacre, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office has already doubled the amount of school resource officers and increased unannounced campus visits, where they’ll come by and check to see if doors are locked.
There is unprecedented urgency to prevent another Parkland for good reason.
“I was searching for something I could not believe it even existed. A bulletproof backpack,” a grandmother said at the town hall.
It’s why around 150 Martin County parents and grandparents addressed a nine-person panel, representing education, religion and law enforcement.
They took ideas, like from one teacher, who wants to be armed.
“I would like to see it where we have a training program for any teacher that would be willing to carry so that we can neutralize a lot quicker,” the teacher said to a mixed reaction from the crowd.
The moderator had to call order at one point, “Please follow the ground rules.”
Martin County school board member Marsha Powers was first to reject the idea.
“As a teacher, I cannot support guns in the classroom,” she said to mostly cheers.
Rabbi Matthew Durbin next to reject it.
“If I knew my school teacher for my children was armed, I would (consider) pulling my child from school,” he said.
Sheriff William Snyder said if teachers were armed, here’s how he thinks it should be implemented.
“We can put teachers through our certification program and then they can come out certified law enforcement. That would probably be the safest way to do it,” said Snyder.
One of the loudest ovations of the night came after this grandmother.