Yes, I said it. Off of school property is where the shooter waited for the victim, which is my student. Please understand that’s some raw emotions are about to be unleashed because I am physically not able to defend my student. It doesn’t matter if the incident was gang-related or in school related. I take this opportunity to advocate for teachers who want to take on the responsibility to carry a firearm and their classes and through their duties daily.
Would it have prevented the shooting? My guess is if people knew that the teachers were armed and willing to provide defense for our students, this may not have happened on campus. God forbid this was going to happen because the attack was an ambush. What might not have happened was the endangerment of any other lives. Many more bystanders could have been hit, causing a possible mass casualty scene.
Attack me as you wish liberal media. I call you out for your nonsensical avoidance of reality. I called you out for the falsehood of creating so-called safe zones that have no being of reality. You perpetuate the cycle of handling the business in an uneducated manner. You glorify violence in games and Hollywood. What is this teach our kids? Absolutely nothing. I take that back. It teaches them to handle their problems with violence.
What does my call have to do with the Second Amendment? Everything. The brainwashing administrator of state, county, and local level schools has gone through and hopes of providing a silly little safe zone baffle me. Veteran teachers see this in new teachers… people coming in with great ideas is all fine and dandy until you try and implement them. There is a learning curve. Administrators at the state and local levels are not immune from the curve.
I wish administrations from many school districts around our nation would take that single lesson and apply it. Good administrators push us to reflect and refine our practices. Those administrators in Utah, Oklahoma, and various other schools that allow concealed carriers to defend their students I applaud you. As a legally and physically defenseless person in my school, I call for changes to allow for teachers to be able to defend their students like they really should.
These students may not be my blood, but I treat them like they are my sons and daughters. Please make a point to understand that I am not criticizing my current administration. There is no way they could have seen this coming. What I am criticizing is the blanket policies of so many states and the District of Columbia that do not allow me to defend my family. And yes I include my student as my family.
Michael Cummings is a Driver’s Education and World History 1 teacher at IDEA Public Charter School of Washington DC. He is also a second amendment advocate pushing for the education and competencies regarding firearms in all opportunities.
