Diane Wolk-Rogers, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School teacher, stated to CNN that she believes students of color could be shot by teachers at “a higher rate” than white students if teachers are allowed to be armed.
She then wanted to address “the white elephant in the room”—racial injustice.
“If what you’re telling me is that we have trained professionals who weren’t able to follow protocol, then I can’t imagine my teachers—overworked, underpaid, exhausted— carrying a sidearm, and then being able to perform that protocol,” she said.
“And I also, I want to talk about the white elephant in the room. Because what we know is that students of color get suspended and get expelled at a higher rate than white kids. So, now, what are we going to say, Mr. Trump? We’re going to say that now students of color are going to be shot at by teachers at a higher rate? It’s absolutely ludicrous. It horrifies me.”
And unfortunately, she is not alone in that thought. Not long after making the comment, many decided to throw their hats into the same ring.
An editor over at “Above The Law” tried stating last week that Americans are “too racist” to arm it’s teachers, citing cops “murder civilians all the time,” and many of the “innocent” victims have been people of color.
“America is entirely too racist to arm teachers. Our legal system is INCAPABLE of holding public employees to account for murdering minorities,” the article argued. “Black and brown students should not have to die because disgruntled white boys are shooting up their schools.”
David Frum, an infamous Never Trumper, has said that arming teachers “would constitute a huge public-sector affirmative action program for white men.”
Gun owners almost 2/3 male. https://t.co/s7VE7PF3gI Whites 50% more likely to own guns than blacks, more than 2x Hispanics. https://t.co/RGy15U9YC0 If teachers are hired & promoted for gun adeptness, would constitute a huge public-sector affirmative action program for white men.
— David Frum (@davidfrum) February 22, 2018
Regardless, President Trump is hopeful that this can be a solution to the problem.
“I want highly trained people that have a natural talent, like hitting a baseball, or hitting a golf ball, or putting,” Trump said. “How come some people always make the four-footer, and some people, under pressure, can’t even take their club back? Right? Some people can’t take their club back.”