This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The idea of arming classroom teachers has this mother and grandmother outraged. All four of my children are educators in Utah schools. I do not want them or my nine grandchildren in schools where teachers, administrators and staff are carrying weapons of any kind.
A gun in the home is 22 times more likely to kill or injure a family member or friend than it is an intruder. Put guns in schools, and an accidental shooting — or a deliberate one — becomes more likely.
What we can do is:
• Ban the sale of assault-type weapons and large-capacity ammunition clips.
• Expand background checks on every gun sold, including private sales and gun shows.
• Expand and modernize the national database for background checks so it can be accessed within minutes.
• Instigate a comprehensive buyback program that pays twice the value of any firearm turned in.
• Tighten concealed weapons laws.
• Provide affordable access to mental health care.
• Encourage state legislators to enact sane gun laws that protect people, not guns.
A corollary to the National Rifle Association's cliché, "When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns," is, "When everyone has guns, anyone can be shot."
Linda K. Newell
Salt Lake City