Controversial Program Trains Teachers to Take On Active Shooters
Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this interview.
The debate over guns and their role in society is yet another wedge issue splitting an already divided public. But as gun violence becomes an increasingly regular part of life in America, little progress has been made to address the existential threat of the next active shooter. For proponents of gun regulation, partisan gridlock has proved an impenetrable obstacle for meaningful reform. But for Second Amendment enthusiasts, not enough is being done to enact policy change in the opposite direction.
After tragedies like the massacre at Sandy Hook, or the attack at the Republican baseball practice that left Congressman Steve Scalise in critical condition, gun-rights activists want to take a tougher stance against would-be shooters. And a key component of the "good guy with a gun vs. a bad guy with a gun" argument is more guns in public spaces.
What about schools? In Weld County, Colorado, Laura Carno, founder of the non-profit Coloradans for Civil Liberties, has taken a cue from Ohio in order to bring firearms training to schools in her state. Last week, Carno's pilot program provided a three-day training by FASTER, which stands for Faculty/Administrator Safety Training & Emergency Response, for 17 Weld County teachers and administrators.
FASTER's training and its expansion into Colorado has brought a renewed focus on a controversial subject: Should guns be allowed in schools? Will more guns serve as an effective deterrent? Or will additional weapons only serve as a catalyst for further violence? Carno joins The Takeaway to discuss the ins and outs of this pilot program — click on the 'Listen' button above to hear the full interview.
