What about "Gun Free" Zones?

Another mass shooting tragedy has happened in America, as I am sure everyone is aware.  Now is the time for everyone to trot out their pet thesis and simplistic explanations of why it happened and how to stop it.  I thought I would post some feelings on the matter, too, and no, this is not a cure-all.

Many of these tragedies have happened at so-called gun free zones.  I am open to the idea of a gun free zone if you actually have security at the entrance checking people for weapons.  I have been to bars where this made me feel safer.  If you are merely putting up a sign and relying on the honor system, this is worse than doing nothing.  You are advertising that a place is defenseless.

Why not let our teachers, meaning the ones that are already legally allowed to carry, have concealed carry on school grounds?  You could even put them through a few extra months of vetting and training if you desire.  No one would be required to do it, but merely allowed to do it.  There is a distinction between allowing something and mandating it.

In the case of a shooting, an armed teacher would be hard-pressed to make the situation worse, but they might make it better.  Expectations for these teachers would be low.  I will take my chances with the good guy with a gun who might shoot me on accident over the bad guy with a gun who is actively trying to murder me on purpose.

What about when the police arrive?  This is probably the thorniest element, and yet no one brings this up in all the other places that are already not gun free zones.  Police would use prudential judgement and innocent citizens would drop their weapons upon police arrival.  The risk is still worth it.

The main benefit of all this would actually be deterrence.  The mere fact that someone on the premises might be armed will function as a deterrent in many cases.  Thus, the situation would often be avoided entirely.

Some have said that arming teachers is just a way to make up for not passing gun control legislation or to change the subject away from gun control legislation.  I believe that there is some truth at least to the second assertion.  Even assuming that gun control would save lives, nothing is a full-proof plan, so allowing teachers to be armed would be one more layer of defense.  Support for some gun control need not be tied to being against allowing teachers to be armed.