Doug Jones Says Giving Guns To Teachers Is Crazy, Dumb Idea

In response to a bill proposed in the state legislature about arming teachers on school campuses, Alabama Senator Doug Jones Monday said it was the dumbest idea he had ever heard. The bill, proposed by Rep. Will Ainsworth (R), came in the wake of the recent mass shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Florida, on Feb. 14 in which 17 people were killed and nearly a dozen others injured.

Responding to the bill, Jones said: "I think that's the dumbest idea I've ever heard. I think it's crazy. You don't need 40–50 guns in there, and it's a cost issue,” Jones said.

“You're going to have to train those teachers. You don't need to arm America in order to stop this, you just need to be smart about it,” he further said.

Last week, Ainsworth had said he planned to introduce the bill and had even gathered support from a few GOP officials. The bill, according to Ainsworth, would allow teachers to carry guns on the school campus after undergoing 40 hours of rigorous training followed by mental health evaluation. According to the bill, the state would bear the cost of the training, but would not pay for the guns. The teachers would have to shell out money for buying guns for themselves, Al.com reported.

A similar proposal was also submitted by former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia.) on Tuesday who said arming teachers was “the only long-term solution” to stop such shooting incidents in schools, the Hill reported.

“I think the only long-term solution, depending on the size of the school, is a minimum of six to eight teachers and administrators who are trained in the use of firearms and have concealed carry permits and are prepared to defend the kids,” Gingrich said.

“I thought the sheriff from Florida said it perfectly when he said we have experimented with the gun-free zone, it’s called a school. Every school in the country is supposed to be a gun-free zone. If gun control worked, how come it didn’t work? We have to be realistic. We are not going to confiscate guns on the scale to make us a disarmed country,” he added.

Apart from Jones, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) on Monday called for metal detectors to be placed in schools as a step toward preventing mass shooting incidents in the future.

“We need to go through metal detectors to go through airports. Maybe that ought to be a start,” Ivey said during an event outside the GulfQuest Maritime Museum, Alabama.

Meanwhile, a “listening session” hosted by President Donald Trump is scheduled to be held Wednesday where he will interact with high school students and conduct a discussion on school safety.