The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that the police are not obligated to risk their lives to protect you and your family. Regardless of what we believe the police should do, the courts have given them reassurances they are off the hook and don’t have to risk life and limb on our behalf. I, personally, find that distasteful, but I come from the Marine Corps Infantry, fully expecting to be shot at, blown up, and to breach hostile structures. A lot of police don’t sign up for that.

With that clarified, it becomes extremely evident that we are all responsible for our own protection. And violent riots of 2020 further proved that there IS a place for standard sized (30 round) magazines and semiautomatic rifles. Removing the right to own and carry firearms for defense of yourself, your property, your family, your business, and others is ludicrous. Proposals to do so will accomplish nothing, and are non-starters. There is no debate here.

We entrust teachers with our children’s safety during a normal school day. If a child is choking or injured in the classroom, a teacher will do everything in their power to help. We, as a country, should also permit them to carry personal firearms in the classrooms and act as a final line of defense for their students. We already trust them to spend hours alone with them, and teachers generally care about the safety and wellbeing of their students (let alone their own lives) enough to use a firearm in defense. Ideally these individuals would seek training, as any good firearm owner should, increasing their effectiveness should the need arise.

Thankfully New Hampshire allows individuals to carry inside of schools. This contributes to New Hampshire’s status as one of the safest states in the country. While outside my purview as a future State Representative, I urge the repeal of the Federal Gun-Free School Zone Act of 1990, which would make many teachers criminals for just trying to protect their students.

I will oppose any measures that attempt to disarm citizens, including teachers carrying in their classrooms. Remember: when seconds count, the police are minutes away… and then could stand outside the building for 40 minutes before coming to save your kids.