Arming teachers will not protect our kids, John.

There is no evidence to support the idea that arming teachers makes us safer – in fact, all the evidence points toward the dangers of this very move.

But instead of listening to facts and the pleas of their constituents, lawmakers in Tennessee just passed a bill that would allow teachers and faculty to carry a concealed firearm on campus. A move that comes one year after the shooting at Covenant School in Nashville, where a gunman killed three children and three adults.

As a mom of two school-aged kids, I am terrified imagining them attending schools where teachers are armed.

As the wife of a teacher, I cannot fathom my husband wielding a weapon in his bustling classroom.

As a gun violence survivor, I am disappointed – though not entirely surprised – that lawmakers can continue to fail our kids and other survivors like this.

Will you join me in denouncing this dangerous move by Tennessee lawmakers, John? If you’re against arming teachers, add your name to Brady’s urgent petition now:

This legislation is borne of the NRA’s favorite lie that a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun – but the truth is that more guns make us all less safe, John. The fact that this is the legislation that Tennessee lawmakers have chosen to pass in a year since the mass shooting at Covenant School is ludicrous and insulting to the families of the victims and survivors. It needlessly places children at risk in a place where they should be safe.  

Instead of passing gun safety laws that are proven to save lives – like background checks and extreme risk protections orders – Tennessee lawmakers have used their time to focus on false gun lobby talking points and passing measures like this that will put kids more at risk. 

These lawmakers are acting directly against the will of Tennesseans, the majority of whom do not support arming teachers and are in favor of common sense gun violence prevention legislation. Tennessee has some of the most lax gun laws in the country and some of the highest rates of gun violence – adding more guns to this equation will only make matters more dangerous. 

We must take action against this dangerous initiative if we want to protect our children and stop the next school shooting. Will you add your name to our urgent petition now and join me in speaking out against arming teachers?

Thank you for speaking out against this egregious move, John.

Liz Dunning

Gun Violence Survivor

Chief Development & Engagement Officer