Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice took said Friday that she does believe arming teachers and allowing them to carry concealed firearms in schools is a good idea, or the most effective way to combat school shootings.
Rice, a professor at Stanford University, told radio host Hugh Hewitt that she doesn’t want guns present in her classroom and called it a “sad thing” that a discussion is being held about needing guards to protect schools in the wake of the shooting in Parkland, Fla.
“I’m not going to be one of them,” Rice said when asked if she would support the idea. “I don’t really like the idea, frankly, of a gun in my classroom.”
“I think that we need to have law enforcement protect us,” Rice said. “If people need to train people to protect our schools, and perhaps even communities want to consider whether or not they need guards to protect the schools, it’s a sad thing to think we might, then that’s something we should look at. But I don’t think that just arming people in the classroom is going to be the answer.”
Since the shooting in Parkland, President Trump has opened the door to changing multiple gun laws, including beefing up background checks, raising the age of purchasing guns from 18 to 21 and allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons.
Arming teachers has garnered support from conservative members in particular, including Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a top member of the House Freedom Caucus, who spoke in favor of the issue during his appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference Friday morning.
