Over 160 Democrats signed a letter to Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos opposing plans to use federal funding to arm public school teachers for self-defense.

On August 23, 2018, Breitbart News reported that federal funds were being considered to help teachers get guns and training. The New York Times reported that the education department is considering using federal monies under the auspices of a program called Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants, a program that does not bar using its funding for firearm purchases.

Such an action opens the door for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos “to use her discretion to approve any state or district plans to use grant funding for firearms and firearm training.”

Congressional Democrats are opposed to efforts to arm teachers for self-defense.

On August 28, 2018, they sent a letter to Secretary DeVos, saying, “We write to express our opposition to any forthcoming action by the U.S. Department of Education to allow funds authorized under Title IV-A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act, for the purchase of firearms or firearms training for school staff.”

Later in the letter they wrote, “Students and school staff deserve a learning environment that is safe, welcoming, and conducive to quality learning and student instruction. Armed teachers would not only jeopardize students and staff health and safety, but also run counter to Congressional intent, precedent, and common sense.”

Missing from the Democrats’ letter is any acknowledgement of the fact that school attackers target gun-free school after gun-free school in their efforts to cause death and mayhem, whether they target primary schools or secondary.

After all, Virginia Tech (April 16, 2007), was gun free, Sandy Hook Elementary (December 14, 2012) was gun free, Umpqua Community College (October 1, 2015) was gun free, Parkland high school (February 14, 2018) was gun free, Sante Fe High School (May 18, 2018) was gun free, and the list goes on.

When all other means of security are breached, teachers become the first responders. Unarmed teachers face a challenge in responding.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.