On Monday, President Trump tweeted: “Very strong improvement and strengthening of background checks will be fully backed by White House. Legislation moving forward. Bump Stocks will soon be out.”

Not bad. Then he wrote: “Highly trained expert teachers will be allowed to conceal carry, subject to State Law,” ending with, “Armed guards OK, deterrent!…….,” which presumably means “armed guards” are “good” as a “deterrent.”

Very strong improvement and strengthening of background checks will be fully backed by White House. Legislation moving forward. Bump Stocks will soon be out. Highly trained expert teachers will be allowed to conceal carry, subject to State Law. Armed guards OK, deterrent!……. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2018

The only thing more mind-numbing than Trump’s bizarre brand of grammar is his predictability when it comes reinforcing claims that are unfounded. As the argument for arming teachers ramps up, so has the incidence of gun mishaps in schools — by guns that were brought on campus by teachers. For a certain segment of the pro-gun crowd, keeping students safe involves bringing in a component that actually raises their chances of getting hurt. It’s almost as if pushing for the arming of teachers is endorsing a form of pseudoscience.

Sure enough, our genius of a president loves this idea. But writer and veteran Jim Wright wants to know, who’s going to train these teachers?

"Highly trained expert teachers" Highly trained expert teachers Highly trained Highly trained by … who? Who designs the training. On what criteria? To what standards? No, don't just say, "the local police department" or something similar.

1/ https://t.co/mjeWda3LBG — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

This training would have to specially designed because you're talking about non-professionals with guns in a building full of panicked children AND those "specially trained people" will be very likely facing a CHILD with a gun who is killing other children.

2/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

How does one psychologically prepare a teacher to kill a child when the moment of truth comes?

We don't train soldiers for that. We don't train cops for that. So we're going to need special training, including not just the mechanics and theory of combat arms, but the psychology of killing a CHILD in an active shooter situation.

3/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

If you don't understand why this is a problem, then you're very likely unqualified to be in this conversation in the first place. It takes years of training to condition a soldier to kill another human being on command, let alone a child.

4/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

When that killing occurs, it's usually in a warzone, alongside your squadmates, and while that engagement is very, very often chaotic, it can't be compared to the confusion and chaos of a building packed with screaming running children that you are supposed to be protecting.

5/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

Collateral damage is unavoidable.

In a warzone, if your bullets hit a civilian, even a child, well, that's collateral damage. It happens. It can't NOT happen. That's war. And soldiers come apart from this. That's one of the many reasons VA waiting rooms are packed full of PTSD cases.

6/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

A school? Full of American kids? You starting to see why you'd need some VERY, VERY specific training? Have you given any thought to the psychology of this situation? Like at all? The psychology of training to kill children?

7/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

Cops develop a distant relationship with the public, us and them, sheep and wolves, because they may have to kill that public. Because they always have to be on alert that the public might try to kill them.

8/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

Is THAT really the mindset you want in a teacher? One where they must regard all children as potential threats, potential enemies, potential targets? Where they must be prepared to kill children at an moment? Image where that goes over the long term.

9/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

Also, training armed teachers wouldn’t just be a one-time thing. Upkeep would be required.

Who pays for it? Combat arms is a perishable skill, so how often is refresher training and re-qualification mandated? Again, who does that training? Who does the background checks? Who does the psychological screening? Who decides who can and cannot carry in a school?

10/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

If a teacher wants to be armed, but is judged by (?) to be unfit (for whatever reason), what are legal repercussions? Can the teacher sue to change the judgement? Who is the final arbiter? Who pays for the legal challenge?

11/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

If teachers are armed, what role is left for law enforcement?

Who do these "specially trained people" answer to in a tactical situation? Is the principle also the commanding general? Or is the school police officer now part of the chain of command? Who do you answer to in this situation? What's THEIR training?

12/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

What's the doctrine for armed teachers in an active shooter situation? Remain in their classrooms? Take to the hall to conduct sweep and clearing operations? Are they trained to work together? Or are they Lone Wolf McQuade? You have to have a plan BEFORE the shooting starts

13/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

How do you insure the school? Because you going to HAVE to insure the school. Are the specially trained people personally liable for their fire? If they hit an innocent kid, if they kill an innocent kid or cripple a child for life? Or is the school responsible?

14/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

What if the teacher fails?

Is the armed teacher responsible for failure to stop an active shooter? The teacher was "highly trained" but failed to stop the shooter, when the grieving parents sue, will the school hang the teacher out to dry? SOMEBODY has to be legally responsible.

15/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

What weapons? It makes a difference, you know. Larger, high velocity rounds can penetrate body armor, but also walls, doors, etc, meaning increased chance of collateral damage in a building full of children.

16/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

We made the cockpit doors on aircraft bulletproof, are we going to do that with classrooms? If not, why not? And we're back to the question of who's responsible when the school gets sued for not protecting the students from stray bullets fired by their own teachers.

17/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

So, do you mandate acceptable weapons? Ammunition? Fields of Fire? Zones of responsibility. Or is it the Wild West? And we're back to the question of tactics and the adaption military urban warfare doctrine. Who does this? Who creates this? Who's responsible for this?

18/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

How do the cops know who the licensed and qualified "specially trained people" are? No. No, don't roll your eyes. Answer the goddamned question. How do the cops know who the bad guy is in this situation? Show your work. Be specific. HOW DO THEY KNOW?

19/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

This hole is bottomless. You are essentially talking about turning teachers into soldiers and schools into warzones. You would do everything, EXCEPT address the actual problem.

20/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

NOTE: I did not say there shouldn't be armed guards in schools. I didn't say there should. Likewise, I didn't say teachers shouldn't be armed. Or that they should.

21/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

Instead, I simply asked some VERY basic questions regarding allowing or even mandating armed teachers and school personnel. Questions anyone who has had even basic weapons training should be asking.

22/ — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

If you want to put more guns, carried by amateurs, into a building packed full of children, then I don't think I'm being unreasonable here. When the president says "highly trained expert teachers," we must all demand to know EXACTLY what that means. In detail.

23/23 — Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 12, 2018

Featured image via Pat Bagley/The Salt Lake Tribune