Another school shooting has occurred, this time at an elementary school in South Carolina. It’s an unfortunate tragedy anytime an act of violence occurs, but it’s particularly devastating when children are involved. In a year that has seen incidents such as the one at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, it is sure to become a hot political topic.

The response to the shooting will likely be the same as any other. Conservatives will respond by standing by gun rights and sending thoughts and prayers to the victims. Liberals will mock the thoughts and prayers, and then waste no time politicizing the event to push gun control.

We should absolutely be past the point of violence in society, whether it be toward children or otherwise. But we should also be past the point of politicizing tragedy for shallow political gain.

Since we haven’t reached a utopian point in society, and because sinful acts of violence will always be in existence, the realistic approach is to protect ourselves. This is why Second Amendment supporters argue in favor of being able to carry firearms without government obstruction. The amendment wasn’t originally written for hunting, but it was written at a time when concerns over defense were strong. Thus, carrying a gun was a means of defense.

So why not let trained teachers and school administrators carry a gun?

The quick response by the gun control lobby, liberals, and concerned parents, is the potential for harm towards children. What if a teacher has a temper problem? It may not be out of the realm of possibility for a misfire or something extreme to occur. However, this is why schools could set standards for training. Allow administrators and educators to carry firearms if they can go through training courses and receive proper certification.

Shouldn’t we want to protect our children?

Schools are a place for safe learning. Children should be able to go grow as human beings without fear of being harmed. Because of the world we live in, there will always be evil abroad. It is for this reason, we should aim to protect our children. Society shouldn’t put its political goals before the safety of our children. If there are standards for gun ownership, that is a separate debate.

The problem is that the gun control lobby is often more concerned with the political cause than the victims. They mock conservatives for praying for healing as a way of coping with the tragedy. They mock gun-rights supporters for allowing these weapons to exist. The truth is, if anything, the blame lies with those who refuse to protect our children and allow trained educators and administrators to responsibly carry firearms for defense.

Why do we accept police officers carrying a gun in public places, such as government buildings or schools? Because they have gone through proper training and certified to be trusted with the responsibility. What makes a teacher different than a police officer, if they also go through the training to defend students?