Example of advisor’s/parent’s statements

Kisa

Good afternoon.

My name is Kisa and I am the mother of two elementary students in the Hillsborough County Public School System.  I am also the advisor of our local branch of Team ENOUGH, which is the youth arm of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

I am here today to speak on behalf of the numerous parents and teachers who have reached out to me to express their fear and quite frankly, disgust, with many members of the Florida legislature, and their intent on allowing teachers to be armed in our children’s classrooms.

Our society is flooded with firearms, and our country is plagued with gun violence.  The daily headlines tell of mass shootings, homicides, and soaring crime rates. The constant barrage of these stories stoke fear in the public’s eye.  This fear coupled with the deep love we have for our children and our duty to protect them, causes a knee jerk reaction in many to take whatever means necessary to keep our own loved ones safe from harm.  Having a firearm close by, many believe, will get the job done.

Sadly though, statistics tell a different story.  Adding more guns into the mix and into our schools offers nothing more than a false sense of security.  There have been dozens of documented reports of the unintended consequences of firearms being introduced onto school campuses across the nation.  Guns are fired by mistake, guns are fired by curious or unruly students, guns have even been erroneously left unattended for children to find.

Arming teachers in Hillsborough County would undoubtedly add to these statistics.  Introducing a gun into a classroom would create a risk of a child accessing said gun.  There would be a risk of accidental discharge. And there would be a risk of a misperceived threat by the teacher in charge of the gun.  Arming teachers and creating such risks would, in turn, DECREASE the safety in our schools.

The kids from Team ENOUGH who have spoken today have created a written resolution and ask that each member of the school board sign it, reconfirming the stance against arming teachers in Hillsborough County that was verbally put forth by the school board last spring.  We are all so appreciative for you taking the time to listen to us today and putting our children and their safety first. Thank you.