John R. Lott Jr.

Many people have called for increased gun control measures for the nation’s schools in the wake of several school shootings in 1997 and 1998—including a March 1998 incident in Arkansas in which two boys opened fire and killed four students and one teacher. In the following viewpoint, John R. Lott Jr. argues many of these shootings, including the Arkansas tragedy, occurred in schools in which firearms were totally banned. He proposes instead that teachers and other law-abiding adults should be allowed to carry guns in schools. Armed teachers not only may be able to stop shootings in progress, he contends, but may also deter people from instigating such actions in the first place. Lott cites research he conducted which he says shows that laws enabling citizens to carry concealed...