Students have a right to go to a safe school. More guns will not make schools safer.
More guns in schools means more gun injuries and deaths
- We know what happens when there is a gun in a home – the occupants are more likely to be shot with that gun. Three times more likely to be killed; 17 times more likely to commit suicide with a gun.
- A gun is 4 times as likely to be used to kill or injure unintentionally than it is to be used in self-defense.
- The risk of adults dying from an unintentional gunshot nearly quadruples when they live in a home with a gun.
Arming staff will disproportionately risk lives of color and worsen school climate.
- Black people are three times as likely to be killed by trained law enforcement.
- Studies show that adults consistently misjudge black youth as older and perceive threats from black youth when there is none. Florida’s Stand Your Ground law can excuse these unfounded fears in the face of tragedy, leading our black communities to suffer without recourse.
- All students deserve to feel safe at school.
Schools need resources, not guns.
- The legislature increased the base per student spending by 47 cents this year.
- Florida has the third largest school enrollment yet ranks 42nd in per student spending and 35th in teacher salaries.
- We rank 50th in per capita spending for all education, and 26th in per capita spending on corrections.
Prevent school violence, don’t perpetuate it.
- Guns do not prevent violence; they can only be used to counter it with more violence.
- Students have a right to safe, accepting schools that challenge them to excel.
- Invest in prevention programming, such as comprehensive mental health services that identify emerging mental illnesses and support social-emotional learning.
