Democrats and gun control advocates engaged in such a full-throated freakout after the Tennessee House approved an armed school staff bill on Tuesday afternoon that I had to go back and re-read the legislation just to make sure I didn't miss something. Did the legislation require teachers to be armed? Did it mandate every school district in the state adopt the policy? Did it allow for teachers and staff to start carrying a gun on the clock without any knowledge of how firearms work? 

No, no, and no. Under the terms of the bill, which is now on its way to Gov. Bill Lee, districts can decide whether they want to allow for armed school staff, who will have to volunteer, be vetted, and undergo 40 hours of training at their own expense if they want to carry a firearm while they're on the job. Based on the incoherent rage from the anti-gunners, however, you'd think the bill was forcing every teacher and staffer including the lunch ladies to strap on a pistol before the first bell rings. 

The bill was passed just over a year after the Covenant school shooting when a former student killed three students and three adults. It was strongly objected to by Democrats and gun control activists, who made a scene in the state Capitol building. 

"Blood. On. Your. Hands," the crowd in the gallery shouted, brandishing protest signs.

Republican and Democratic state representatives conversed and argued on the floor, accusing each other of breaking rules.

Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton kicked out at least one protester for being too disruptive, according to the Washington Post.

The Washington Examiner reached out to Sexton for comment.

House Democrats, a clear minority in the deep red state, protested the measure.

Democratic state Rep. Bo Mitchell shared his outrage over the passage of the bill in light of the Covenant tragedy. “This is our reaction to students and teachers being murdered in a school? Our reaction is to throw more guns at it. What’s wrong with us?”

Yeah, how dare lawmakers vote to give school districts another option when it comes to increasing security on campus instead of banning guns or adopting a "red flag" law that doesn't do a damn thing to stop dangerous people from carrying out deadly attacks. 

As dumb as Mitchell's take is, it pales in comparison to the idiocy offered up by Rep. Justin Jones on X/Twitter. 

Tennessee Republicans just cut off debate and passed a bill to arm teachers in our schools.

The public chanted “Blood on your hands!” as the Speaker ordered troopers to clear the gallery.

This is what fascism looks like. pic.twitter.com/9mg67oWMxM

— Rep. Justin Jones (@brotherjones_) April 23, 2024

I hate to break it to Jones, but gun control is one of the hallmarks of fascism. Clearing a House gallery of disruptive protestors for not following the clearly stated rules of the chamber is called "consequences", and I guarantee that if gun owners freaked out in similar fashion in, say, Denver, where some of Jones's Democratic colleagues are trying to prohibit armed school staff, they too would be removed from the gallery. 

Since the temper tantrum in the statehouse failed to stop House members from voting in favor of the bill, activists are now calling on Gov. Lee to veto the measure. 

“All Tennessee children deserve the freedom to be safe from the fear of gun violence at school no matter which county they live in, the color of their skin, or the politics of their parents or teachers,” said Rev. Cherisna Jean-Marie, Founder of the Co-Conspirator Institute. “Yet, we just witnessed Tennessee State House Supermajority vote to arm teachers in our classrooms against the will of teachers, parents, students, and Student Resource Officers. We know that more guns on school campuses increases the chance for unintentional firings and other mishaps around our kids. I have worked with parents and families who have lost children due to gun violence and I know first hand if signed into law by Governor Lee this will cause trauma for children and families across Tennessee. We deserve elected leaders who value the lives of our children and families so today I’m calling on Tennesseeans across the state to use their voices and their votes to ensure that we elected leaders who actually support our values instead of the gun lobby.”

If Tennessee voters are as appalled by this bill as the gun control lobby, then they'll have the opportunity in November to make a change. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and predict that the legislation will not result in a Democratic takeover of either the House or Senate, and this will soon be a non-issue for most folks once they learn the particulars. 

The truth is that multiple states already have similar statutes in place, and it hasn't been an issue anywhere. We also know that research shows the most effective and fastest way to stop an armed attack on campus is to have school resource officers who can engage the attacker while armed teachers shelter in place with their students, ready to fire upon the attacker if they come through the door. Despite the smears from folks like Jean-Marie, the legislators who voted in favor of this proposal do value the lives of students and staff, which is why they approved this policy in the first place. 

It's the anti-gunners who are elevating their hatred and fear of firearms over their love of children. They prefer them to be protected with words on a sign or a piece of paper instead of with an armed and trained adult willing and able to serve as a last line of defense if someone with murder on their mind and evil in their hearts shows up on campus. They don't want school districts to even have the option of allowing armed school staff. If rural districts can't afford to hire full time SROs for every campus, too bad. Dial 911 and hope help arrives in time. 

There's a better way to protect kids, and thankfully Tennessee lawmakers have adopted it.