Gun control is a single policy topic with a wide range of passionate viewpoints. It can be a contentious issue in which individual freedoms collide with the role of government to ensure public safety. Consider the information provided below in the aftermath of a school shooting. Consider the policy position of a local school following a school shooting versus the local businessperson who wants to protect his livelihood and property. What type of policy position would the stakeholder likely to assume? Explain why you believe that the stakeholder would assume that policy position. Consider a possible alternative to the policy position assumed by the stakeholder you identified. Articulate reasons why the stakeholder might embrace the alternative policy position.
STAKEHOLDER: MAYOR SAMUEL TAYLOR
Background Information
Mayor Samuel Taylor was born in New Harbor in 1958, and his family has a long history in the community. Taylor has been losing popularity in the community as unemployment has continued to increase. As a Republican, Taylor has supported business development, decreasing taxes, and the Second Amendment right for citizens to bear arms.
Current Situation
New Harbor Mayor Samuel Taylor said in a recent news interview that policymakers should not overreact to the New Harbor North High School shooting but should discuss allowing school officials to carry firearms on campus.
The school shooting at the high school, which left nine dead, including six students and three teachers, has renewed the gun debate, with President Obama pledging to address gun violence in the coming months. Taylor said during a recent news interview that if school officials were trained and chose to have a weapon, they might have an opportunity to stop someone bent on violence from trying to get into a school.
Mayor’s Response After a local School Shooting
“I know there’s been a knee-jerk reaction against that. I think there should at least be a discussion of that. If people were armed, not just a police officer, but other school officials that were trained and chose to have a weapon, certainly there’d be an opportunity to stop aggressors coming into the schools.
Perhaps if a person like that was armed and trained they could have stopped the carnage in the classroom.
Gun control isn’t a comprehensive solution to violence in America. Access to mental health care, personal responsibility, and the overall health of our culture also should be discussed. We shouldn’t react when you’re emotional. Your response should be thought out and reasoned because your policies at that exact moment may not be right. But it’s important to really get to the bottom of what works and what can actually make a difference.”
Sample Solution
