Speak Out: Armed Officers in Elementary Schools?

Armed police officers, euphemistically called "resource officers," are typically only used in middle and high schools. But in the wake of the Newtown shooting massacre, one Upstate school district will be adding armed, fully uniformed officers to each of its elementary schools.

The officers, a direct response to the Newtown school shootings that left 20 students and six adults dead, will start Monday morning in Spartanburg School District 6 and will be paid through the district's general fund, according to this WYFF report.

This is a trend that is likely to pick up more and more adherents here and elsewhere as schools seek ways to better protect students and staff. 

Armed, in-school resource officers were unable to stop the Columbine massacre that occurred in Colorado in the 1990s. But with debate raging and bills filed to potentially allow teachers and staff to carry concealed weapons in schools, do you think this is a much better alternative, or simply a knee-jerk reaction to a deeper problem that requires more thoughtful solutions?

Tell us what you think in the comment section below.