"No reason any teacher should have to be gun trained to TEACH" - NFL star slams idea of providing gun training to teachers following Texas shooting

NFL star Darius Slayton is a fourth-year wide receiver for the New York Giants. Drafted in round five of the 2019 NFL Draft. The pass-catcher out of Auburn had a down year in 2021, playing only thirteen games which resulted in 26 receptions for 339 yards and 2 touchdowns. As NFL teams report for O.T.A.’s, Slayton hopes for a breakout year.

Following the tragic events of the school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, many pro athletes are sending out their prayers and thoughts. Slayton took to Twitter to express his frustration with the current climate in the U.S. in a response to a tweet about arming teachers.

A Twitter user tweeted an opinion that teachers should be armed and trained to use guns against potential shooters.

"This is heart breaking, there should be a guard at every door in every school. Guns aren't the issue, it's the willingness to pay for gun training for teachers etc. That's the issue."

The tweet elicited a response from the NFL wideout who took a different point of view.

"Yo they are TEACHERS they signed up to TEACH not enlist to the military there is no reason any teacher should have to be gun trained to TEACH"

In a country where gun-related deaths average around 45,000 annually, arming and training teachers may eventually become a reality. Should it be that way? In a civilized society, no. But, the U.S. ocassionally appears far from civilized. In contrast, the U.K. sees about 50 to 60 gun deaths a year and Canada’s gun related murder rate is seven times lower than that of the U.S.

The NFL serves as a distraction amid tragedy in the news

Sadly, it has become all too common for mass shootings to occur in the U.S. The tragedy in Texas comes less than two weeks after an east side neighborhood in Buffalo, New York was rocked by gun violence at a supermarket.

Slayton’s frustration is understandable. It doesn’t make sense to say the answer to gun violence is more guns. Unfortunately, it may come to that. With the ever-increasing number of mass shootings, preparedness may be the only option. Particularly in a country where the number of guns is greater than its population.

In the meantime, the NFL and all of its media contributors will keep the families of the victims of this tragic event in our hearts and in our thoughts, while offering what little distraction can be had in the way of pro football news.