State Representative Says Armed Teachers Could Save Lives

A North Carolina lawmaker is suggesting that teachers carrying guns could make schools safer. This comes after the deadly mass shooting in Parkland Florida earlier this week.

Republican state Representative Larry Pittman of Cabarrus County says he met with a police officer who wants to talk with lawmakers about training school personnel on campus.

He says he's brought up the topic before, but his proposal was - in his words- "sneered at in a very dismissive manner."

The North Carolina Democratic Party is characterizing Pittman's latest comments as embarrassing, and they're calling on GOP House Speaker Tim Moore to take action against him.

In a Facebook comment on another's post, Pittman speculated the Florida shooter was part of a conspiracy to push for gun control. That post has been deleted, according to The News & Observer.

Pittman has made controversial comments before. Last year, he compared President Abraham Lincoln to Adolf Hitler. And in 2012, he suggested bringing back public hangings for abortionists, rapists, and kidnappers.