April 3, 2018
Joy Webb
After the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, the approach of going to school has drastically changed.
Going to school might might be dreaded, anticipated or welcomed, but it should never be feared.
Instead of going to school thinking about the topics they are going to learn that day, more and more students are worrying about whether or not they will make it home safely.
With a grueling number of school shootings already a statistic in 2018, students go to school feeling unsafe. School should not be a place where students feel unsafe; it should be a sanctuary for knowledge and a safe place for learning.
While many people’s solution is to protest, others are taking precautions.
According to CNN, strengthening gun laws, improving school security and arming staff are some of the ways that could prevent these mass causalities from occurring.
Parents are buying their children bulletproof backpacks, according to an article by ABC News.
Students shouldn’t have to dress or prepare for school as if they are going to war.
Schools are investing in doorstops for students that each student can have to prevent a door from opening, bulletproof whiteboards and indestructible dome-shaped buildings that can help structures that are also bulletproof so students can hide from a school shooter. The list doesn’t stop there.
This culture of fear that has been created gives more power to these school shooters, taking away from a student’s education.
Arming children like they are soldiers should not have to be the reality their childhood education.
Instead of changing the lives of students who just want to go school to learn, parents, teachers, administration, counselors and any other person of authority must critically evaluate and pay attention to the warning signs of school shooters. what creates a school shooter.
Parents need to be more attentive and present when letting their children be in front of a screen, whether it be social media, movies or video games; all of these mediums can have a serious effect on a child’s mental health and development.
Teachers or counselors need to be aware of the signs and be more readily available to help students who are clearly showing signs of distress or early onset signs or red flags of violence.
We live in a dismissive culture that is in turn causing everyone to live in fear. Students should not wake up thinking they are going to walk into a place that could endanger them.
There is no point in casting blame or questioning ‘what if,’ but instead we must move forward and prevent this from happening again by being a more aware, alert and observant culture that doesn’t let innocent children die where they come to learn and grow.