Tragedy Strikes Again
Well, it happened again! Today, May 18, 2018 at approximately 7:45AM a seventeen year old shooter opened fire inside a High School in America. The Santa Fe Regional High School has become the latest in what is becoming an epidemic of school shooting tragedies. Once again we must learn the hard lesson of apathy and complacency. Despite the overwhelming demand for action by the people, our representatives in government lack the intestinal fortitude and willingness to take on the challenge of addressing this terrible scourge on human society. How long will we the people allow those in whom we place the responsibility for our safety and the safety of our children to ignore what needs to be done.
Although the answer to the question of what really needs to be done is extremely complicated, it must not continue to go unanswered. There are those who say it is a gun control problem, they are correct. There are those who say it is a mental health problem, they are correct. There are those who say it is a school security problem, they are correct. There are those who say it is an early sociopath identification problem, and they too are correct. All of these issues indeed have a causal affect and can and do contribute to these tragic events. Each of these issues also have sub-categories that also must be considered. Poverty, drug and alcohol addiction, bullying, acute rage and anger disorders and the list goes on.
Despite its complexity, it has to be solved, and now! There are certainly a few things that can be done relatively easily. The first being fair and intelligent gun regulation that among other things require responsible gun owners to be accountable for securing their weapons within their own homes so that no one except themselves can access them. Secondly, State and Federal funding for school security measures must be provided. Thirdly, school districts must develop and implement comprehensive counseling programs that provide teachers with the knowledge and ability to identify students that may be on the path to instability. Implementing these measures, while costly, can be done relatively easy and immediate. Some of the other contributing factors will take a little longer.
Many of us still remember back in the 1980’s a high school principal named Joe Louis Clark, infamously dubbed “Crazy Joe”. Joe Clark was the principal of one of Paterson, New Jersey’s toughest high schools; Eastside High. Most of us know the story of how he unilaterally expelled 66 of the school’s badest actors and chained all the exits closed to keep out criminals and drug dealers. Back then those actions were considered heinous and consequently cost him his job. However, the school was “turned around” a term we in education are hearing now more than thirty years later. Am I advocating for these approaches? Not really however, I will say that while referred to as “crazy” I truly believe that Joe was a visionary. Securing our schools is more important today than ever before.
On a more hopeful note, on March 24, 2018 I had the honor and privilege to participate in the amazing and nearly indescribable experience of marching alongside some of the most intelligent and insightful young folks I have ever met while participating in the local March for our Lives here in Southern Delaware. What was most exciting about my “March for our Lives” experience is that I was able to learn so much from those whom I once considered just children. Surrounded by so many teenagers that will no doubt be our Nation’s leaders one day, my oft times fear of what the future holds for them was, in a matter of just a few hours, all but eradicated. This is certainly not to say that I haven’t been impressed by hundred’s of students throughout my years in education. However, looking at today’s youth after being out of education for several years now, I have found that they possess a much higher level of sophistication, knowledge of the issues, and communication skills that I have ever encountered with people their age, (or any age for that matter). Their command of social media has given them an entirely new and different way in which to learn and communicate that knowledge and has now left many folks my age scratching our heads.
But, do you know what is even more impressive about this generation and their methods? It has apparently begun to strike fear into the hearts of those most threatened by, in this particular instance, gun control reform. First, for the Second Amendment advocates whose belief that gun reform spells the end of the Second Amendment and the confiscation of everyone’s guns, which by the way is a false narrative. Secondly, the gun manufacturer’s who obviously want to keep making and selling almost any type of gun and who are advocating for the arming of teachers in and effort to sell millions more. And finally, the local, state and federal lawmakers who are so reliant on the funding they receive from the National Rifle Association.
We who are in the majority of Americans, who agree that there is a need for reasonable and responsible gun laws, can and must make this fear a reality for those afore mentioned gun enthusiasts. By joining our children in this fight we can hopefully “scare them straight”. Continuing to put pressure on our local legislators by telling them we will be one issue voters come November will, if nothing else, get their attention. Participating in protest’s like the “March for our Lives” and other planned activities will not only show we’re not giving up, it will more importantly show our children that we really care about them and their future’s.
Over the past five years in particular, I have heard so many arguments surrounding the reasons for gun violence. Many of these arguments are indeed legitimate and certainly must be considered when developing a comprehensive plan to address this terrible issue. I am very sure that we’re smart enough to figure this all out if we just try.
