Schools Are Safe

Why is it that when rare instances of tragedy arise, people what to make sweeping changes, that will likely not deter the events from happening again? The freak “storm” of school shootings throughout the country in the past several weeks is no doubt tragic, confusing, disheartening, and an eye opener; yet it seems as though the public reaction takes the events as though the are a common occurrence nationwide. Of course, there are isolated events each year, but on the whole, this is not something that happens all the time, and thus society does not need to drastically change scholastic security as though it does. This by no means indicates that I hope that school officials ignore the events of the past weeks, or that security is schools is not important, yet security is most schools is exactly where it needs to be. I agree with the DM Register Editorial Boards’ stance against the proposed legislation in Wisconsin (“Arm teachers? Think again”, DM Register 10/6/06). Allowing teachers to carry guns is simply asking for trouble. No one can argue that many junior high and high school students are easily of apt strength to wrestle a gun away from their teacher if they truly wanted to. Having guns in schools is like having them in courtrooms, why put them where they simply aren’t needed. Have trust in your school officials that they are doing everything in their power to keep children safe. After all, school officials have more important tasks to tend to: teaching.