Gun violence in schools needs addressed
Our first and most important duty is to make our children as safe as possible. We must make the schools safe, first. Keeping weapons out of the schools is the absolute best way to do this.
Limiting accessible entrances, installing metal detectors, and posting professional, armed security guards at the entrances, installing or upgrading security cameras, alarms on doors and windows, real-time video and alarms to 911, panic buttons in all classrooms, and security fencing for all playground areas should be the first step.
Secondly, congress absolutely needs to pass a bill to fix/improve the background check system, reporting of domestic violence, violent criminal activity and mentally unstable, threatening behaviors need to be mandatory for law enforcement, hospital staff, social services, school staff and mental health facilities. We have laws that make all of these groups report suspected child abuse, so why can’t we have the same laws for those who should not have access to buy or possess weapons?
The third measure will take longer, but is possibly the most important. We definitely need to better identify children at risk at an earlier age. Instead of arming teachers with guns, we need to arm them with smaller class size, more social workers and counselors, more teaching supplies for arts and crafts, and education to help them identify and help children who may have family, learning, coping, attention issues. Schools need the finances for more programs that involve parental/family involvement, as well as finances for summer and after school programs. Punishing and expelling children after they have become unstable or violent is not the answer. Bullying, harassment, and outcasting needs to be addressed and corrected in early grade school. Anger issues, neglect and abuse issues, family traumas,and other mental health issues need to be identified as early as possible and schools need to invest in hiring enough appropriate staff.
This is not a political issue, a Second amendment issue, an NRA issue, or a religious issue. This is about the safety and the future of all of our children. We can’t have our children afraid to go to school, afraid of their classmates, afraid of an unknown shooter, or afraid of their teachers.
Deborah Mains
Uniontown