CBS News reported “as of Nov. 17, which is the 321st day of the year, there have been 369 mass shootings in the U.S., according to data from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.”
Does that make you wonder what’s really going on in society today? We are living in a world where we aren’t counting the days, we’re counting the number of mass shootings. Today’s generation has much more fear going to school than being at home. How do we protect our students from these mass shootings? Some say we need to have guards patrolling schools, but I disagree.
If I went to school and saw armed guards patrolling, I would be more scared of them than a possible shooter attack. Men walking around with big guns would terrify me. Honestly, going to school sometimes feels a little nerve wracking with all the shootings that have happened. Anyone could have a motive to cause harm to students and no one would ever know until it’s too late.
At Renaissance High School, we have security guards, but I don’t feel like they are doing their job all the time. The purpose of a security guard is to secure a facility and protect people. From past experiences, there were times where security couldn’t do so. I don’t think adding a gun to the picture will protect students from an armed human.
After the Parkland shooting, Manatee School for the Arts in Palmetto, Florida, decided to act. They hired guards armed with semi-automatic rifles to patrol their school. Principal Bill Jones told The Bradenton Herald: “If someone walks onto this campus, they’re going to be shot and killed. We’re not going to talk with them. We’re not going to negotiate. We are going to put them down as quickly as possible.”
I don't believe this is the best mindset to have. What happens when a guard is having a bad day and decides to take his anger out on someone other than the person causing harm? Patrol guards are humans and they can act on impulse too. They have emotions and feelings like everyone else.
Mass shootings have affected our country in a tremendous way. The amount of people killed because of one harmful person is out of this world. The main issue is how to prevent mass shootings from happening. We must start with mental health and forming healthy coping skills for students. The focus needs to be addressing the well-being of students instead of arming security guards. This includes bullying prevention, addressing mental health and providing coping mechanisms.
