School Safety
I was 14 years old when the Columbine High School shooting changed America's relationship with school safety. This means I spent all of high school, college, and my adult life thinking about why our schools have become a target for social, emotional, and political struggles. It is uncomfortable to say, but the truth is there's no single policy- or person-based solution for protecting our kids while they attend school.
Where We Should Start
So, what can we do? I'm not sure, but here are some thoughts about where we could start.
First, school safety begins in our homes. As adults, each of us is responsible for securing our firearms, storing ammunition separately, and communicating with our kids and the kids who come into our homes about how to be safe in a house with firearms.
Second, if we have a child in school, we need to commit to the district that we will keep any firearms secured in our homes. The problems with school safety begin long before a child steps into a school with a gun, and those problems need to be addressed by parents. We need to accept our responsibility to keep other kids safe as parents and community members.
Third, whether we want to own guns or don't want anything to do with guns, our community needs to face the reality that not talking about firearms with our kids doesn't keep them safe. We should have firearms safety classes offered regularly and expect widespread community attendance.
Fourth, any systemic change has to take place in the legislature. Our principals and superintendents will have protocols in place to follow in the event of a school safety incident. But, change starts with politicians and our school board and community should work together to advocate for legislation to support sensible school safety.