It is terrifyingly exhausting to send our children to public school in America today. We continue to be placated with inactionable, heartfelt statements from our elected officials and school districts each time more children are killed. To be appeased with “thoughts and prayers” is meaningless, and, quite honestly, offensive. Not only to the families of the victims but also to the parents who send their children into schools each day, trusting our elected and appointed officials with their whole world.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
How many more school shootings is it going to take before any significant changes are made for our children? How many times are parents going to be sick to their stomachs while there are phone threats and lockdowns in the aftermath of shootings, wondering if our children will come home to us? We have waited and watched for decades as Washington politicizes and argues over solutions, only to continually come up empty-handed. They will not solve this. We cannot continue to look for change at a federal level.
Gun laws are incredibly divisive and cannot be relied on for immediate action. Mental health and at-risk behavior monitoring clearly are not working. School discipline is nearly nonexistent. Faculty seem more concerned with not upsetting parents than with taking action against dangerous student behavior. Parents and visitors showing identification before entering is not a solution. Parents and visitors are not bringing weapons in; students are. There is zero layer of protection that screens students as they walk into your buildings. None of the safety measures currently implemented is working to address the actual threat.
There are metal detectors in every courthouse in America, at every level. Are judges, lawyers and criminals more worthy of protection than our children? Metal detectors are installed in many other government buildings, including the ones where the Department of Education and the governor sit safely in their offices. Do they deserve more protection than our school buildings?
Statistics show that not only are metal detectors effective at identifying potential threats, but they also act as a deterrent. Schools with visible safety measures are seen as a more difficult target. One of the most comprehensive studies on the subject reports there was reduced carrying of weapons in public schools when metal detectors were present compared with schools without metal detectors (78% to 14%). Among other findings, the school safety climate, which is the perceived level of security by students, increased at many schools that use metal detectors. Visible safety measures make a significant impact. Even if metal detectors only result in 10% fewer less school shootings, we will take that 10% reduction over the state continuing to implement nothing of value.
And yes, metal detectors add logistical complications to drop-offs, band equipment, cellphones, class switching, metal lunchboxes, large events, etc. This is not lost on us. But can anyone tell me that you could look into the eyes of a murdered child’s mother and try to explain “I’m sorry, your child’s life wasn’t worth the logistical difficulties.” If large public events can streamline the process, so can schools.
An online petition asking the state to install metal detectors in all schools already has more than 10,000 signatures.
Admittedly, federal funding should be provided for issues affecting our entire country, but they continue to let us down. However, Georgia has control of the majority of school funding on a state level. Continuing to not allocate more funds toward the most pressing issue in schools today feels like a slap in the face when our officials make statements saying they are “doing everything possible to keep our students safe.” They are not.
Our children should not be scared to go to school. There should not be a need to practice lockdown drills in kindergarten. Parents should not have to purchase shoes for their children based on which ones don’t make noise or light up and expose them. Teachers should not fear how they will keep 30 terrified children quiet enough to not get murdered.
Our state leaders have the ability and opportunity to do something purposeful with our school funding. Use our tax dollars more effectively. Budget better. New schools can go without pricey landscaping or expensive finishes so students can be safer. Politicians can go without extravagant conferences and events. The money can be found if sacrifices are made, and parents would rather sacrifice Smartboards and playgrounds than our children’s lives.
Please put some intentional consideration into this possibility.
Sarah and Jared DiFiore live in Cherokee County.
