There are few tragedies more harrowing and heartbreaking than school shootings, as the whole nation was reminded in the wake of the recent events in Parkland, Florida.
Attempts to offer blanket solutions to mitigate the risks of school shootings ring hollow. There is simply no one-size-fits-all answer. Are there reasonable policy changes at the state and federal level that could prevent someone who shouldn’t own a gun from getting their hands on one? Possibly. Are there gaps in the mental health system that fail to help sick people get access to the care they need? Certainly. Are there preventative measures that schools and other public institutions could take to shift them from “soft” targets to “hard” targets. Definitely.
But the sad reality is that there really is no way to account for a person with the absolute will to commit horrible acts. And while that might be a frightening reality, it means that we all have a duty to do what’s necessary to protect ourselves while at the same time maintaining the liberties and freedoms that we hold dear in this country.
There is, however, a new trend in the wake of the Parkland school shooting that should be encouraging for anyone who hopes to see progress on that issue -- student activism. Granted, the students who have appeared on national news networks showed a bit of naievte about the legislative system in this country and the difficulty of passing major policy changes, that young people are becoming engaged with the political system is a good thing.
Local students are also taking ownership of safety at their schools. Lincolnton High School will hold an assembly today to discuss school safety issues with guest speakers in law enforcement and the Lincoln County Schools administration. Being proactive about keeping our students safe is of the utmost importance, and that starts with the students themselves. It’s our hope that these conversations will grow into a greater understanding of the circumstances that lead up to tragedies like the one in Parkland and that we, as a society, take the necessary steps to stop it from ever happening again.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.