The content of this post has been weighing on my heart and mind for a long time now. I avoid "getting political" because people take things too personally and become alienated from you as soon as they think you don't agree with them. Every single time I've dared to post something even remotely political on my social media accounts, I immediately lose "friends" and "followers." Think about that for a minute. Shouldn't "friends" and "followers" be supportive or at the very least civil and open to dialogue should they disagree with me?
I also rarely post about politics because it's hard to find any one source that accurately and concisely reflects my personal views. The idea that any individual person's political ideology is fully red or fully blue is ludicrous to me.
Despite my hesitance to "get political," this afternoon I sat down and wrote several pages in my journal and immediately knew that I needed to share them. Before I continue, I have a request: If you disagree with me, tell me (kindly) why. What I have to share is my best understanding of the issue after careful contemplation, so please, if you feel I have missed something of great importance, do not be angry, but offer your insight civilly.
This past Thursday and Friday, I found myself once again assuring my students and myself that we are as safe and prepared as we can possibly be should the unthinkable happen as it's happened in Florida, at Sandy Hook, at Virginia Tech, at Columbine, and countless other schools, theaters, and concerts. Can anyone be prepared for a psycho with a underdeveloped prefrontal cortex toting a semi-automatic weapon through the halls, eliminating any and everyone who crosses his path?
One half of society immediately points the finger at guns and gun control (or lack thereof) while the other side of the fence finds anything else to blame (society itself, mental illness, victims who should have reported the signs that everyone noticed but no one bothered to sufficiently report). Before we know it, the gun control debate has fired up again, quickly overshadowing the tragedy that reignited it. So who or what is to blame and what, if anything, can be done about it?
Liberals, as I mentioned earlier, will immediately blame guns and those who refuse to tighten gun control. They use other countries where guns are mostly illegal and gun violence is nearly nonexistent to bolster their argument. In the face of tragedy and grief, who wouldn't agree with these arguments? But, it is necessary to look closer. The specific gun used in this instance, the AR-15, has been around since 1963, and we Americans have consistently protected and defended our right to arm ourselves, so guns have always been around. It's illogical to blame a recent spike in violence with something that has been ever-present in American society. As to the European argument, of course there will be less gun violence when even most police don't carry them, but that hardly means Europe is a violent crime-free utopia. If you bother to research it, you would find that from January 2017 to September 2017 there were 37,443 recorded knife crimes in the UK and London alone had 80 people stabbed to death in 2017. Just as interesting, the UK reports that these violent knife crimes rose by 21 percent in a 12 month period and London stabbings are at their highest level in 6 years. (You want sources? Of course you do. Here they are: The Sun - Knife Crime Statistics, Evening Standard - Rise in London Stabbings sends UK knife crime rate to six-year high, BBC - Nine Charts on the Rise of knife crime in England and Wales, The Guardian - Police data shows crime rising at increasing rate in England and Wales) If it's just about guns, then why are violent crime rates (especially those committed by youths) increasing in places without them?
Conservatives, on the other hand, readily blame mental illness and victims for not reporting odd and suspicious behaviors before it was too late. This is a dangerous way of thinking. Yes, serious mental illnesses can be a commonality found between some perpetrators of these heinous acts, but this vague label creates an additional stigma for those with commonplace mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, or eating disorders. My stomach also churned this week when some leaders seemed to blame the very students who had been under attack for not reporting the signs or their suspicions. Victim blaming is really something we need to grow beyond these days. Unless the victim was also an instigator (e.g. someone saying derogatory comments who gets punched), is is NEVER the victim's fault.
In a science experiment, you have independent variables (things you change), dependent variables (results from your changes), and controls (things that stay the same). If the dependent variable is a rise in mass shootings, then you have to look to what has changed since the increase started, not what has remained the same. If you do, you will find that it's not victims, mental illness, or guns that have changed. It's my personal belief that a lack of empathy and genuine value of others is what's behind this alarming trend. The pervasiveness of social media in our society drives a wedge between people because we're no longer forming and cultivating true human connection. There are countless studies and articles about how social media has completely changed human interaction. When people are reduced to a digital presence, it's easy to devalue them, and we've seen countless times throughout history what happens when the intrinsic worth of a human being is whittled down to nothing. (Why do you think so many bullied students are taking their own lives now more than ever? Bullies have ALWAYS been around, but when it happens through a screen instead of face-to-face it's easier to become even more vile and vicious because they no longer see their victim as a real person.)
This doesn't mean we shouldn't be more vigilant, or aware of our surroundings. This doesn't mean we shouldn't continue to speak out if we notice something amiss. This doesn't mean we shouldn't do anything about guns getting in the wrong hands. Just as you wouldn't allow people under a certain age to drive, smoke or drink alcohol, it should be extremely difficult if not impossible for minors and those with SEVERE mental illnesses from obtaining guns, but it isn't. I don't claim have the answers to the gun control debate, but I do know we need to encourage face-to-face human connection and teach students empathy for their fellow man and woman.
Easy enough, right?
In the meantime, as a teacher, I will be making sure my students know why we shouldn't open the locked school doors, even for our friends, refining my personal plan of action should I be faced with a similar situation, and encouraging my students to understand and really connect with each other without allowing a screen to get in the way.
