If, anytime in the past year, you had asked me about my views on the lockdown drills across the country that have undoubtedly increased in number since the Sandy Hook tragedy, I probably would have immediately pledged my support. An article that I saw on BBC today presented the subject from a viewpoint that I'd never previously considered. It didn't ultimately change my opinion, and I don't think that it was supposed to, but it was definitely thought provoking.
The article discussed the impact that lockdown drills have on young kids. These kids have to prepare for scenarios of a magnitude that they aren't ready to try and understand. They have to prepare to hide from a crazed gunman, but you can't tell that to a room of five-year-olds. Laura Trevelyan, the author of the piece, writes, "The thought of my children learning how to behave in case there is a gunman on the rampage is deeply unsettling. But for schools across America, the lockdown drill has become a grim necessity."
Proponents of anti-gun laws haven't made much progress in terms of getting any restrictions past Congress, but I wonder if it would be unrealistic to consider a near future in which schools are lawfully required to conduct lockdown drills and educate children on safety procedures.
What do adult euphemisms mean to these kids? Is there a better way to go about this, or a "right thing" to say? How would you feel about the government taking part in necessitating these drills and discussions? Under what circumstances would you support it?
1 comment:
I'm not sure if it's more unfortunate that drills have become more commonplace because such threatening events have seemingly become less farfetched and unrealistic, or that drills preparing for such events may introduce children to the idea of certain dangers and evils. Personally, I didn't think much of drills when I was younger - I generally thought of them as practice for events that probably wouldn't happen. Perhaps my lack of concern was grounded in an innocent and progressively apathetic belief that I would never be affected by such a danger, although at the same time, it raises the issue of whether these drills are really effective.
I don't know how children today perceive drills, and though it's sad that children may learn of danger and evil through such drills, I don't know how schools could prepare children for dangerous events if not with drills.
I don't think it's necessary that the government mandate that schools conduct lockdown drills and educate children on safety procedures because I think that it's assumed that school officials have the wisdom to seek to prepare for potential dangers like these, especially after events like the Sandy Hook shooting. But if there were cases of schools not organizing any kind of preparation for emergencies without reasonable justification, then I would support the government necessitating the drills and discussions.
Post a Comment