Source: Amazon.com
Earlier today, officials at Stoneman Douglas High School came to the conclusion that clear backpacks while now be required. This was enacted as new "safety protocols." Also, not only will they need to wear clear backpacks but they also must wear an I.D. badge while on campus. The school has enacted many new safety protocols since the massacre on February 14. Some of the protocols are: locking doors at all times, and "conducting emergency preparedness."
Analysis: I don't think any of this will prepare these students for an intruder. I especially don't think the backpacks are helpful because they can just hide a gun on themselves, they don't need a backpack. I also do not think the I.D. badges will help keep students safer because someone who really wants to do something extreme will go to extreme measures to accomplish it. I could see why they think of these things as "safety protocols" but I don't think a clear backpack or a badge will stop anyone from doing something to harm others, if they choose to do so.
Questions:
Do you guys agree with these new protocols?
What would be a better way to make sure the school is safe, if any?
16 comments:
I would hate these safety measures if Aragon had them. Not only do I agree that it will not help at all in uncovering any potential criminals on the school campus, I think it will put more tension between students at the school. The clear backpack make everyone seem like a potential threat, and if a student is thinking about who is going to kill them, they are not thinking about the task at hand. More traditional methods, like having more security guards, would be more effective and less distracting than these weird safety protocols.
This appears to be a new protocol to ease the nerves of traumatized parents by showing that they have "done something" about their school's safety. In actuality, this amounts to security theater, as shown by how little this would do to stop a shooting. You could still smuggle a gun onto campus if you were motivated enough, and the IDs would prove worthless as soon as the shooting started.
I think that these backpacks are kind of a violation of one's privacy as personal items cannot be hidden. Additionally, if someone wanted to shoot up a school, they wouldn't put the gun in their backpack for everyone to see. They might not even bring a backpack at all. And unless there are security personnel on the campus, the I.D.s would be next to useless. I think that if they really wanted to make sure the students weren't carrying anything on campus, they could have bag checks. But this still isn't an efficient safety measure. Like Harrison said, these protocols are created just to try and appease the public.
These new protocols are wack. Literally everything you carry will be seen by every student at the school, which can potentially be an invasion of privacy. What is a clear backpack and an ID going to do. That doesn't add any safety because anyone can just conceal a weapon in their jackets and stuff... I think the best way to keep a school more safe is to have more school resource officers on campus. I don't think a resource officer is enough. I think there should be at least 2. Have yall seen the movie Dope. The one about bitcoin and stuff. They were at a school where there is only one entrance to get in and that entrance had a security check point. If that school did something like that, they would actually be spending their money efficiently.
I also think these new regulations are outrageous. A clear backpack and ID cards isn't going to stop school shootings. Weapons can be hid in clothing and being able to identify the shooter isn't going to stop the shootings themselves. If someone is determined enough to shoot up a school, they will find workarounds. When someone is willing to commit such a large crime, I'm sure they will disregard the school's rules anyways, or as I said, hide the gun in their clothing. But that being said, this is also a huge violation of students' privacy. Being able to see what every single person in the school is carrying is just silly. This protocol was just not thought out very well.
I also agree that this new protocol is not the solution to resolving issues of safety. These protocols seem like a temporary solution to easing such recent and current fears. I can’t imagine the school maintaining these protocols over multiple years since it doesn’t seem effective in preventing intruders from coming in or preventing students from concealing weapons elsewhere. There are other more logical and reliable ways to protect the safety of students, such as increasing the presence of resource officers as others have stated, that also don’t disrupt the students’ daily and regular routine.
I think this is a pretty big and bold approach to the problem. I understand where they're coming from and they think that could protect the school but I don't think it will be really helpful. The badge won't do anything as most school shooters are students... As to the backpacks, they will limit where students could hide anything harmful, but there so many other ways to hide it I don't think it will make much of a difference. It's kind of weird to think that everything you put in your backpack will be seen. I think many people have things in their backpack that is private and they don't want anyone to see it for any kind of reasons. I don't think this law will stand for too long because it will probably create a lot of controversy. However, it is good that they are locking doors and they are practicing in case of emergency I think that will be helpful.
Like other people have mentioned, I think these new rules are absurd and a violations of privacy. However,I understand this is the school responding to the fact that guns- especially semi-automatic guns- are legal. They alone can't change those laws, so this is their attempt at tightening security on campus to hopefully keep guns (and other weapons) off campus. I hope that instead of these new rules standing, they help to call out how absurd the situation is and motivate lawmakers to address the root problem here.
Honestly the only way to stop school shootings is gun control. After the legislature of Florida's state legislature did take some action towards gun control, including banning bump stocks and raising the minimum purchasing age, as well as including a waiting period for gun purchases. I would like to see state legislatures to ban the purchase of fully automatic weapons. While I don't believe that these measures the school is putting in place will stop shooting, I think that they're just trying to make an effort for more safety since they can't implement state gun control.
While I think the school is just trying to protect its students and make them feel safe, I can see how this may violate their privacy. I also don’t feel like having a clear backpack and an ID will make anyone truly safe, and I think, for Marjory Stoneman Douglas at least, they should focus their funds and efforts on securing different entrances with more security guards and making it known that mental health services are readily available (which they may be doing already anyways). Regardless, I don’t think a clear backpack and ID will do very much. To me, it almost seems a little absurd, and though I know the school administration just has its students’ interests at heart, there are different ways to approach this. I hope more schools don’t look to this as the solution, as someone who wants to partake in a horrendous act will do anything it takes.
I think that these new rules were not implemented for the wrong reasons. The school just wants to prevent these horrible shootings, however, I do think that these clear backpacks will help. The clear backpacks are an invasion of one's privacy and I know that I would hate it if Aragon implemented these rules. A kid who has a gun will not put it in a clear backpack; they will find another way to hide it most likely. I think they should focus on funding mental health services and general security around the school, rather than invading the privacy of the children.
Given that these new regulations have already been put in place, I would say to keep them there. They provide a powerful message about how schools have become such a dangerous place due to gun violence, and a video documentary showing how life at Stoneman Marjory Douglas High School has changed before and after a massacre would provide powerful incentive for Congressmen to enact stricter gun control laws, against what the NRA has been supporting.
Personally, I agree with the other commentators above that these measures of having students wear clear backpacks and ID badges is ridiculous. But only when we start showing people how ridiculous a lack of gun control can be, can we get effective change for the future.
I highly doubt the clear backpack rules are directly aiming to prevent intruders, rather it's just a way of making everybody feel even just a little bit more safe. Therefore, great! It's a very creative idea and if that's helping students get through the day feeling much more safe and at peace, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Overall, there are many more steps schools need to take to ensure safety and while this may not be it, it's def. good to hear the school is making an effort to make their students feel better.
I think the clear backpack rule seems to be avoiding the real issue: guns. Banning backpacks does not fix the serious lack of gun control in the country. It also may bea financial burden to expect each student to provide a new backpack. Overall, it will not prevent school shootings the way comprehensive gun control would. However, I understand the need for drastic change due to the widespread fear.
I agree with everyone above in how this rule is absolutely ridiculous. This will get nothing done, and it is so easy to bypass. I think that this elicits how schools and America in general are not really doing enough or anything really to truly protect people from gun violence. This is more about gun control, like Claire stated. Additionally, I like Frank's idea about leaving it in in order to illustrate people just how ridiculous it is in order to maybe bring some change for the future.
I understand schools wanting to take a step and do their best to up the safety of their school and protect their students, but this is not the way. This is a temporary way for them to assuage their fears, but it is a complete invasion of privacy of their students. Students won't be able to carry their personal items to school without everyone seeing them. This is affecting their daily routine and won't prevent anything. Like ella said, the real problem is guns and how to regulate gun control. But, clear backpacks and IDs aren't going to prevent school shootings.
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