Bridges For Diversity

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect. 

     The truth is that on February 14th, 2018 a shooting massacre occurred at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, USA. This shooting sparked protests, a listening session with President Trump, and a response from the NRA chief Wayne LaPierre. I took the time to listen and observe. At first I didn't want to write about this, a certain feeling of being tired of the never ending violence took over. However, I thought and wondered. Why specifically is this school receiving National attention, and huge lump sums of monetary donations, when other recent school shootings go by with thoughts and prayer? This made me question the idea of whose voice, or whose life is valued more or less than others. Why did the Florida students receive the ears at the Presidential level, when there have been so many other lives lost in various locations around the USA? It is not to say that I am not sympathetic, because I am. Every life matters, but I am critical about the attention to this particular incident, because it questions if human life is equally valued.

    Is life valued more when some one is of a particular race, color of skin, from a higher socio/economic status, caste, class, gender or religion? A simple reality check will allow us to say, yes. However, the positive outcome of the after-effects is that students have demanded action. Students need to feel safe, loved, cared for, and free to learn in the space of a school regardless of race, color of skin, from a higher socio/economic status, caste, class, gender or religion. It is their right to learn, seek knowledge and develop the intellect (brain), it is a human right, like health. The brain must stay active to remain healthy. A healthy brain is a human right. 

     The right to bear arms in the USA was derived through history with The National Firearms Act  1934,  and also with the occurrence of assassinations that formed The Gun Control Act of 1968. But guns were also used for the purposes of agriculture, farming, and the hunting and gathering era's. These traditions have carried forward through to the "Wild West" traditions, gun culture, and the right for civilians to bear arms. I am thinking that maybe it is time to look into revisions? We saw this where Florida Gov backed the raising of rifle age possession to 21. It is a good start, but I am thinking that individuals who want to posses a gun will find ways of ownership, especially through illegal sellers. 

     So it has come into our awareness that of carrying a gun, how do we do so, and for what means needs to be thought about very carefully. But should these school shootings mean that teachers should possess weapons? I thought that the actual suggestion was absolutely absurd. I am for training, and educating teachers for lockdowns, security and safety, but to what extent do teachers need to carry a gun? What if an incident was miscalculated and then a teacher picks a gun with the intent to kill, what will happen to the teacher? I think that to suggest give teachers a bonus, so that teachers will consider President Trumps suggestion was actually de-humanizing and demeaning to the profession. "You give the a little bonus, so that practically for free, you have now made the school into a hardened target" (Mr. Trump, 2018).  Why not give teachers a raise for the actual work that they are doing? These suggestions also reveal the little that President Trump knows about the profession, and I say THANK GOD to the America Federation of Teachers who spoke in opposition to this suggestion. School shootings should be taken seriously, but is armoury solved with armoury? Can we, or should we claim blood for blood? 

     What is being called into question is we need to think of preventative measures that will reduce or eliminate school shootings. Should their be a higher police presence or security officers present in schools? Or should there be community policing within and around school communities? These types of programs do already exist, but we could think of ways to improve these for higher safety and security of schools. This should include all schools where there are students or different races, ethnic backgrounds, color of skin, genders, caste, creed, religion, or ethnic minority. What we also need to consider is who are the shooters? What are the patterns, and history of the shooters? It is easy to cut, paste, slap, kill, than to really think of effective solutions that require the investment in human capital for the purposes of safety. 

My thoughts to share with love & Kindness! :) 

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written on February 23rd, 2018.
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