The Real Reason Behind School Violence

Another week, another school shooting, and once again, we’ve immediately turned another tragedy into a political argument about gun control, Republicans vs. Democrats, Conservatives vs. Liberals, and how much we hate the President. Maybe it’s time we got real about school violence and stop blaming guns for the multitude of societal problems that are affecting our schools.

Let’s start with politics. I have seen proposals for several good common sense gun laws that I would gladly support. On the other hand, I do not support the position held by many on the left that the second amendment should be abolished and all guns taken out of the hands of American citizens. And who honestly believes that the President should immediately drop everything and do something about this gun problem? Seriously? What about the legislators who have been sitting around for about a hundred years up on the hill? Maybe we should look to them to pass some laws. Some people today have such a deep hatred for our current President they have lost all sense of reality. This is not a political problem.

So, about the guns. Does anyone seriously think that passing new gun laws will instantly solve the problem? Isn’t it against the law to murder people? That law didn’t seem to deter the last few school shooters. And do we really think that other weapons can’t be found if guns aren’t available. Just this week, a local man in my small community was arrested for attacking people with a machete! Anybody watch the AMC show Into the Badlands? It’s one of those apocalyptic futuristic shows where everything has gone to hell in a hand basket and oh my God, what are we going to do? In this future, guns have been totally banished, yet this is one of the most violent shows I think I have ever seen. The amount of weapons available is astounding and each episode features dozens of gruesome deaths, but at least the gun problem has been solved.

So, what’s the real problem here? I spent thirty-five years of my life working in schools. Over the years, I attended tons of workshops on school safety, wrote (or helped write) multiple emergency plans, conducted hundreds of drills, and spent more hours than I could tell worrying about the students and staff at my school. Of all those hours, I can tell you that almost none of them were devoted to guns or gun laws. Honestly, a threat is a threat. We prepared for all that we could anticipate and the priority was the safety of our students.

So what is the real reason for school violence? Could it be the fact that we live in an increasingly violent society? Just look at the news. If you can stand it. We don’t value human life anymore, do we? Or how do we explain sixty million abortions since 1973? We don’t value property anymore, do we? Watch the “non-violent” protests on the nightly news and see how much gets destroyed. We don’t value people anymore apparently, if the daily news endorses the most vile name-calling imaginable. If you don’t agree with their politics anyway.

The truth is that schools are not safe places anymore. We’ve thrown out God and the Ten Commandments in favor of political correctness. We’ve gone all in on protecting the rights of “some” and the preaching the “new normal,” but the reality is that many kids are still being ignored. Bullying is rampant, because accountability only counts on test scores and discipline is overridden by parents. Schools can’t teach the basics anymore, because we’re too busy teaching the social skills that kids no longer learn at home. And again, kids don’t feel safe anymore.

Every school I’ve ever seen has students who feel outcast and alone, who feel unloved and under-appreciated. And if they feel these things at school, then when they reach the point of lashing out, the school will be a potential target. Ages ago, they lashed out with words, or fights, or vandalism. Today, they lash out with more deadly consequences, but the root problem is the same.

So, how do we prevent school violence and keep our kids safe? I wish there were an easy answer, but there isn’t. The hard answer is that we take the target off the schools. We make schools positive and welcoming to all. We make schools the home, the family, the safe place. We make schools the place where every student feels engaged and loved and accepted. We look out for each other and remain vigilant knowing that it only takes one lone outcast to bring it all down. And we pray.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)

 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.