I wonder what would happen if every citizen had to participate in active shooter training at my school each year.
Suppose they had to listen to the Columbine 911 call that came from the library. If they had to listen to the teacher tell her students to “stay down!”—even though we now know there was an exit nearby. If they had to listen to the sound of gunshots as the teacher tried to do what was best and safest for the students while worrying about her own life.
I wonder what would happen if every citizen had to listen to my school’s student resource officers talk about Parkland. If they had to listen to a play-by-play of the gunman’s actions. If they had to learn that many first-floor students died because they were closest to the entrance. If they had to learn that not a single student died from the second floor because all doors were kept locked and all classrooms were deadly (pun most definitely intended) quiet. If they learned that students and staff on the third floor died because they were stranded in the hallway after hearing the fire alarm before realizing it was an active shooter.
I wonder what would happen if citizens knew that students were shot at AFTER they escaped Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School because the shooter had set up a bipod for his gun. If they knew that the students outside were saved from the bullets due to the hurricane-resistant glass on the windows. If they sat in on training where, in addition to reviewing ALICE, I now have to tell my students to keep running even after they escape because when they are outside, they may not be safe.
I wonder what would happen if every citizen had to participate in active shooter training at my school each year. Would more people realize that it could be their child, nephew, or granddaughter one day–-but it doesn’t have to be? Would more people realize that it’s sickening for teachers to have to train their students to protect themselves from a gunman? Would more people realize that gun violence is a public health issue when children are being gunned down in schools?
I wonder what would happen if every citizen had to participate in active shooter training at my school each year—hopefully, more than what is being done in our society today.
