On Oct. 25, every student in Montgomery County was pulled out of class for an hour to learn about gun safety. The presentation included information about ghost guns, signs that people you know could be school shooters, and reminders that bringing a gun to school is in fact illegal. While gun safety is an obvious problem in all American schools, this just isn’t the way to help solve it, it’s a waste of students’ and teachers’ time.
School shootings are a major issue in America. According to Education Weekly, there have been 40 school shootings with injuries or deaths and 122 people killed in school shootings this year alone. Students being uneducated is not the issue, especially in this county. The students have been told about the people trying to hurt them since elementary school, and repeating the same information is not going to stop the violence.
The presentation was designed by the Maryland State Attorney, but at Richard Montgomery High School, assistant principal Veena Robertson also had a role in organizing the event. “I think there were aspects of the presentation that were informational. I don’t know if it necessarily made students feel safer,” Ms. Robertson said. “I hope that the message is ‘If you have a concern about anything you should say something to someone.” The message if you see something, say something was indeed reiterated many times, but if that was the only thing students took away, that is not enough to keep them safe.
“The whole thing was just about how [owning a gun] is illegal. Like, ‘Hey, this is a problem, people die. By the way, owning a handgun is illegal.’ That was it. That was all it was,” Richard Montgomery sophomore Jonathan Sliter said.
Richard Montgomery sophomore Dominic Mendez said, “Yeah, just push it to advisory. Play like all the videos there and let the teacher explain it. Don’t waste our school time and lunch.” Mendez thinks the lesson should be given in a more intimate classroom setting, using the time that is already dedicated to such presentations.
Students desire more relevant insights. “[It would’ve been better] if they talked about what they would do to make schools safer, instead of just telling us that guns are illegal,” Sliter said. Other students mentioned that administrators should inform students what the state is doing to keep us safe. What is being changed for our benefit?
Gun violence is indisputably important to American students’ lives. It is sad that kids need to be prepared for such a thing, but it’s the truth. However, a redundant lecture and a music video is not going to help address the root of the problem. There is just going to be more violence if nothing is done to address the actual problem.
Written by Margaret McLaughlin of Richard Montgomery High School
Photo courtesy of Norah Sonti of Richard Montgomery High School