Hardening Schools is Not the Answer
On February 14, a young man walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. He shot and killed 17 people in six minutes. That’s what Parkland could have been remembered for — another site on the list of mass shootings in America: Sandy Hook, Las Vegas, Charleston, Orlando, Columbine.
But within a week, the stories coming out of Parkland were about the young people who survived and how they responded. The stories were about Emma Gonzalez, Cameron Kasky and others who called B.S., confronted leaders head on about their support of the N.R.A., and led a national student walk out. This week tens of thousands of young people walked out of their schools, marched or rallied to protest inaction on gun violence.
The young people of Parkland have exposed the powerful gun lobby that protects profits over the lives of children and owns too many of our elected representatives. They have reignited genuine hopes for gun reform in our country. Our nation should stand with these young people. Limiting the availability of guns is the first and most direct step we can take to protect lives.
But instead of responding with action on common sense gun policies, some “leaders” have responded with calls to “harden our schools” — from arming teachers to adding more police. These “solutions” turn our schools into prisons. They are also dangerous and ineffective. They have not worked for the past 20 years to stop school shootings and have harmed students, especially young people of color.
Since Columbine, schools have added more police and security on campuses than ever and instituted policies like zero-tolerance and random searches that treat students like criminals rather than students.
Young people of color are most affected and harmed by these practices. Zero-tolerance disproportionately punishes African American and Latinx students for minor conduct issues, not for guns and violence. Young people who have been most impacted by these policies have also been saying enough! They have been saying enough with being treated like criminals.
Instead, young people of color and their families have been advocating for schools to invest in solutions that create safer climates and more support for all. Across urban and rural school districts, they have been advocating for funding wellness centers, school counselors, and nurses who can support all students. These solutions make much more sense than handing out guns to teachers! In California, young people have been working with the State Superintendent on concrete guidelines to help schools create safe and welcoming schools for all.
The young people of Parkland have captured the imagination of the nation. And young people of color are helping us to reimagine what safe schools truly look like. Therein lies the potential power of this moment. There is a tremendous opportunity for young people from diverse backgrounds to lead a new movement together for genuinely safe and just schools for all.
Throughout history, young people have pushed our country forward toward greater justice and equality by walking out, sitting in, taking a Freedom Ride or standing up for Dreamers and Black Lives Matter.
That is why we at YVote believe in the power of young people. We are committed to registering to vote the thousands of young people who will be involved in rallies, walkouts and teach-ins up and down the state so they can transform their schools and communities today and stay engaged in 2018 and beyond. You can join the movement at yvoteca.org.
We believe that young people — whether in Parkland, Ferguson, Oakland, Fresno or Los Angeles — will lead our communities and country. We know they already do. And we stand with them every step of the way.
Luis Sanchez is executive director of YVote, a statewide network of 19 youth and community organizations empowering young voters of color in California.
