Institutions

In response to recent violence in the schools here in Maryland and elsewhere, metal detectors have been issued to the school security personnel. Here in Maryland they are in the form of those hand held wands. There is some controversy and concern surrounding this. The school officials assure us they will only be used when there is reasonable suspicion. It's a judgement call. It is a shame it has come to this. A far cry from my own school experience. We were pretty much free to come and go. No policeman assigned to the school, I believe they call them, school resource officers. That in and of itself I find troubling. The need is so great as to have full time uniformed police officers in the school. Much like prison guards, don't you think ?
I find the whole situation troubling to say the least. I do not have a problem with deploying whatever technology and resources are required to keep everyone safe. If the children are continuously exposed to this it will be the norm. I don't believe it will have any negative effect upon them. It is only those of us that have not been exposed to that that find it intrusive or unsettling. Sadly, I believe it is only a precursor of things to come. Look at our airports and national monuments. Notice the security there. I found it unsettling when I had to empty my pockets,remove my shoes and be searched prior to seeing the statue of liberty ! Ironic ?
It defines the word,does it not ?
I don't have any more answers to this increasing threat to our liberties and indeed to our country than anyone else does. There are so many factors contributing to this epidemic. Moral, social and economic influences. Broken families, broken promises and broken spirits. From my view a lack of accountability and responsibility. Criminals not held accountable for their misdeeds in the name of mercy and compassion. Responsibility shifted to others for actions taken or not taken. A pervading attitude of, everything is acceptable, and moral values no longer count. All this adds to the fire.
With the metal detector issue I can offer one common sense approach. Apparently the big concern is an invasion of privacy. Do school officials have the right to search the students ? Can they search their belongings ? There is much concern with what may be concealed in backpacks. Well, I know how to solve that problem. No backpacks ! When I was in school we carried our books on our hips secured with a rubber strap. Didn't hide anything and incidentally we also didn't have any back issues ! I would gladly relinquish that " right " in the interest of safety. I am quite sure there will be those that would want to challenge a ruling like that in court. That is the world we live in.
I worry about the grandchildren. One has just started middle school and entered that environment. Another is still in elementary. What do they have to look forward to in their school experience ? Certainly it will be different from the one I experienced and the one their parents did also. That much is inevitable. I can see public education being run more like an institution of a controlled environment, rather than an institution of learning. I know to them this is normal. They are not concerned beyond their own experience. It is only we that have had a different experience that find it troubling. Each generation wants better for the next. Are we providing that ? I fear we are letting ourselves down. We are not letting the children down for they have no expectations. They must accept what is offered. We need to do better.