Education, Part 2 – Acceptable Violence
Dressing change, Author kcxd, Source https://www.flickr.com/photos/26786061@N00/6434955639/, (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)
Schools today regularly hold drills on when to lock doors, and hide in classrooms. However, in the time required to secure a classroom against a shooter, a child can bleed to death.
An initiative known as “Stop the Bleed” offers teachers in all 50 states training on how to stop bleeding, in the event of another school shooting [1]. Some 125,000 teachers, counselors, and administrators have taken this medical training nationwide.
It is a remarkable commentary on our times that classrooms are now stocking tourniquets, gauze, and bandages, while school staples like chalk are in short supply.
At some level, violence has become acceptable. Since we can conceive of no other remedy to stem it, teachers are actually being urged to arm [2].
“A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation” (Prov. 68: 5).
Lord God, You are the father of the fatherless, the defender of orphans. Children are precious in Your sight, if not in our own. Protect our children, Lord, even against us.
There was a time when children were our highest priority; a time when school shootings would have been incomprehensible to us. Now such shootings have become the norm, and some are proposing that teachers enter the classroom armed.
How have things come to this? How is it we no longer fund our schools properly; no longer allow our children to pray in school; no longer teach them right from wrong or recognize when they are troubled? How is it we do not pass or enforce the laws needed to protect our children against such violence?
We are the ones who should be standing guard to ensure our children’s safety.
Instead, our entertainment is saturated with images of violence. We let gun manufacturers distort the Second Amendment for the sake of profits. We allow our elected representatives to place self-interest and the pursuit of power above our children’s welfare.
When violence does occur, we send condolences and repeat meaningless platitudes or blame the victims, while we should be the ones hanging our heads in shame.
Forgive us, Lord. Open our eyes. Cleanse our hearts that we may turn again to You, and find a way to stop the loss of further innocent blood.
Amen
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[1] ABC News, “Teachers acquire a new skill: how to stop the bleeding” by Scott McFetridge of Associated Press, 4/9/18, http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/teachers-acquire-skill-stop-bleeding-54329871.
[2] New York Times, “Trump Wants to Arm Teachers. These Schools Already Do” by Erica Green and Manny Fernandez, 3/1/18, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/us/armed-teachers-guns-schools.html.
Five days after this post, 10 fatalities occurred at Santa Fe High School — the 22nd school shooting this year.
This series began last week with Education, Part 1 – Ignorance
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse https://avoicereclaimed.com
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A Lawyer's Prayers 
the times are sad…
Very true, Maureen. I worry for the children I helped raise, and their children. I only see things getting darker.
but only until the light rises. Keep praying.
An excellent post Anna,
and I agree with every word.
Thank you, Alan.
“We are the ones who should be standing guard to ensure our children’s safety”.
Yes, we are. We(parents and family members)should be doing whatever it takes to protect our children against the violence that is careening out of control in our schools. The question we must all answer is why aren’t we? Why aren’t we taking this matter into our own hands? Why are we sending our children to school with the firm knowledge that we are sending them to a place where their safety is not assured? Why do we do this?
Is it because in school, like in a lot of other institutions in life we have handed over the reigns of responsibility to others and said here; it’s your job to do?
I do not advocate teachers carrying weapons at school,but neither have I suffered the loss of a loved one at the hands of a school shooter. Had that been the case I might feel differently. Check that, I KNOW I would feel differently.
I’ve listened to many arguments from many different sides of the school shooter issue,and all of them make valid points. What I’ve yet to hear however is a group of concerned parents tell the school and civil authorities that while all of you are having your endless discussions,we will be walking the halls of the local schools. I guarantee that this would give any potential shooter cause to rethink his decision to commit another atrocity.
Please forgive the long comment Anna. I feel very passionate about the fact that these shootings are preventable if we will only take back our personal responsibility for protecting our children.
Please, don’t apologize, Ron. I know there are committed parents and grandparents like yourself out there. I don’t claim to have all the answers. We seem though to have accepted this new status quo, as if violence were unavoidable and our children expendable. I recommend readers check out the posts you wrote on this issue titled “And we wonder why…” at A Front Row View of the Church https://ronwhited.wordpress.com.
Reblogged this on Anchor Thy Soul and commented:
Great series by Anna Waldherr: A Voice Reclaimed.
“How have things come to this?” Good question, one which you have answered with your following questions and statements: “How is it we no longer fund our schools properly; no longer allow our children to pray in school; no longer teach them right from wrong or recognize when they are troubled?” and “our entertainment is saturated with images of violence. We let gun manufacturers distort the Second Amendment for the sake of profits. We allow our elected representatives to place self-interest and the pursuit of power above our children’s welfare.” That’s exactly how and why it has come to this. God help us!
If only we would turn to Him, Mia.
Yes, we are. We (parents and family members) should be doing whatever it takes to protect our children against the violence that is careening out of control in our schools.
I could not agree more.
Thank you.
Hello there, thank you for sharing this educational blog. It is very useful. everybody should read this.