Education

Earlier in the week I was listening to NPR and they were interviewing a student at an anti-second amendment rally in front of the NRA convention. She was saying she was afraid to go to school as she might never see her parents or friends again because she’s afraid she will be a victim of gun violence. I thought what ludicrousy.

Schools have never been safer from non-state actor criminal violence today then in their history. They’ve been hardened in numerous ways with security cameras and remote controlled doors, have police on staff and especially the large districts have extensive intelligence operations surveilling and monitoring student communications.

Violence of all types is decreasing in our country. There are fewer than half as many murders today as 25 years ago. Tough on crime laws, mass incarceration, better social services and mental health care and even changing demographics mean people of all ages including our youth are less likely than anytime in the past half century to be murdered.

But there is a bigger threat to students then ever before – the state. Not a random criminal shooting students but a lawful shooting of students by armed police officers, protected by sovereign immunity and ex-parte young. Government employees face no consequences when they act on behalf of the state no matter how much of a lack of judgment they show. The next school shooting may very well be a police officer legally killing multiple students in school during a minor disturbance like a spit ball or food fight in the cafeteria.

Even when police do not kill students, they can wrongly deprive students of their rights. They can arrest protesters of all ideologies, and charge students with felonies based on rumors and remarks taken out of context. People talk about the danger of gun violence but ignore the serious danger that the state and its government enforcers poses to all of us.

Students should not be afraid of violence caused by criminals, but instead be afraid of violence caused in the lawful actions of the state. Government is not your friend, government is the all powerful bully with nearly unlimited power, going after the weak and unable to defend themselves against the powerful special interests represented by the billionaire class that gets rich off of government contracts and policies that force people to buy their business services.

The government and those who work for it are primarily self serving, they don’t care about the youth or students. It’s a fact.

Students should be protesting the ever growing government that infringes on our rights not gun violence.