This student wrote in response to our blog on School Security issues: The Case for School Resource Officers
Graham suggests that having a School Resource Officer (SRO) on campus, who is armed, would help keep students and faculty safer in the event of an active shooter.
I would very much support having an armed person on campus. However, I understand that it’s a funding issue for public school districts in many areas of our country.
It doesn’t feel great as a student to know your only protection is a door, maybe a closet, a chair, or a fire extinguisher as protection if you have to go up against someone with a gun.
And I don’t think this should be a political issue. This is simply a safety issue. I can’t believe anyone out there wouldn’t agree that we need to feel safe at school, as we spend much of our lives on campus. Children shouldn’t have to sit in a closet and wonder if they’re going to live or die. Teachers shouldn’t be put into a situation to sacrifice their lives in an attempt to save their students.
