Arming Our Teachers Won’t Solve the Issue
I read an article recently that broke my heart for the men in this world.
It seems that almost weekly we hear of a school shooting in the United States. While the debate over whether to arm the teachers and aids that are in the schools is still going, this NY Times piece shows us clearly what part of the problem truly is.
There has been a fog around masculinity for some time now. You could put on your tin foil hat and say that the whole thing is being orchestrated, and I would not disagree with you entirely.
Yet, leaving the blame at the feet of those who seemingly run the world is not going to solve my daily decisions, nor yours.
We have a problem with men not knowing who they are in this age. Not all men, but many.
Even myself, who had the blessing of an excellent father struggled for a long time as to why I was so “messed up.”
I confessed for a long time that I thought like a woman. My mother called it a left brained man, and my girlfriend, now wife, called it a gift.
I see now that it is a gift. There is no hesitance in me to share my emotions or hide what it is that frustrates me.
So often we hear that little boys are not to cry, that strength and victory define a man. What happens when a young man hits the pavement or learns that pain is part of life?
Yes, pain, that time in our lives where we learn that no one is an island. There is no independent man, and there is no independent woman. We are, all of us, in need to know someone, and to be known by them.
How is a young man supposed to be known if he is not to feel pain? How is he to know what it is push through pain and win if he cannot acknowledge its presence?
There are a lot of hurting men right now and it is not because they are talking about it - it is because they are not talking about it.
We see the repercussions on the news and think those young men must be anomalies - I am here to tell you friend, they are not.
Unless a man has an outlet to share his frustration with the way things are, he will take out that desire for justice in unjust ways.
A man is made to uphold what is good and right in this world. He is wired to defend the defenseless and protect the ones he loves dearly.
When you read the back stories of the shooters, you find that protecting people in their lives is not what they do. Abuse of women is prominent in every case, and that lack of respect for beauty carries over into actions that destroy what is precious.
If we want to see less atrocities on our evening news or read one less headline on our social media feed, we must encounter one of the roots of the issue.
Yes, training and arming responsible adults to protect our children could be part of the solution.
However, even a bullet can not penetrate a soul. The soulishness that permeates every one of us longs for our voice to be heard and our talents to be noticed.
It is high time we stop turning a deaf ear to the screams that our young boys and men are cradling in their chests. We may not always want to listen to them, but one day it may be too late.
School shootings are unfortunately the reality within the US. This keeps happening decade after decade ... nothing changes.
At least folks are talking right now.
it is interesting that many of the he-men film stars like Charlton Heston or Tom Selleck are staunch supporters and leaders in the NRA - as an ex-teacher who knows teachers I can assure you that arming teachers is a terrible idea. Simply remove weapons of mass destruction - as for the root cause of mass shootings, it's murky but generally I don't see women doing Rambo style massacres - it's not macho to carry a big stick - I broke up knife fights in the toughest area of Toronto without putting down my briefcase and I write poetry, lol
Imagine teachers accepting to get the guns and have them with them. Then we should start wondering about the teachers and the whole education system...
Imagine if you did put your briefcase down. :)
You should ask John to write about how his brand new car was beaten with baseball bats and the upholstery ripped with knives - all windows smashed and coca cola poured into the gas tank. The man survived, but the car, not so much. Why did it happen? A student who was in his summer school class missed x number of classes so John told him he wouldn't be able to catch up and he wouldn't pass him.
Adventures of John Geddes — The Briefcase Mysteries.
My goodness....
Thankful John was ok through all of that.
Yes me too. It wasn't too many years after this that I convinced him to retire early. Things were getting too violent at that school and I was worried.
As a teacher myself. I think giving us guns has got to rank as the dumbest idea of all time.
Sorry but your potus is an imbecile.
Talking is the begining.
We need to redefine the image of main stream masculinity.
You can be a good role model without the Marlborough Man mentality.
I completely agree. And yes, we do need to start and keep the conversation going. Nothing changes until we do that.
I was lucky enough to go to college in the early 80's when feminism was in the ascendant. I learned so much from those women and have to admit that I knew virtually nothing of womens inequality prior to that. Our young men have very little in the way of educational resources today. It's almost as if it has all been buried again?
As young men we were all brainwashed and the true history of womens enslavement was hidden from us.
We still have a very long way to go. Here's something I wrote about this continued inequality It's a disgrace that this is still going on.
Good for you for raising the conversation. It's a start.
That is a good way of putting it. It is odd how the tides turn one way and then the other.
There are so many ladies I know that are aching to be heard - and more men are starting to say the same thing.
i guess arming the teachers can atleast keep the students in the safe hands in worst conditions
to escape from the conditions
to make an impact to the attackers
its important i feel
something is better than nothing @lydon.sipe
Something does need to be done, I agree.
I don't have much to add, but a thank you for pushing the conversation...
Thank you for your encouragement, @inphiknit.
There is no shame in being a left brained man as you say. I think we need more of them. Personally I was always confident in my manliness to be comfortable wearing a tool belt or an apron. I never bought into all the typical male stereotypes as being something to aspire to.
I can relate to that, lol. Thank you for your kind words, Paul!
I have a lot of family who are teachers. They find it strange that politicians keep on attacking the teachers in the US. Especially when you consider the fact that they're already treated pretty shabbily compared to other developed countries.
As an outsider, my own observation is that lobbying is having a negative effect on America. Whether it's around drug prices, public transportation or even sensible gun control.
I hear you. It is sad that politics enter the sadness so quickly after these egregious acts.
Well said & 100% on target. Thank you for the perspective.
Hear, hear!
Haha, you’re welcome.
the bad thing is that we don't learn at all
Thankfully, people are talking about it now.
even basic things like getting an education is not safe now what more terrible than this
Only a few things.