Protecting our schools

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Here we go again. This is the 27th school shooting in America since the year began. Last week’s shooting in Uvalde, Texas, is another telltale sign that things have fallen apart and the centre can no longer hold. This, sadly, is another American nightmare. Watching it on television is horrific. To think that 19 children could be killed by an 18-year-old at a time and place where civility is to be taught is disgusting and painful not only to the families involved, but to all who have a heart, This is reminiscent of Columbine, Sandy Hook, Marjory Stoneman, Virginia Tech, among others. Think of these innocent children who have been decimated by the assault rifle of a psychopath.

America is fighting so many epidemics; gun violence in general and school shootings in particular are among the epidemics that need containment. It’s sad that on average, more than 80 school shootings take place in America annually. The presidents have been wearied by giving condolences and offering prayers, and yet with all the gruesome murders, the political powers refuse to take the necessary actions. I am afraid that this is not going to be the last such incident because no one is wiling to challenge the NRA and enact laws to address the reckless use and misuse of guns in the country.

As I watch the unfolding of the news and footages on YouTube, my mind wandered, and I wonder if this American sneeze is not going to infect Jamaica. This is a copycat nation that likes things American, and our youngsters who get their hands on a gun are behaving like they are in a western movie. That’s why, in an earlier article I wrote, I suggested that the Government needs to invest more resources, both human and financial, in tightening border security, so that the guns coming into the country can be minimised at least and at best eliminated, because when they get in the hands of crackheads and fools, the unthinkable can happen.

The Ministry of Education should at this instance, put in place a dedicated task force to study school security and come up with preventative measures, that we don’t have such carnage happening in our schools. Safety measures should be rehearsed in every school, just like fire drills. Students and staff should be taught how to deal with active shooting, and there should be police officers dedicated to school safety. In an era of mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic, this is very likely to happen in Jamaica and we should learn lessons from others. My grandmother use to say, “When you see another man’s beard on fire, wet your own.”

This is indeed a crisis-ridden age, where there is a yearning for normality Evil, like a raging torrent once contained, has released itself upon us. ‘We have sown with the wind and now the whirlwind is our portion’, and international anarchy stalks the earth. While we pray for the families caught in the Texas tragedy, let’s also pray that our soil will not be stained by such an egregious act.

DR BURNETT ROBINSON

Blpprob@aol.com