http://www.stltoday.com/news/
It seems as though there is some sort of school shooting or act of violence in the news everywhere. I am not sure if I notice it more now because I am more aware then I was when I was in high school, but it has become such a "norm" that it doesn't seem to surprise me anymore. Last month a local news reporter decided to test the security at Kirkwood high school which resulted in a lockdown. Now in Jefferson City there has been a bill proposed making what the reporter did a felony. The bill is called HB 1522.Now after reading this article some parents have stated that it is not the media's job to test security at the local schools. I as a parent myself would agree it is not the news station responsibility to test security in the schools, but it is the schools responsibility to ensure our children are safe while at school. According to Jennifer Wilton' "I just think there really has to be something in place to prevent vigilante parents, anyone who thinks they're above law enforcement, from going into schools." I personally feel introducing a law making what the news reporter did a felony is ludacris. If you want the individual punished maybe fine them, charge them with a misdemeanor, to ensure people understand that you cannot go in and just "test the waters" whenever you like. But to give someone a felony, something that takes away so many rights for doing something like pointing out flaws is ridiculous. However with that being said if the news reporter would have not stepped in and attempted to do what they did, would Kirkwood school officials have ever known how lax their security really is. Sure the fear set in, but lets not forget school shootings can happen everywhere regardless of the community, and now thanks to the news reporter there have been changes to the security, but what exactly I am not sure. I am not even sure if they are sufficient changes, but the public and most importantly the parents of the children at Kirkwood high school are aware of the security issues and can discuss what they want to see done.
So as I sit here and type this some of these questions came to mind: Why would the reporter decide to go and do this? Was this just another story? Was this reporter legitimately concerned for the well-being of the children at Kirkwood? Did the reporter had a personal connection to a previous school shooting in the country? Was Columbine, Liberty Tech, Sparks Middle school, Berrendo middle school, Newtown, etc. not enough for schools to open their eyes? No I do not want a school to be like a prison but this day in age, unfortunately security has become a bigger concern then in the past. I do think there needs to be levels of security enforced because the realization of violence whether it be shootings, stabbings, etc. is imminent in the schools and we as a community need to take the necessary steps to ensure the children are protected. Maybe there can be security checks a certain amount of times a year, routine drills as there are for fire and tornado drills, etc. We cannot continue to ignore the dangers this world faces daily and trying to protect the children is important. As a parent I want to ensure that my child is safe when I leave her at school. I want to know in my heart that the school has taken every measure to protect my child while I am not there to protect her myself. Thoughts about what this reporter did?
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