Ding M. Massachusetts

The dangers of public and private schools big and large

Public and private schools are becoming more and more dangerous due to the violence that goes on in schools.

Dear Madam or Mr. President,

I am 14 years old and I live in the state of Massachusetts and I am currently in 8th grade. This issue of school safety is important to me because next year, I am going to high school and am going to spend the next 4 years of my life there. I already worry about the amount of work that I have to do (which I think I can manage.) However, something I have no control over is the amount of violence that can happen during or after school.

An example of a very violent act that has taken place in a school is the West Alpine High School Shooting in West Texas where a 14-year-old planned to shoot her stepbrother and then herself. On September 8, an unidentified 14-year-old girl had packed a semi-automatic pistol with 18 shots and was spotted with the gun by a 17-year-old female student in a female restroom facility. When the 17-year-old saw that the other student had a gun, she tried to move out of they way when the 14-year-old shot her 4 times in the lower body. The shooter then pointed the gun to her own head and proceeded to shoot and kill herself. The injuries sustained by the 17-year-old weren’t considered life-threatening, but the situation could’ve been deadly if the shooter had proceeded to shoot at other students and/or faculty members. 

These types of things can also occur in elementary schools where students aren’t really capable of defending themselves. Take for example a school shooting that took place in Townville Elementary School where a 6-year old boy named Jacob Hall was shot and bled to death. An anonymous 14-year old open-fired onto a school playground where a teacher and 2 students were shot. The teacher and one of the students were treated in a hospital and released on the same day but Jacob was hit in an artery which led to a major brain injury which led to him bleeding to death. 

There are areas like where I live where violence isn’t common, but you never know when something like this shooting or worse will occur any time, anywhere. So please do something about this issue so kids like me, younger and older are safe.

From,

Ding Min Xin