School Violence Essay, Research Paper

Remember the Jonesboro, Arkansas incident? How about Columbine? Or maybe the most recent in Mt. Morris Township Michigan where a six year old girl was killed in her classroom. Should there be metal detectors in school? I believe so, a lot of people think not. I?ll debate their reasons with my own reasoning.

Three reasons people argue against the need for metal detectors in schools are::

1.It is an invasion of their privacy.

2.The cost is too great.

3.The procedure of going through metal detectors is too time consuming.

First, some people say that metal detectors invade their privacy. I?m sorry, but honestly what is so private? All they do is make sure no one has weapons, their not interested in your personal life. Also if something is so important you have to hide it, it should not be in school.

Second, some feel it is too costly, or it takes lots of money out of the schools budget. Well, I feel you can?t put a price on someone?s life. The people of Columbine never thought that a massacre could happen at their school, but it did and it COST them fifteen lives that could have been saved. In retrospect, I?m sure they would have preferred to live with the stigma of having metal detectors in their school if they could have back those fifteen lost lives.

Finally, there is the issue of ?wasting? too much time. If the worse were to happen you wouldn?t have to worry about wasting time, there would be no time left. If you need that extra time to save just one life, in my opinion, it was well worth the time it took.

In conclusion, if you feel just one life isn?t important enough for metal detectors don?t bother. Although, if I was a principal no matter what the cost or the reputation I received, I would want my students to feel safe and secure in their school. Schools should be considered a safe zone, and if we don?t feel safe in our schools why are we sending our children there?