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You know, I've always loved living where I do and going to the school I attend for one reason: The lack of violence. Don't get me wrong, the city is far from crime free, and no school is completly free from fights, but there's never been anything serious.
Lately though, things have changed. During the summer, there were at least seven drug related murders, and now, it seems like the violence has spread into the school system.
A nearby High School has had to close due to bomb threat, others have had drug busts and fights, and now, It's spread to my school.
It was actually a week ago since this whole mess started, yet the details are still sketchy. According to the principal, the fight was between three groups of people who have never gotten along, and are defined by where they live. According to students, one of these groups was the Skinheads (AKA- The god-damned racist bastards who I wish would grow the ******** up stressed ), and it was a definite race issue. Whatever the reason, the aftermath has been crazy.
One kid was taken to the hospital with a broken jaw, another broke his nose, someone else needed stitches, and fourteen students were suspended (I think two were expelled).
Ok, so everything should be fine and dandy now, right? Wrong.
Immediatly afterwards, the school went on "lockdown". Hall passes required to go to the bathroom, police presence, cancellation of remedial days (an afternoon off regular classes to wander into the classes you need help with once a week), and all school doors except the front ones locked as soon as the bell for first class rings. We've had nearly every freedom we had taken from us. In fact, it seems to bear a similarity to the anti- terrorism measures taken after 9/11 in other areas.
Tomorrow, the kids come back. We've been informed that we have an "emergency lockdown system" so that if another fight breaks out, or (though the administration won't come out and say it), if the kids who threatened to bring guns follow through on this, we can be secured in our classrooms until it's all over. eek
In one week, my school has gone from a place of learning to one of fear. Staff meetings no longer involve the curriculum, but how to best avoid students being hurt in future violence, people who were once good friends now ignore each other, and nobody even thinks about hanging around after school.
If school is supposed to prepare us for the real world- well, I don't want to go into it.
 Lithwen · Tue Oct 05, 2004 @ 10:32pm · 1 Comments |
