An "Absurd" Notion

The likelihood that a deranged and/or belligerent individual would walk into a school (or facility like a school) with the intent to shoot, stab, and kill as many people as possible should be small. It should be so small that it should be unheard of. It should be regarded as an absurd notion. However, it isn't absurd. It's common enough that we drill students on how to act or what to do in case of an active shooter. Almost like we drill elementary children to get away from windows and to crouch down in the case of a tornado. We now live in a world were the probability that a tornado strikes a school during tornado season is comparable to the probability that a psychopath walks into a school with a gun.

As disturbing as this notion is, a somewhat comforting one is that our society has acknowledged this danger to a point that we are preparing ourselves. Then comes the issues on how to prepare ourselves. The officer seemed almost desperate to get this point across; how we've been taught to act when there's an active shooter is wrong.

For years I remember being taught a simple three step process, close and lock the door, turn the lights out, and huddle in the corner out of sight. The thinking behind this strategy went like this, if the intruder couldn't open the door easily and couldn't see anyone inside the classroom, he or she would move on. Turns out, this strategy is good at one thing, getting people killed. This strategy is so ingrained in some places that it has made some students into victims by making them passive. What's more frightening is the fact that this information is having a hard time getting out there and some schools are still teaching this old method.

My thoughts during these drills, when crouching or standing in the corner of dark room, usually involved the idea that if someone with a gun came through that door, our only hope would be to charge and overwhelm that individual. Turns out, this is the new strategy that the officer was advocating, that with an extra idea of getting away when possible.

Although it's saddening that the notion of that armed-psychopath walking into a school is not so absurd. I'm truly relieved that there is a new strategy circulating that empowers individuals and doesn't just leave them to be victims. It was always an unsettling feeling knowing that we were defenseless in the case that a shooter did come through that door.