The FOX News article written by Lisa Bennatan refers to the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The massacre resulted in the death of 19 children and two teachers. The police, however, have reported not getting involved for around 45 minutes due to the fact that a commander believed the shooter barricaded himself. The revelation has caused the Uvalde community to criticize the decision of law enforcement. The main argument is that a quicker reaction would have helped save the victims. However, since the police officers were waiting in the hallway, the shooter was not stopped until later. Moreover, the backlash is partially a result of the fact that there were 19 equipped police officers and only one gunned shooter who was to be stopped. Whether the decision to wait was generated by a misunderstanding or a lack of training is ultimately unknown.
The current article was chosen due to the multiple recent political discussions on such topics as gun laws and police defunding. On the one hand, it could be argued that an armed guard or teacher would be able to possibly save the victims. On the other hand, a lack of police involvement, as presented in the article, leads to horrible results. This tragedy is important for the entire nation since it portrays the limitations and weaknesses of the law enforcement system. It is significant since it impacts parents who want their children to be protected, and the lack of necessary training or skills illustrated in how the police handled the situation affects all people through a feeling of a lack of security.
In my opinion, the situation highlights the need to focus on training and investing in high-quality techniques to address both school security systems and law enforcement in regard to reactions to such situations. Thus, the article was selected due to the polarizing public opinion on how to handle such events, which either relates to reliance on law enforcement or maximizing individual potential for protection. It was surprising to learn that while multiple school shootings occur in the US, officers are still not able to adequately confront them. On the other hand, it was not surprising that the guard and other individuals could not get involved. This may be attributed to the overall inclination to criticize gun ownership and encourage reliance on other forces instead of the individual right to protect others. The topic is still relevant, and I am interested in it since a universal solution is still to be found in regards to addressing school shootings in the US.
In order for future implementations to align with society’s aim to minimize the occurrence of such tragedies, it is important to ask ourselves about the actions we are ready to take to confront the issue. A question that people have to ask themselves relates to their opinions on police training. Would you feel safer in a society in which officers are encouraged to participate in daily training sessions to address various dangerous situations that can affect civilians? Another topic of discussion is school safety and ways to confront the problem that has become a national concern due to its prevalence in this country. Do you think schools have to have strict security rules, armed guards, high-quality surveillance, and strict school visitation guidelines for outsiders? These questions address both limitations highlighted in the article, namely, a lack of adequate security measures implemented by the school and the inadequate response from the law enforcement officers.
Work Cited
Bennatan, Lisa. “Uvalde, Texas, Residents Respond to Revelation Police Waited to Engage Mass Shooter.”Fox News, FOX News Network, 2022.