Recently, Flint Community Schools, in Michigan, announced a ban on backpacks. Less than two weeks later, Grand Rapids Public Schools announced their ban on backpacks. You know, like book bags or knapsacks. Why? Gun safety, of course.
The Detroit Free Press reports that a gun was discovered in a third-grader’s backpack on Wednesday, and the superintendent of the Grand Rapids Public School system jumped into action and banned school bags. Superintendent Leadriane Roby is quoted on the school system’s website saying “This is just one step in an ongoing conversation about how we can best protect our children in our rapidly-changing world.”
The past few days, and weeks, and months, have seen the same gun violence on school campuses around the country. And while most of the violence has nothing to do with students walking into school with bags filled with weapons, the silly desperation of this move seems to be to give parents the illusion that the school is doing something to fix the problems their state legislators should be tackling.
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The district's executive director of public safety and school security, Larry Johnson, told ABC News that a student realized their 8-year-old fellow classmate might have a gun in their book bag and told a teacher. The teacher investigated and the firearm was discovered—loaded.
Johnson said there was nothing in the 8-year-old's history that would indicate they would bring a weapon to school.
Johnson also expressed frustration that parents were not heeding calls for proper safety at home with regard to securing weapons safely. Sadly, studies have shown that this isn’t endemic to Michigan, as researchers say around 85% of gun-owning parents do not practice safe gun storage at home.
Superintendent Roby says they are also looking into adding more cameras, clear backpacks, metal detectors, and “training.” None of those things will cure the issues of violence in schools, and even more importantly, none of those things will lessen mass shooting events.
Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin is running for Senate in Michigan this year. She has been outspoken on the need for gun control legislation in her state and around the country. The hope is that with more politicians like Slotkin in office we may be able to enact public safety measures that amount to more than stopping grade schoolers from carrying book bags.
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