Are there any answers?
“Give me liberty or give me death,” said Patrick Henry, a leader of the American Revolution.
In a peaceful corner in NW Minneapolis, is Patrick Henry High School, named after this man who stood for liberty and self-government. And yet we have abandoned these values in cities run by Democrats, as we accept the death of our communities rather than stand for liberty, as Democrats know they’ll have our vote.
Since the beginning of the school year, Patrick Henry and other Twin Cities’ high schools have seen a rise in dangerous and escalating conflicts. So we ask, “Where is the plan for how to deal with unsafe environments inside of our high schools?” This has caught the attention first and foremost of the residents in the community and of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). We hope community leadership steps up as well.
Too many in city and community leadership positions have turned their backs on educating our youth on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s lifesaving and empowering nonviolence philosophy (see his book, Stride for Freedom). All the great religions have a version of the Golden Rule: do unto others as we want them to do unto us. The Civil Rights movement truly ended when violence became “the way” after King’s death, as too many wanted to change places with them and then act like them.
It is being alleged that because of the reduction in personnel, including the loss of key personnel, the district is not on top of its game of security as it should be. The MPD wants to heighten school security, but there are rumors and allegations that the district is not prepared to spend more dollars to reinforce needed school security.
The report of over 36 fights in one week at Patrick Henry is frightening and disturbing, especially as we learn of individuals who were stopped as they attempted to enter Patrick Henry armed. Isn’t that proof of the need for a plan and personnel to provide a safe environment for students, teachers, administrators and the surrounding community?
If the claim that the district doesn’t have funding to increase school security are true, then the school district must reach out to the State of Minnesota, the commissioner of education, corporations and charitable foundations, for immediate relief as needed. There are too many guns on the street, too many shootings, and too many injured by other methods of violent acts.
Every shooting and assault not reported does not mean they did not happen, nor does it mean the threat has gone away. The threat remains real. In some cases, knives have become the weapons of choice. Thus it is insane and contrary to the doctrine of public safety that the public is not being made aware of these dangers and incidents.
We are not picking on Patrick Henry, merely reporting on egregious acts causing more fear as more violence is glorified. Our schools deserve a guarantee that everything is being done to ensure safety.
We know and understand we are not a perfect society. But aren’t we required, as members of the human race, to do everything that we can to protect all of our citizens, no matter age or social standing or color of skin? And doesn’t that start with a commitment to promote nonviolence?
Sending swat teams into our high schools is a sign of how much we have failed our young people and neighborhoods, as we stand by as violence and never-ending revenge renders sections of communities uninhabitable, scaring away investors for development. Where is the plan to not only end the violence but to promote nonviolence?
Stay tuned.
For Ron’s hosted radio and TV show’s broadcast times, solutions papers, books, and archives, go to www.TheMinneapolisStory.com. To order his books, go to www.BeaconOnTheHillPress.com.
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I was surprised and saddened that your commentary never mentioned the role of parents in quelling problems at schools. These are someone’s children acting up! Parents need to be at the school snatching their children by the neck and explaining clearly the expectations to sit down and learn. THEN, if the child continues acting up, additional interventions are understandable. I never let society raise my child. I took care of most problems!
I agree Anita. Why don’t these parents with wayward children know where they’re at after school? Why are their children out at Midnight? Why are these children on buses and in malls causing a ruckus? Society can only do so much, but it cannot raise my kids. That’s MY job.