Dear Next President,

Out of all the issues the United States is currently facing is the violence occuring in schools.I believe violence in school should be addressed because students should feel safe in their learning environment. The issue matters to the world because we need new leaders to, know the way, show the way, and go the way. Others in the world think it shouldn't happen because it puts innocent lives at risk. There is no simple solution to this problem but rather things to prevent it like, metal detectors, armed guards, and even something as simple as meditation.

Generally speaking, there are two ways people deal with bullying, suicide or violence which can lead to homicide. In Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold’s case, they unleashed their anger on the unsuspecting victims of Columbine High School, April 20, 1999. 12 students were killed in what is known today as the Columbine Massacre. It was believed that these two did this as a result from bullying. According to Pacer.org, 1 in 4 students are bullied across the United States, and 64% of those victims have never reported it to an adult.

Everyone is at risk when it comes to violence, even teachers themselves. In 2014, Pewu Johnson, a 68 year old substitute teacher from Philadelphia was shoved to ground by one of his students. Johnson was left unconscious and had to be treated for a concussion. Some teachers have even been sprayed with perfume. Another example of this would be when Calvin Pygott was hit by a blunt object and choked with a zip-tie afterwards.

Is there a solution to all this violence?No. There are ways to at least help prevent it. In Los Angeles, California, metal detectors were installed into schools, and have been for many years. Sadly, in 2014-2015, over 800 concealed weapons were confiscated even with the metal detectors.Armed guards are also a way to slow it down like in Oregon where 2 resource officers prevented a school shooting from happening. These ways may be effective but would cost the U.S a lot of money to fund this . This is why I would recommend using Meditation. Meditation has been used in Visitacion Middle school and has reduced truancy and suspensions. The overall GPA rose by .5%.

Overall, there are many ways to slow the process of violence, but there is no solid solution. The goal is to create new leaders for the difficult future. Thank you

Sincerely, Angel Galvan