The Heritage Foundation is working to address the complicated issues surrounding school violence. One way it is doing that is by hosting a teach-in, currently at capacity, this week. The agenda includes offering information about the facts surrounding the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and equipping participants with information and tools to create safer communities.
“The knee-jerk answer by many liberals is ‘ban guns.’ But I think the questions we face are just too complex to be resolved by two little words. If America is ready to get serious about school safety, we need to focus on a range of pressing issues,” President Kay Coles James said in a video statement introducing the event and detailing what the Foundation hopes to achieve with its workshop.
The event’s website says the purpose is to share ideas and information for Americans to use in their communities to try to create real solutions rather than soundbites.
The two-day event promises to cover issues relating to preserving school safety through programs implemented in schools in countries around the world and how they tackle safety. Attendees will be able to learn how to tailor their safety needs to their own communities through discussed programs, resources and innovative solutions relative to their area. Issues surrounding the Second Amendment and laws protecting the right to bear arms, as well as the realities of passing hasty legislation, will also be covered.
Touching on the hot-button topic of mental illness, Coles James also stated, “And finally, the attackers in Columbine and Parkland were bullied, suffered mental illness and were obsessed with violent video games. Shouldn’t we take a hard look at all three? These are just a few of the many questions we face—questions that simply can’t be answered with two little words like ‘ban guns.’” Another aspect that will be discussed concerns the federal and state governments, and how to ensure that services for the mentally ill are being delivered.
For more information and resources pertaining to the issues listed above, please visit heritage.org.
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