just in case

So we're sitting on the bus and Lauren's giggling about how she's "highly decorated" in ROTC.

Now, we all know that Lauren and I have drastically different opinions on ROTC, and both of us are aware of that. However, I always make sure to be supportive of her and I am proud of her when she succeeds at something in particular. So she was telling me of the most recent addition to her medals: one for aim.

What I mean by this is aim with a gun. In ROTC, they have target practice. It's not uncommon for a kid to come into class excited and holding a target with several bullet holes in it. They'll be bragging about their good aim and whatnot. And this terrifies me. For a multitude of reasons. 1) Guns do not belong in schools. 2) There are some kids in school and ROTC that I do not want to see holding guns. 3) It is encouraged.

A lot of people look at Columbine and say "Well yeah, but that was an exception. No one woulde ver really do that." And I agree. I don't really believe that the bomb threat we had was a result of a highly problemed and delusional teenager. I think that it was a kid who went to the bathroom to get out of class (and probably some test) and was a little miffed and decided to write "I'm gonna blow up the school" on the wall, without any further intentions. I wouldn't be surprised if he forgot about it an hour later. But...Columbine was also a sign of a changing society. And although metal detectors when you go into school are seemingly silly and over-kill, there are some places in which it is necessary. And that's really unfortunate. Yet, it seems to me that people have selective vision on their "what if's...". If a kid is talking about how they hate their life and wish they were dead, an adult is obligated to report it and get the kid help in case they're suicidal. Similarly, a threat mindlessly written on the wall needs to be reported in case it's a serious threat. Yet the school permits ROTC to have their own special situation. There is no "We can't allow ROTC to have guns in school just in case some kid goes crazy and we've got a repeat Columbine performance."

The arguments against me usually go something to the tune of "But the commanders don't let just anyone do it, if you look dangerous or suspicious then they're not going to let you do target practice." Which is reasonable. But not failsafe. What happens when that one kid figures out that (s)he doesn't need to steal dad's gun? What happens when that one kid realizes, "I'll join ROTC. They let me have guns." And what happens when that one kid happens to be just smart enough to play the game and gives off the perfect impression of innocence? What happens when that one kid plans and six months later the _________ Shooting is all over the news with another twelve or so deaths and that one kid is lying grinning a skeleton grin in a pool of his or her own blood with a government issue ROTC gun in his or her hand?

That may be extreme, I'm aware. A lot of planning. But how about this scenario: ROTC person has been good and a model citizen without once thinking about harming another person. A bad week or month clouds over. Depression sets in and ROTC person knows an easy out: it's in the basement of the school on a rack with many others. Sure, I may be overreacting. But this is America and I'm just playing the "in case" game.