Gunshots fired, screams echo down the halls, and the clock ticks. “When will this end?”, you question yourself. The question you should be asking yourself is, what would you do?

I would participate in the simulation drill and you should too. There are three main reasons why simulation shooting drills should be allowed and accepted when it comes to dealing with the real-life situation of school shootings.  

Awareness of reality:

As a student of South Broward and attending a neighboring school of Stoneman Douglas, the school that suffered the loss of 17 lives in a school shooting, I think the time has come to put our sorrows and losses to use. People must be more aware of how real and life-threatening school shootings are and how much more frequent they are becoming. Although the thought of practicing safety regulations in a school shooting environment can sound absurd, it is still some experience and preparation that can overcome fears at a stressful time.

It is better to be fully prepared and save a life than be frozen by fear and possibly lose your own life.  

Putting logic first and then dealing with emotion:

“Active shooter drills may reshape how a generation of students views school.” an article by The Conversation mentions “By having students practice responding to a pretend emergency, school administrators hope they will respond the same way to a real one.”

Logically speaking, when put in a dangerous scenario, the smart thing to do is to get out of it as quickly as possible. However, this can become almost impossible when emotion and fear take over. As students, teachers, and people in any school or public place, we should all be capable of dealing with emotions afterward because the main concern is to get to safety first.

As cruel and harsh as it may seem, crying in the corner or screaming in tears won’t solve the problem of an active shooter attempting to break in and cause destruction. This will only bring more attention to the students and teachers, possibly leading to more casualties.  

Knowledge vs. Fear:

Have you ever heard of the saying that knowledge is the most powerful weapon? Well, that’s because it is. In this case, having the knowledge to defend yourself and others in life or death situations is the most powerful offense against an active shooter. Not everyone is lucky and not everyone is brave, but anyone can try, and be prepared for situations like this.

“School Shooting Simulation Trains Teachers for the Worst,” The New York Times mentions in their February article, “Teachers across the country will soon be able to train for an active shooter on school grounds using a computer simulation that includes realistic details like gunfire, shattered glass and the screams of children.”

If you can be mentally and physically ready for an active shooter situation, then you are already one step ahead to saving many more lives than you would’ve if you had not been prepared. Yes, it could be traumatizing and emotionally triggering, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. So, don’t be afraid, stand up and save a life.