Hickenlooper v. Gardner
The outcome of Colorado’s 2020 senatorial election will hold many implications for state and federal politics. Health care, gun control, and the Senate majority are just a few of the issues at stake in Democrat John Hickenlooper and Republican Cory Gardner’s battle for a seat in the U. S. Congress. However, the results of this upcoming election will reveal more than whether or not gun laws will change or health care will improve. The senatorial election will determine the Colorado election system’s vulnerability to manipulation by the omnipotent, evergreen dollar.
When Hickenlooper abandoned his bid for the presidency in August 2019 and began to pursue a seat in the Senate, his campaign quickly gained widespread support. Colorado, once a purple state, has proven itself to be bluer and bluer with every national election. Considering Gardner’s support of President Donald Trump, it came as no surprise that voters preferred the trueblue platform presented by Hickenlooper. Despite the strong start, however, Hickenlooper’s lead has been shrinking since April. The former governor has been falling out of favor with voters, and it’s not because he’s any less competent than he was five months ago; it’s because the National Republican Senatorial Committee has decided that they like having Gardner in Colorado’s senate seat — and they’ll use as many grainy filters, deep voices, and unflattering photographs as they need to to keep it
that way.
Yes, the NRSC is using the magic of video editing to paint the image of “slick shady” Hickenlooper, a man more interested in private jet rides than problem- solving. The attack ads have dominated commercial breaks, powered by the Republican super PAC’s funds — not Gardner’s. While the idea of the former governor using his power for personal gain is certainly unsavory, the advertisements’ content was not what left a bad taste in my mouth.
The NRSC is not based in Colorado. They do not have Coloradans’ best interests at heart, so why should they have any say in our election? Our country was built on the principle that every citizen has a say in choosing their representatives, not just the rich. This election, Coloradans will make a choice
The debate of how to best keep students in school safe is a decades- old argument. In many schools, the answer has been police. An officer in charge of maintaining security in the school, often called the SRO, can be found in many schools across the state and country, including my own. However, with the extreme scrutiny that police officers are facing lately, many of these positions may be on the chopping block. But I believe this should not be the case.
Security in schools is essential. We have seen it time and time again, schools without security are most at risk for tragedy. Colorado’s own Columbine High School massacre is evidence of this, and it goes to prove another point: those who intend to do evil will not be stopped by laws. A Tec- 9 automatic pistol was used in the Columbine massacre, despite the fact that such weapons were, at the time, illegal under the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban.
Once a person has made the decision to inflict such harm upon students, a “Gun- Free Zone” sign will not stop them. In fact, according to the Crime Prevention Research Center, since 1950, 94% of mass shootings have occurred in gun- free zones. That being the case, laws alone are demonstrably not a deterrent. So then, it is only logical that we have immediate protection from evildoers.
The 2018 FBI Active Shooter Report found that a mass shooting attempt was stopped 75.8% of the time when an armed citizen was present, and lives were saved 94% of the time. Had an officer been immediately present during the Columbine massacre, the lives of 13 innocent people could have been saved. Regardless of your opinions of police, student safety must come before politics. And if having police in schools is the most effective option for student safety, we must act on that.
— Dylan Sharrock , 16, Coal Ridge High School
Two school shootings have indirectly impacted my life. The first took place at a high school down the street from my elementary school when I was in 4th grade. The second was during my freshman year at another high school 15 minutes away from mine. Following both incidents, I remember my mind tumbling frantically through all the “what if” scenarios. What if I had been there?
These experiences make me extremely grateful for the SROs in my district. However, I’m realizing more and more that SROs are not a comforting sight for all students. Creating a learning envito ronment where every student feels safe needs to be a top priority for us as a society; so what should be done about SROs?
In a 2018 study by the Education Week Research Center, 34% of SROs surveyed said the schools they work for do not specify which types of disciplinary issues they are allowed to intervene in. Additionally, while 93% of SROs were trained in responding to active shooters, only 39% were trained in child trauma and 37% on the teen brain. These statistics reveal two main problems: unclear duties and inadequate training for SROs. First, schools must ensure an SRO’s duties are clearly outlined and restricted. For example, SROs should not be used to enforce classroom disciplinary actions
( e. g. tardiness, defiance). If there is no immediate physical threat the safety of students and staff, SROs should not be involved. Additionally, SROs throughout the country must be held to the same standards. This can be accomplished through a required, nationwide training and certification program that covers a wide range of topics, such as deescalation, mental health, learning disabilities, the teen brain, and responding to active shooters.
School shootings are not a new issue, but if we do not take proper action against them, nothing will change. We must continually strive for better mental health resources. We must improve and regulate the quality of SRO training and guidelines. We must take action to show our leaders our concerns and help schools receive the funding necessary to make such improvements. It will take time and effort, but we have the power to make schools safer for all students.
— Hailey Sloan , 16, Heritage High School