Policing in schools
Ivividly remember the day I made my way to the school resource officer’s office at Rangeview High School. I took two steps into the room before I stopped in shock. In front of me hung a “blue lives matter” flag. As a Latina, I no longer felt safe; I shut down. In schools like mine, Black and Latinx students make up the majority of the student body meaning that the amount of police presence is significantly larger when compared to a predominantly white school. Not only is there a negative stigma of police in our black and brown communities due to the history of police brutality, oftentimes these officers are trained to deescalate any altercation in our student body by any means necessary. I’ve seen officers slam students to the ground, reach for their waistband, and treat students as though they were inferior. In the eyes of these officers, our streets are prone to gang and drug violence. It was in my hometown that Elijah McClain’s life was taken.
To a white student, that “blue lives matter” flag in the SROs office may just be an expression of free speech; that is definitely the justification our administration used when I expressed my discomfort. But to me, to black and brown students, that flag is a reminder of the power complex that oppresses our community, that flag screams “look at me, look at my power … I have the power to kill you.”
I cannot fathom that police departments have larger budgets than schools when it’s the teachers who are preparing us to enter society. The police in our schools just serve as a reminder that no matter how educated we are, the color of our skin makes us a “threat.” Surely police presence in low income, Black communities is linked to high drop out rates … I’ve seen it with my own eyes. All it takes is one misunderstanding, a bad experience with a police officer or a “no tolerance policy” for these students of color to never step foot in a school again. How can school be a safe space when you put us in the same cage with our biggest predator? I hope that “blue lives matter” flag in my school gets taken down, that Aurora Public Schools follows the lead of Denver Public Schools and School Board Member Tay Anderson and removes police from schools. Hopefully, one day the life of students of color will be more important that this power complex perpetuated by police presence in schools.
— Myriam Alcala , 18, University of Southern California, graduated from Rangeview High School
between following the voice that shouts the loudest and trusting the candidate that has proven himself to possess true Colorado values. Now more than ever, it is time to eradicate money from the political equation.
— Ava Stetson Ward, 17, Thomas Jefferson High School
Our futures are at stake. The 2020 Colorado senate race will bring change that lasts decades.
This is a fight for our lives. Issues like gun control and climate change affect people of all ages, however, they target young people, and we are running out of time to shape our tomorrows. We have the opportunity to elect a leader who will make positive change and protect our futures. Vote John Hickenlooper.
Colorado has faced the devastating consequences of gun violence and mass shooting far too many times. As a student, it is terrifying to go to a school just miles away from the schools where shootings took lives at Columbine, Arapahoe, and STEM. This has been normalized for teenagers, though it is something no human should have to experience.
Our classes have been canceled because of potential threats. We are losing hours of our education because of this problem that seems to have an obvious answer. We need gun reform now.
We cannot reelect a senator who will not protect our lives but will protect the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment simply doesn’t apply to our world today the way it did when it was written. The weapons that existed when it was written couldn’t take the lives of dozens of people in a matter of seconds. These types of weapons are not necessary for the average person, not even for purposes of self- defense. Although the Constitution was written with the future in mind, the value of a human life has not changed, and as weapons have become semi- automatic, there is a need for reform. Cory Gardner has taken over three million dollars from the NRA. Vote him out. 17,