(Image via nbcboston.com)
Business Manager: Brendan Flaherty
Email: bflaherty1@umassd.edu
The Brockton High School committee has concluded that the National Guard might be the correct solution to disruptions caused by students.
After much chaos and disturbance brought on by rowdy students, the committee has had enough and has sought ways to correct this chaos and add some order back to the school.
Seemingly, they believe that the only way to solve the issue of kids being unruly is by adding the National Guard.
A school committee, made of members Joyce Asack, Tony Rodrigues, Ana Oliver, and Claudio Gomes, held a meeting and a press conference to discuss their idea, according to CBS Boston.
The members went on to talk about how the students are “losing precious learning time” when other students are causing disturbances. They cited a recent major fight among eleven students and the widespread use of drugs as some of the behaviors that have reached unacceptable levels.
In the same article from CBS Boston, both sides are represented, talking about how it would be a shame if the National Guard’s services weren’t used and that they are not just a bunch of uniformed men.
They seek to utilize their help without it becoming a military school, as one might think.
“We’re not asking them to deploy a whole army to our school. We’re asking for support,” Oliver explained.
On the other side of the argument, it is reported that the Mayor of Brockton is opposed to using the National Guard and is “ready, willing, and able to work with anyone to alleviate the situation.”
Some people believe that bringing in the National Guard is a step too far and worry that it would produce a militarized image of their school/community and that it’s all people will think of when they think of that city.
According to The Boston Globe, people also believe that students would be “better served by experts trained in substance abuse, mental health, and peer-to-peer conflict.”
That said, the problem could be on a much larger scale as Brockton High has its own set of issues to deal with first. Brockton has suffered from multiple multi-million dollar budget cuts and has been unable to keep one principal for very long.
As a result, their school’s principal changed five times in the last eight months, resulting in a lack of leadership and causing more chaos and disruption in the future. However, as of right now, the committee has stayed firm in its decision and still hopes for the support of the National Guard.
Based on an article from msn.com, the committee hopes the community can work as a team and allow the National Guard to restore order to the school.
“According to Rodrigues, the national guard would serve as substitute teachers and hall monitors at school.”
While this all sounds promising, this whole event might have some citizens worried.
As some people might know, the National Guard has only been deployed a handful of times on US soil. One of the most significant times was the protection of the Little Rock Nine in Arkansas in 1957.
For those who don’t know about that event, the Little Rock Nine comprised nine Black students who were the first to be admitted into an all-white school during the Civil Rights Movement.
History.com explains that the National Guard was deployed to stop any of the Little Rock Nine from entering the school under orders of the Governor, Orval Faubus. His defense was that it was for the student’s own safety, fearing that the students would be attacked if they went to school, even though he was avidly against the integration of schools.
Although the National Guard was eventually ordered to help protect the Little Rock Nine while they went to school, the damage had already been done.
So, for a school like Brockton High, which is “about 80 percent of Brockton High’s students are Black and Latino,” it might not be the right image that they would want to portray.
Ultimately, this is a tough decision and one that will require much time and thought. No one can be certain if this will ultimately hurt the school or help it; we can only hope for the best.
It is not a horrible thing to want your community’s students to be able to attend school and not have to worry about anything happening, but is this really the way to go about it?