Every Boston Public School student is entitled to a high-quality education in a secure environment. Unfortunately, students at the Jeremiah E. Burke got anything but that on Tuesday, when a student allegedly shot another outside the Dorchester building. Violence at the Burke is nothing new — just two weeks ago, a student was stabbed there.
Boston Public Schools have been plagued by violence. There were 1,925 reported incidents in schools since last year. Reports of bullying were up from 243 to 440 a year ago and reported sexual assaults were up from 439 to 744. I attended Boston Public Schools from third through 12th grade and these figures are disturbing. The attitude of Boston lawmakers, who continue to oppose logical solutions to the safety challenges confronting BPS children, parents, staff and faculty is even more abhorrent.
Take, for example, the subject of metal detectors, which are in the State House and City Hall to protect staff and elected officials. “Where is the evidence that supports using metal detectors in our schools to prevent violence?” City Councilor Julia Mejia asked on Twitter. Thanks to metal detectors, people cannot enter City Hall carrying a gun or knife, and the potential for violence there has been greatly reduced.
Mejia’s failed attempt at a trick question stems from an inability to see that the proof is in the concept itself: Metal detectors detect guns and knives. It’s also amusing to see how the same Democrats who despise guns and are obsessed with abolishing the Second Amendment are opposed to metal detectors that prevent students from bringing in those evil guns into schools.
Yet, they have no issue politicizing every school shooting involving students from affluent neighborhoods. Mayor Michelle Wu expressed similar sentiments during her campaign, stating that “metal detectors have been found to negatively impact students’ sense of safety at school, while school resource officers (SROs) disproportionately criminalize Black and Latinx students, perpetuating the school-to-prison pipeline.”
Wu, to her credit, stayed true to her campaign promise to leave minority students who attend schools with the increasing incidents of violence in an unsafe and vulnerable position. The real kicker: Wu and Mejia are both BPS moms. DA Kevin Hayden would be hailed as a hero if he made an example of violent students who hurt their classmates and staff.
The notion of law and order to combat criminality on the streets and, most crucially, in schools is anathema to Mayor Wu, Mejia and their progressive Democrat allies. Reversing these disastrous policies would have been a terrific opportunity to make amends with outraged BPS students, parents and staff. Mejia responded to criticism of her stance on metal detectors by doubling down in a tweet: “well for the record I’ve advocating for funding that gets at the root of the problem. Proven violence prevention methods, peer leadership, more mental health and guidance counselors in our schools etc.”
All these strategies have been used for years in BPS, and yet violence is on the rise. Like many other unions, the Boston Teachers’ Union cares more about political clout than the well-being of its dues-paying members, and has been silent on the issue of its members’ safety on the job.
Will it take a student’s death for lawmakers to finally act?
Rasheed Walters is an entrepreneur, political commentator and historian. He is a member of Project 21, and resides in Boston. Follow him on Twitter @rasheednwalters.
