In the aftermath of the horrific school shooting at Marysville Pilchuck High School on Oct. 24, our region has been left grappling with inexplicable questions about how this could have occurred and what could have been done to prevent such an atrocity. Only God truly knows the real answers, but as a community we must embrace those affected by tragedy, assuring them that they are close to our hearts and deep within our thoughts and prayers.
Undoubtedly, we will struggle with these questions for many years to come and we may never have the answers that we are seeking. It is paramount to the healing process for the Marysville and Tulalip communities that we support one another and work toward a sense of unity in this matter. We must bear in mind that there are thousands of people affected by such a tragedy and that the healing process will take months or even years.
If there is any consolation from such a calamity, it is that the Marysville School District has a comprehensive school safety plan and that the emergency responders did an exemplary job as this incident unfolded. Moreover, that our youth have shown amazing resilience and the power to overcome seemingly insurmountable hardships.
Moving forward from this life-changing catastrophe will require vision, commitment, innovation and hard work, which is our absolute obligation to our children. The Marysville School District and Tulalip Tribes have a unique opportunity to make a substantial contribution to our community and to school districts throughout our nation as a result of this tragedy.
As time passes, it will be incumbent upon the leaders of the Marysville schools to assist other communities throughout our nation with information that was gleaned from this incident. They must share their successes and failures; and convey the critical importance of community partnerships with the other stakeholders, including emergency responders, social service agencies, parent groups and even the faith-based communities. The leaders within our schools can provide moral support and suggested time frames to education leaders around the country that are left grappling for answers.
With the spirit of magnanimity and altruism that the Tulalip Tribes have always exhibited, there is the possibility that they could establish a school safety foundation, which could give back to the community by providing grants, training opportunities, consulting services and resources to districts that are still relatively rudimentary in their school safety plans. This foundation could provide a lasting legacy and positively impact communities for generations to come.
As a parent, it gives me great comfort to comprehend that a school shooting is an absolute anomaly and that the statistical probability of such an event is minute. We must all understand that our schools are microcosms of our greater society; and that school safety is an integral component within the educational process, predicated upon the fact that if our children do not feel safe, they will not have the freedom to learn.
Bill Young is Cherokee Indians and grew up on the Tulalip Indian Reservation. He attended Marysville schools and went on to work in the public school system as a school safety officer for more than a decade. He has acted as a school safety and youth violence consultant throughout the U.S., and is the founder of Kids Hearts Ministries, a charity devoted to impoverished youth and families.
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