# data[].attributes.body
A protest rally against gun laws is taking place in response to a recent school shooting in America. Write a speech from the point of view of a student discussing the various problems that need to be considered, and including your own personal experiences. You should aim to inform, educate and persuade your listeners.

# data[].attributes.body
US president Donald Trump says he’s considering backing proposals to promote concealed carrying of weapons by trained school employees to respond to shootings. Write an open letter to Donald Trump to be published on Huff Post opposing this idea. You should aim to inform, educate and persuade your readers.

# data[].attributes.body
When questioned by student activist Emma Gonzales as to whether she thought it should be made more difficult to obtain semi-automatic and full automatic weapons, NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch spoke only about making it more difficult for ‘crazy’ people to buy weapons. Write an opinion article about the extent to which mental health can be to blame, or if it is being used as a distraction from gun control debates. You should aim to inform, educate and persuade your readers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Hundreds of thousands of students joined the pro-gun control March for Our Lives rallies across the US in one of the largest expressions of popular opposition in the modern era.

Events have been taking place at more than 800 locations around the world - including London, Sydney, Tokyo, Mumbai, plus hundreds of places in the US.

In Washington, as the number of young, diverse and impassioned protesters swelled along Pennsylvania Avenue, many carried signs reading "We are the change", "No more silence" and "Keep NRA money out of politics".

Malia Fuller, 15, from Haymarket, Virginia. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/The Guardian

Organizers said they hoped their protest would be one of the biggest in the capital since the Vietnam era, and it was clear they had been careful to create a diverse, inclusive group of speakers.

Along with survivors from the attack in Parkland, Florida, who have galvanized the new push for gun reform, speakers included young victims of gun violence from around America. They sang, they chanted, and they challenged their parents' generation to be effective in eliminating gun violence from society.

Edna Chavez, 17, from Manual Arts high school in Los Angeles, took the stage with a raised fist and spoke powerfully about her brother, who was killed by gun violence. "I have learned to duck from bullets before I learned to read." She led the crowd to chant his name, "Ricardo! Ricardo!"

Trevon Bosley, a high school student from Chicago whose brother was killed, said: "I'm here to speak for those youth who fear they may be shot while going to the gas station, the movies, the bus stop, to church or even to and from school. I'm here to speak for those Chicago youth who feel their voices have been silenced for far too long."

Yolanda Renee King, granddaughter of Martin Luther King, told the crowd: "I have a dream that enough is enough. And that this should be a gun-free world, period."

She then asked the crowd to repeat back her words: "Spread the word, have you heard? All across the nation. We are going to be a great generation."

She led the chant three times, encouraging the crowd to repeat her words "so the whole world can hear".

Shortly before the end of the event, Parkland shooting survivor Emma Gonzalez - who had been a leading voice immediately after the attack on her school - took to the stage for six minutes and 20 seconds, much of that in silence. She said it was the amount of time it took a school shooter to kill 17 people at her school in Florida last month.

As the students gathered, Donald Trump was whisked by motorcade to his West Palm Beach golf club. Trump later tweeted support for "the victims of the horrible attack in France yesterday" but did not mention the rallies on Twitter. A White House statement read: "We applaud the many courageous young Americans exercising their first amendment rights today. Keeping our children safe is a top priority of the president's, which is why he urged Congress to pass the Fix NICS and STOP School Violence Acts, and signed them into law."

The administration also drew attention to some minor reforms the president has called for, including a move by the justice department on Friday to ban bump stocks, the accessory that allows rifles to mimic the rapid fire of automatic weapons.

The NRA stayed silent on the student gatherings. But outside the FBI headquarters in Washington, about 30 gun-rights supporters staged a counter-demonstration in front of the FBI headquarters, standing quietly with signs such as "Armed victims live longer" and "Stop violating civil rights".

Veteran civil rights leader John Lewis said the protests reminded him of the early days of the civil rights era. "I think it's amazing," Lewis said. "They will be the leaders of the 21st century."

In one of the first speeches, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas senior Delaney Tarr told the crowd of the students' demands, including background checks and a ban on assault weapons. "When you give us an inch, that bump stocks ban, we will take a mile," she said. "We are not here for breadcrumbs, we are here to lead."

Earlier, the Guardian spoke to Cassie Pearce, 17, who had ridden in her school bus for 10 hours from Manchester, Vermont, with dozens of her classmates. Clutching a sign that read "I should be writing my college essay, not my will", Pearce said: "I'm here because enough is enough. We have a right to be heard. We don't want to be killed in school."

In a meeting with lawmakers in the aftermath of Parkland, the president had signalled support for stronger background checks on gun purchases and raising the minimum age for buying high-powered rifles. But the NRA staunchly opposed these measures and Trump appears to have abandoned the proposals.

A group of student journalists from the Stoneman Douglas newspaper, the Eagle Eye, were invited to guest-edit the Guardian's US website this weekend. Eleven students covered the rally in Washington, interviewing other survivors of gun violence from Stoneman Douglas and elsewhere.

Parkland student Jordan Khayyami, 15, said: "I think that legislatures should be aware that the next generation of voters is right in front of them so if they don't want to promote change then we will vote for change."

The scenes of thousands of students on the streets was overwhelming to many of the victims of gun violence who attended the Washington rally. "I did not expect this. I'm still astounded," said Mark Barden, whose seven-year-old son Daniel was one of the 20 children murdered at Sandy Hook in 2012. "To me, it looks like our entire nation is finally on board."

Barden has spent five years pushing for stricter gun control laws, first with the support of Barack Obama's White House, then continuing when gun control again dropped off the national agenda.

Sakeenah Dasti, 16, Amanah Dasti, 11, and Ruqaiyah Dasti, 17, from Gaithersburg, Maryland. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/The Guardian

While the day was focused on the youth, Sir Paul McCartney stood in solidarity with marchers in New York's Central Park and referred to John Lennon's fatal shooting outside his apartment building in 1980. "One of my best friends was killed by gun violence right around here, so it's important to me not just to march today but to take action tomorrow and to have these people to have their voices heard," he told CNN.

There were, however, a number of counter-protests in some cities. AP reported that in Salt Lake City, Utah, about 500 pro-gun marchers walked to the state capitol building, though they were far outnumbered by an estimated 15,000 gun control marchers there.

While classmates are rallying in Washington, thousands more Stoneman Douglas survivors, their families and supporters were among tens of thousands gathering in Parkland, Florida, the scene of last month's shooting.

More than 20,000 attended to listen to the speeches from the amphitheater at Pine Trails Park before walking the mile south to Stoneman Douglas high school.

"Parkland is a family. And when our family is hurting, we all come together," said Liam Kiernan, a 15-year-old Parkland 10th-grader. "We become stronger because we feel we're all one person."

Max Schachter, the father of Alex, a 14-year-old Stoneman Douglas marching band musician, broke down in tears as he recalled how his son enjoyed playing basketball with his older brother and teaching his little sister "to become a better trombone player". Schachter said that on 13 February he was like any other parent, wanting his children to be happy and get good grades. Then the Valentine's Day shooting happened.

"Since the day that changed my life, I will not stop fighting for change," he said.
Additional reporting by staff of the Eagle Eye, Edward Helmore and Richard Luscombe in Parkland, Florida

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
March for Our Lives : thousands join anti-gun protests around the world

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hundreds of thousands of students joined the pro-gun control March for Our Lives rallies across the US in one of the largest expressions of popular opposition in the modern era. Events have been taking place at more than 800 locations around the world - including London, Sydney, Tokyo, Mumbai, plus hundreds of places in the US.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Best Signs From the March for Our Lives

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
See the most creative, and impactful, signs from the student-led march against gun violence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
During CNN's town hall event Wednesday, student survivors of the Parkland shooting spoke forcefully and without apology about the need for change to America's gun laws. And the transcript of Emma Gonzalez's discussion with NRA rep Dana Loesch showcased just how willing these young people are to call out the evasions and talking points that usually get a pass in political debate forums.

Gonzalez' original question asked Loesch if she - and, by extension, the NRA - would support making automatic and semi-automatic weapons more difficult to obtain, along with accessories like bump stocks that make guns even more efficient at killing. Loesch didn't really answer the question. So Gonzalez stopped her and simply repeated her original question.

In recent weeks, students have emerged as perhaps the most powerful force advocating for gun control measures in at least a generation. From high school walkouts across the nation to a "die-in" protest in front of the White House, teenagers are politically engaging en masse on the issue of gun regulation. And their efforts seem to be affecting actual consideration of gun control reform amongst politicians, even in a state as pro-gun as Florida.

Gonzalez is on the forefront of the youth-led drive for action. Below is a transcript of her town hall confrontation with Loesch.

JAKE TAPPER: OK. I want to bring in right now Senior Emma Gonzalez. She has a question. She has a question for Dana [Loesch].

EMMA GONZALEZ: First of all, I want to thank Mr. Foster for teaching us everything we learned. I could not have written that speech without you. Half of you was like directly from notes and I want to thank you for that. Second of all, oh, I had a thing I was going to say. Happens to the best of us. All right. Dana Loesch, I want you to know that we will support your two children in the way that we will not- you will not.

The shooter at our school obtained weapons that he used on us legally. Do you believe that it should be harder to obtain the semi-automatic and- weapons and the modifications for these weapons to make them fully automatic like bump stocks?

DANA LOESCH: Well, first off, Emma, I want to applaud you for standing up and speaking out. And for anyone who has ever criticized you, or any of these students up here, including people who have been on my side of this issue, I don't think that anyone should deny you your voice or deny you your position because you are young.

GONZALEZ: I want to thank you for that.

LOESCH: I was a very politically active teenager and I'm on this stage as a result of that. Think of how far you all could go, as a result of voicing your beliefs.

Now, I want to answer your question. And, I want to be allowed the opportunity, which is why I am here. To talk and have this discussion with you all and answer these questions. This is why I came down here.

I don't believe that this insane monster should have ever been able to obtain a firearm, ever. I do not think that he should have gotten his hands on any kind of weapon. That's number one.

This individual was nuts and I, nor the millions of people that I represent as a part of this organization, that I'm here speaking for, none of us support people who are crazy, who are a danger to themselves, who are a danger to others, getting their hands on a firearm.

And, we have been, for over 20 years, and I have been screaming about this, which is why I'm here, because I have kids and I'm not just fighting for my kids, I'm fighting for you, I'm fighting for you, I'm fighting for all of you.

Because I don't want anyone to ever be in this position again. I want everyone to think about this for one second, and this goes right into your question. Do you know that it is not federally required for states to actually report people who are prohibited possessors, crazy people, people who are murderers?

No, we've been actually talking about that for a long time. (AUDIENCE JEERS) Let me answer the question. Let me answer the question. You can shout me down when I'm finished, but let me answer Emma's question. It is not federal law for states to report convictions to the NICS system. It's not federally mandated. That's the big question and I wish that this network had also covered this more, as other media networks would have covered it. That's a huge- wait a second, wait a second...

GONZALEZ: You guys, if I can't hear her statement, I can't come up with a rebuttal. Please.

LOESCH: Wait a second! Do you guys want to stop mentally insane individuals from getting firearms. Yes? They have to be in this system. If they are convicted. You can convict them, you can adjudicate the mentally unfit. If a state does not report it to the National Crime Information Center, when you run that form, this individual- this madman passed a background check.

How was he able to pass a background check? He was able to pass a background check because we have a system that's flawed. The Southerland Springs murderer was able to pass a background check because the Air Force did not report that record.

GONZALEZ: I think I'm gonna interrupt you real quick and remind you that the question is actually, do you believe it should be harder to obtain these semi-automatic weapons and modifications to make them fully automatic, such as bump stocks?

LOESCH: Well, I think the ATF is deciding about bump stocks right now. The president ordered the DOJ to look into it.

GONZALEZ: I'm asking your opinion, as a representative of the NRA.

LOESCH: That's what the NRA's position has been. The NRA came...

GONZALEZ: What's yours?

LOESCH: I'm talking for them. These are the 5 million members that I'm here representing. That is what that group's position has been on that. So that answers your question, and they spoke about that before the president made a move and they spoke about that before Attorney General Jeff Sessions made an announcement about that, too. So, that answers your question with that.

SCOTT ISRAEL (Broward County Sheriff): Let me interject for a second, though. And I understand you're standing up for the NRA, and I understand that's what you're supposed to do. But, you just told this group of people that you are standing up for them.

You're not standing up for them, until you say I want less weapons.

These people want three things. And I come here tonight with 39 years in law enforcement. I Baker Acted people, I've taken weapons from people. The men and women I've worked with for almost 40 years, we know how to keep America safe.

Number one- you're right, we have to take weapons out of the hands of people that suffer from mental illness. We have to expand the Baker Act. We have to be able, when police encounter someone, who is going through a mental illness. We don't only have to wait- we shouldn't have to wait until they are a danger to themselves or someone else.

We should be able to take them to an institution that's going to examine them and take weapons away from them, right then and there, at that time.

The crowd was vocally on the side of Gonzalez throughout her exchange with Loesch. And if the Parkland students are any indication of young people's views nationwide, the possibility of gun control legislation both now and in the future looks very strong.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
This Is What An NRA Rep Said To Emma Gonzalez At The Town Hall, Word For Word

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
During CNN's town hall event Wednesday, student survivors of the Parkland shooting spoke forcefully and without apology about the need for change to America's gun laws.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I don't know where it will happen next, who it will happen to. Will it be my school? Will it be my classmates? Will it be me? No, I reassure myself, it couldn't be. Right?

There are schools down in the city where a gunshot ringing in the streets is no profound occurrence. The news tells tales of fatal fights and drive-bys daily. There have been eighteen school shootings in seven short weeks, and you don't hesitate to fire back that in most of those cases, no one was even killed. You claim that a gun-inflicted suicide on school grounds isn't really a "school shooting."

But who are we as humans to say that a bullet flying through the window of a high school is no significant event? An accidental misfiring at a university or a third-grader pulling the trigger of an officer's handgun is no news-worthy incident? Have we become so numb as a society to argue these tragic considerations? Are the lives of your own children worth less than your political affiliations?

Let's keep broadcasting and spoon-feeding this country twitter politics and failing promises of a greater America. Because in this day and age, if the game you speak is even larger than your ego, your place in office is secured. If the number of lies you preach matches your entire net worth, the ears of Americans are all yours.

I'm not getting ahead of myself here - the issue of guns in America has always been a political one. This Amendment you hide behind was written 227 years ago - in a time where guns had one singular purpose: to kill. Saying the Second Amendment should still stand true verbatim now just as it did back then, is like saying a newborn has the same needs as a 19 year old. So, since your initiative never seems to actually take action, we, the youth of America, will. Since your words spout fire, hate, and terror, we will spread peace - until peace reigns true. The time to talk about it is now. In the words of Cameron Kasky of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, "you are either with us or against us, we are losing our lives while the adults play around."

You have already shown us it's possible to govern a country from social media, and we as a youth culture understand our opportunity for change is limitless. We are incomparably more ingrained and in tune with the abilities of social media and using the world as our network. We are wiser and more educated than ever before, and our unification is one wall that will actually be built. I will not stand by while my brothers and sisters are being massacred by each other with the guns you handed them. I will not remain quiet while you falsely promise reform. Yes, poor mental health is an issue, but it is one that cannot be solved. A futile fight may be one in which you try to stifle those who are "not right in the head," so instead help decrease the means by which they can acquire these weapons.

I've lived my entire life in this era of school shooting constancy, I've known nothing different. Shame on you, ever-so-wise elders, for doing nothing to show me any better. I am through with complacency: time's up. The future of America is now in the hands of the youth, and we are not quieting down any time soon.

Share this post

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Youth retaliation against gun laws - an open letter to Donald Trump - Webster Journal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I don't know where it will happen next, who it will happen to. Will it be my school? Will it be my classmates? Will it be me? No, I reassure myself, it couldn't be. Right? There are schools down in the city where a gunshot ringing in the streets is no profound occurrence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Something went wrong, but don’t fret — let’s give it another shot.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
President Trump's school safety commission, headed by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, released its report this week on how to keep schools safe - and it met with a mountain of criticism.

The 177-page report offers scores of ways to improve the security at schools, including its suggestion that schools consider arming personnel but advising against increasing the minimum age required for gun purchases.

Perhaps the most prominent piece of the report was the part where the administration said it would rescind an Obama-era effort to reduce racial disparities in school discipline, a move that the National Association of School Psychologists called "potentially harmful" to children (along with the arming of school personnel).

My Washington Post colleague Laura Meckler's article on the commission report quoted Tyah-Amoy Roberts, an 18-year-old senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where 17 people were killed by a gunman last February, as saying: "They're fishing for solutions when the solutions are stricter gun laws."

This post looks at seven things that the commission chose to ignore and ignores new data about America's public schools that will be released in full next month by the American Civil Liberties Union, a national nonprofit organization that works to defend civil rights. This piece was written by Amir Whitaker, an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California who is responsible for legislation focused on education equity and funding,

Whitaker, who has negotiated settlements and policy changes improving the lives of hundreds of thousands of children, taught across multiple educational settings for more than a decade. He has worked as a researcher with the UCLA Civil Rights Project, and has written for Time magazine and other publications.

In 2014, he started "Project KnuckleHead" to inspire vulnerable youth and help them reach their potential through education, music, and art programs. Whitaker is also the board chairman of the Arts for Incarcerated Youth Network, a collaborative of a dozen organizations providing art programming to youth throughout Los Angeles County. He has been a card-carrying member of the ACLU since 2012.
[Teacher to DeVos: Here's what you don't understand about keeping schools safe] By Amir Whitaker
President Trump's school safety commission released a report this week that disregards facts and creates false narratives, ignoring a call from student activists for meaningful gun control and opting instead to push the preposterous narrative of a connection between mass shootings and federal civil rights protections for students of color. Expert organizations like the National Association of School Psychologist have also called the report contradictory and potentially harmful.

The American Civil Liberties Union is publishing a report - which, unlike the commission's, actually takes recent federal data from our 96,000 public schools into account - in January. Meanwhile, here are seven key things the Trump administration's report disregarded relating to the safety, wellness, and civil rights of students.

1. School discipline and arrests are still being used in a discriminatory manner.

Without citing any research aside from cherry-picked comments, the report recommends making schools safer by revoking Obama-era guidance for educators to address historical inequalities in school discipline. As Tom Torlakson, state superintendent of California stated, this is a "misguided recommendation to eliminate a policy that has nothing to do with the continuing tragedy of school shootings-the quest for disciplining students in a proportionate, fair manner."

The commission ignored federal data that reaffirms glaring disparities in discipline against students of color and students with disabilities. A recent report we published with the Civil Rights Project at UCLA's Center for Civil Rights Remedies found students lost over 11 million days of instruction due to suspension in the 2015-16 school year. Black students represented 45 percent of the lost days despite being 15 percent of student nationwide. Research finds suspensions create an opportunity-to-learn gap that contributes to one-fifth the achievement gap. Students of color students receiving harsher discipline compared to their white peers for the same offenses - an issue recently raised by the Government Accountability Office.

Here are related findings from our upcoming report exploring school arrests and referrals to law enforcement. Nationally, students with disabilities made up 12 percent of students but 28 percent of school arrests.

● Nationally, black girls made up 16 percent of the female student population but were 39 percent of girls arrested in school. Black girls were arrested at a rate of 20 per 10,000 - that is four times the rate of white girls (5 per 10,000). In states like North Carolina, Iowa, and Michigan, black girls were more than eight times as likely to be arrested than white girls.

● Nationally, Native American girls had a school arrest rate of 17 per 10,000 or 3.5 times that of white girls. Native American girls were 12 percent of girls in Montana but were 62 percent of female arrests in that state.

● Nationally, black and Latino boys with disabilities were 3 percent of students but were 12 percent of school arrests.

● Referrals to law enforcement increased by 17 percent nationwide. California alone saw a jump from 19,000 to 28,000 law enforcement referrals from 2013-14 to 2015-16.
2. Punitive school discipline worsens school climates and can contribute to school shootings.
In 2007, a 14-year-old student in Cleveland shot four people and killed himself after returning to school "disgruntled after being suspended." After the shooting, the district underwent a comprehensive evaluation of the conditions leading to the tragedy. The findings listed issues like poor school climate and inconsistent approaches to school discipline as contributing factors. This further invalidates the commission's recommended rescission of Obama's evidence-based school discipline guidance is misguided. The ACLU joined more than 150 organizations back in March in a letter calling for the protection of the document anticipating the misguided recession.
3. There's a support staff crisis affecting more than 90 percent of public schools.
The commission failed to adequately address the crisis with millions of students enrolled in schools with insufficient counselors and mental health personnel. School shooters are often victims of bullying and unaddressed social-emotional needs. In a video recorded before the tragedy, the Parkland shooter stated: "I am nothing. I am no one. My life is meaningless. ... I hate everyone and everything."

Our report next month analyzes the data of 96,000 public schools required to report the number of psychologists, social workers, counselors, and nurses for the first time in history. The data reveals that more than 43 percent of students are attending schools without a psychologist. Nationally, there is only one social worker for every 2,106 students. The school counselor data suggests that more than 90 percent of American public schools are failing to meet the student-to-staff ratios recommended by professionals. Nationally, there is only one counselor for every 444 students, compared with the recommended ratio of one counselor for every 250 students. Several states, including Arizona, Michigan and California, have counselor ratios 50 percent higher than the national average and up to three times the recommended caseload. This map reflects the number of states that do not meet the professionally recommended ratio in red.
4. There are more than 14 million students in schools that have police but don't have a counselor, psychologist, social worker or nurse.
Despite the shortage, the federal government is directing funding toward hiring school police instead of counselors. This is troubling, given that research indicates school police do not reduce mass shootings and instead contribute to less inclusive school climates.

Our forthcoming report also analyzes the presence of police and security in schools across states. We compared the number of police and security guards with school-based mental health providers, and found that roughly 25 percent of schools in Washington, D.C., reported a cop but no counselor.

In California, there were twice as many police in schools than social workers. California also reported more security guards than school nurses. Despite the commission's recommendation, schools should stray away from using chain saws to slice bread. We are only a few months into the school year, and there are already viral videos of school police repeatedly slamming students or arresting them for dress code violations.

What do these numbers say about how we invest in our children?

5. There were more than 290,000 school arrests and referrals to law enforcement reported in the 2015-16 school year.
The presence of law enforcement on campus without adequate support staff to address the mental, social-emotional, and behavioral health needs is a recipe for disaster. Our report found schools with police had an arrest rate 3.5 times higher than schools without law enforcement (21 per 10,000 students, compared with 6 per 10,000). When schools are equipped with hammers, they see nails. I have represented students arrested for food fights, throwing staplers, and other behavior that would not have been criminalized without law enforcement in schools. The ACLU's 2017 Bullies in Blue report explored the harmful impact of school police on broken window discipline, student privacy rights, and abuse, citing dozens of cases across the country.
6. Toxic masculinity and racial bigotry also contribute to school shootings.
We know mass shooters often have a robust history of violence against women. The Santa Fe shooter targeted his ex-girlfriend as one of the first victims in his attack. The Parkland shooter was reportedly abusive to his ex-girlfriend. He also called her boyfriend [pejorative names for African Americans, Hispanics and homosexuals] and attempted to stab him. In a 1989 tragedy that remains one of the largest school shootings in U.S. history, a man " full of hate " toward Asians shot 37 children at an elementary school in California.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, white men were responsible for 71 percent of extremist-related deaths in America over the last 10 years. The perpetrators of high-profile school shootings over the past few decades have been exclusively white male students. These obvious and problematic trends were absent from the commission's report. President Trump himself has bragged about sexually assaulting women and campaigned on an openly racist platform.
7. Most of the school shootings the federal government reported this year never happened.
A month after forming the Federal Commission on School Safety, the Department of Education reported that nearly 240 school shootings occurred in the 2015-16 school year. Everytown Research, which compiles school shooting news articles, found that less than 30 school shootings appeared in the media during the 2015-16 school year. The ACLU followed up with schools individually, and nearly 140 of them confirmed federal reporting was erroneous. Our research was corroborated and cited in an NPR investigation. The government inflated the number of school shootings by the hundreds, and the commission failed to correct the number in its report.

Truth has to be at the center of the school safety debate. Lies and misinformation cannot be used to distract the public from calls to confront gun violence. Today's schoolchildren are experiencing record levels of depression and anxiety alongside multiple forms of trauma. The year 2018 has reminded us that the unmet needs of students can result in tragic crisis.

It is time to focus on the disease instead of the symptoms. Schools need counselors, not cops.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Analysis | Schools need counselors, not guns -- and 6 other key things Trump's safety commission did not seriously address

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
President Trump's school safety commission, headed by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, released its report this week on how to keep schools safe - and it met with a mountain of criticism. The 177-page report offers scores of ways to improve the security at schools, including its suggestion that schools consider arming personnel but advising against increasing the minimum age required for gun purchases.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Several media outlets reported this week about a Florida school that is selling bulletproof backpack inserts to their students for $120 each. Let that sink in a minute - we are now at a point in our society where bullet proof gear is considered a school necessity. There is so much that could be discussed here - from the societal ills that result in mass shootings on a regular basis, to the potentially exploitive practice of preying on a parent's worst fears to sell products. Oh, and then there's the possibility that these inserts most likely will not keep students any safer, regardless of the motivation for selling them.

Instead, let's talk about the allocation of financial resources in this direction (forgiving the insensitive pun), what gives the biggest bang for the buck to keep a classroom full of kids safe? First, we need to do the math: 25 students at $120 per bulletproof insert = $3,000 available for classroom safety.

The bulletproof insert is specifically designed for one possible event - an active shooter - and is limited (to say the least) in its application. The student needs to be able to access their backpack in the event and must know how to use the backpack as a shield. So, for $3,000 we have a marginal solution to a single statistically unlikely problem.

For that same $3,000 we could provide training - and lots of it. We could directly train every person in the classroom in the five FEMA recommended response protocols - evacuation, reverse evacuation, lockdown, shelter in place, and drop, cover, hold. These five protocols can be employed in virtually every possible crisis event from an earthquake to a non-custodial parent to an active shooter.

But there's still money left. Then we could provide more direct training to the teacher and aide in this classroom. First aid, CPR, and AED training would give these adults the lifesaving skills necessary to treat the variety of injuries and medical events that schools face almost daily.

But wait, there's more - our money buys us still more training. Students, staff, and parents can be trained in lockdown enhancements and options, including active shooter training, that will give them the capacity to employ the recommended FEMA/DHS protocol of "run, hide, fight". The ability to rapidly evacuate and/or barricade to deny the gunman access is crucial to surviving an active shooter event.

Finally, we'll use the balance of our $3,000 to prevent, not just respond to violence. Threat assessment management training allows schools to identify, assess, and manage individuals who may pose a threat of violence to themselves or others BEFORE an incident occurs. Strategic supervision practices provide teachers with the means to identify, prevent, and remediate potential violence or misbehavior. Assessing and improving school climate and culture has a proven track record of preventing violence AND increasing academic achievement.

Education is a people business - let's stop buying stuff and invest in people to keep our students safe. I bet your bullet-proof insert can't do that...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bulletproof Backpacks or Bang for the Buck?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Several media outlets reported this week about a Florida school that is selling bulletproof backpack inserts to their students for $120 each. Let that sink in a minute - we are now at a point in our society where bullet proof gear is considered a school necessity.

# data[].attributes.body
See below for a picture of the poem if you can' access it via this link.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
This Poem From a Florida Shooting Survivor Is Going Viral

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Samantha Deitsch writes about hiding in a closet after the gunfire erupted at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

# data[].attributes.body
Be selective with this one. Some are more useful than others. Remember the idea is that you need to be able to use ideas from the texts you analyse in your own work.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
US News is a recognized leader in college, grad school, hospital, mutual fund, and car rankings. Track elected officials, research health conditions, and find news you can use in politics, business, health, and education.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In the wake of last week's deadly shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school that left 17 people dead, students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have taken to the airwaves and social media to demand tighter gun laws. Their advocacy and anger serve as a stark new facet in the all-too-familiar routine following mass shootings in the U.S.

The students say they will organize and march to hold lawmakers who take money from the National Rifle Association accountable. David Hogg, Alex Wind, Emma Gonzalez, Cameron Kasky and Jacqueline Coren joined us to discuss the shooting, their plans for a march on Washington and what kind of legislation they want to see passed in the wake of the shooting.

The following is a transcript of the interview with the students that aired Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018, on "Face the Nation."

NANCY CORDES: Joining me now are five students from Parkland, Florida who attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. They are David Hogg, Alex Wind and Emma Gonzalez, plus Cameron Kasky and Jacqueline Coren. Thanks so much to all of you for joining me and Cameron, I'll start with you. You say the adults have let you down.

CAMERON KASKY: Well, the adults in office have let us down. Absolutely. And fortunately we have a lot of support from the older generations here, but what we're trying to do here March for Our Lives is say, the adult politicians have been playing around while my generation has been losing our lives. If you see how they treat each other in the office, if you see the nasty, dirty things going on with them, it's- it's sad to think that that's what they're doing while seventeen people are being slaughtered, gunned down only yards away from where we're sitting right now. And March for Our Lives has support from everybody. And at the end of the day this isn't a red and blue thing. This isn't Democrats or Republicans. This is about everybody and how we are begging for our lives and we are getting support. But we need to make real change here and that's exactly what we're going to do.

NANCY CORDES: So, Emma, what is the plan? You say you want to spark a national movement. It's one thing to talk about it. It's another thing to actually make it happen. What are you going to do.

EMMA GONZALEZ: Well what we have set up right now we have a website, March for Our Lives. We're going to be doing a march in March on Washington where we get students all over the country are going to be joining us. These kids are going to make this difference because the adults let us down. And at this point I don't even know if the adults in power who are funded by the NRA I don't even think we need them anymore because they're going to be gone by midterm election. There's-- there's barely any time for them to save their skins. And if they don't turn around right now and state their open support for this movement they're going to be left behind. Because you are either with us or against us at this point.

CAMERON KASKY: We are giving a lot of the politicians that we feel neglected by a clean slate because that's the past and we understand that. But from here on, we are creating a badge of shame for any politicians who are accepting money from the NRA. It is a special interest group that has most certainly not our best interests in mind. And this cannot be the normal. This can be changed and it will be changed. And anybody who tells you that it can't, is buying into the facade of this being created by the people who have our blood on their hands.

NANCY CORDES: David, a lot of people saw the reporting that you did from inside the school while the shooting was taking place and I'm truly sorry that that all of you had to live through that. But I want to read to you what President Trump said last night. He said that it's actually the Democrats that have let you down because they didn't pass legislation when they controlled Congress. Does he have a point?

DAVID HOGG: President Trump you control the House of Representatives. You control the Senate and you control the executive. You haven't taken a single bill for mental health care or gun control and passed it. And that's pathetic. We've seen a government shutdown. We've seen tax reform but nothing to save our children's lives. Are you kidding me. You think now is the time to focus on the past and not the future to prevent the death of thousands of other children. You sicken me.

NANCY CORDES: So what kinds of laws do all of you think should be on the books that aren't right now?

DAVID HOGG: Well what I think needs to be on the books right now that isn't is literally any law that's from either side of the political spectrum. If you're a Republican that supports mental health care we want you out there making your voice heard because that's just as important as gun control or gun safety laws at this point because Democrats also want gun safety rules and we can't get into any more debates. We need discussion. We've had the debates and people have died as a result children have died and will continue to if we don't stop now and look at both sides of this because we can't wait around any longer. Children are dying as a result. And we need to take action. And I call on President Trump and the Republican controlled House and Senate and Executive Branch to work together, get some bills passed and stop taking money from the NRA because children are dying and so is the future of America as a result.

CAMERON KASKY: And I just want to say something I've heard a lot is the word gun rights and that has the connotation that we are trying to strip people of their rights. Well first of all, we have the right to live. And second of all here at March for Our Lives at least for me. We don't want to take the guns away from Americans. My father is a police officer. He has guns and I understand that having concealed weapons is good for protecting yourself. But an AR 15 is not needed to protect your house from robbers. It's not needed to hunt bears, an AR 15 is a weapon of war and a 19 year old who is mentally challenged and has problems was able to buy an AR 15 easily. We don't want to disarm America. We want to make America have to work for their weapons. And we have to make sure that everybody who has this kind of power in their hands has been cleared to have it. Because if Nikolas Cruz had gone through five minutes with any medical professional they would have said this person does not need an AR 15. This person needs a counselor and 17 people would not have needed graves.

NANCY CORDES: Alex, your own Senator Marco Rubio says that more gun laws won't do anything. That anyone who wants to commit violence is going to find a way to get a gun.

ALEX WIND: If you think that, Senator Rubio, then change the way it's easier to get a gun. OK? If you think it's too easy to get a gun to do something about it make it not easier to get a gun. March 24th on the March for our Lives is only the beginning. This is the first march. But I can guarantee it will not be the last. We will be marching for the 17 we lost at our school. We will be marching for everyone we lost at the Newtown Sandy Hook shooting, at Columbine, at Virginia Tech in San Bernardino, Orlando at the Pulse shooting and at Las Vegas. This is only the beginning and March 24th things are going to change.

CAMERON KASKY: It's not our job to tell you, Senator Rubio, how to protect us. The fact that we even have to do this is appalling. Our job is to go to school, learn and not take a bullet. You need to figure this out. That's why you were unfortunately elected. Your job is to protect us and our blood is on your hands.

NANCY CORDES: Well, I know that millions of people are watching to see where you take this movement. You've already got tens of thousands of followers online. And we'll be watching to see if you're able to change a pretty entrenched political dynamic here in Washington. Thank you so much, to the five of you, for joining us today.

DAVID HOGG: Thanks for having us.

CAMERON KASKY: Thank you.

NANCY CORDES: And we'll be right back.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Transcript: Florida school shooting survivors on "Face the Nation," Feb. 18, 2018

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the wake of last week's deadly shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school that left 17 people dead, students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have taken to the airwaves and social media to demand tighter gun laws. Their advocacy and anger serve as a stark new facet in the all-too-familiar routine following mass shootings in the U.S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Transcript of "Why gun violence can't be our new normal"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TED Talk Subtitles and Transcript: It doesn't matter whether you love or hate guns; it's obvious that the US would be a safer place if there weren't thousands of them sold every day without background checks.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Donald Trump has said he will consider a proposal to arm school teachers in an attempt to prevent mass shootings, a move certain to prove fiercely divisive.

The US president, holding a listening session at the White House with survivors of last week's Florida school shooting and others affected by gun violence, claimed that allowing airline pilots to carry and conceal guns had demonstrated the measure could be a success.

"It only works when you have people very adept at using firearms, of which you have many," Trump said during an emotionally searing session on Wednesday that, extraordinarily, was broadcast live on national television. "It would be teachers and coaches."

Referring to Aaron Feis, a football coach who used his body as a shield to protect a student during the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, the president continued: "If the coach had a firearm in his locker when he ran at this guy - that coach was very brave, saved a lot of lives, I suspect.

Julia Cordover, the student body president at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School wipes away tears during a listening session hosted by Donald Trump at the White House. Photograph: Xinhua / Barcroft Images

"But if he had a firearm, he wouldn't have had to run, he would have shot him, and that would have been the end of it. This would only obviously be for people who are very adept at handling a gun. It's called concealed carry, where a teacher would have a concealed gun on them. They'd go for special training and they would be there and you would no longer have a gun-free zone. Gun-free zone to a maniac, because they're all cowards, a gun-free zone is: 'Let's go in and let's attack, because bullets aren't coming back at us'."

Trump added: "An attack has lasted, on average, about three minutes. It takes five to eight minutes for responders, for the police to come in, so the attack is over. If you had a teacher who was adept at firearms, they could very well end the attack very quickly."

Trump says arming teachers with concealed weapons could prevent school massacres - video

Knowledge of this would act as a deterrent to a would-be attacker, Trump claimed. "You know, a lot of people don't understand that airline pilots now, a lot of them carry guns, and I have to say that things have changed a lot. People aren't attacking the way they would routinely attack and maybe you would have the same situation in schools."

The president asked for a show of hands in the room over the proposal: some were in favour, others were against. "We can understand both sides and certainly it's controversial," he acknowledged, promising to discuss it seriously.

It emerged after the shooting at Parkland that there was an armed security guard on site but he did not get the chance to engage the gunman, Nikolas Cruz, on the sprawling campus. In May 2016, during the presidential election, Trump tweeted: "Crooked Hillary [Clinton] said that I want guns brought into the school classroom. Wrong!"

Donald Trump with notes during a listening session with high school students and teachers at the White House on Wednesday. Photograph: Carolyn Kaster/AP

Nicole Hockley, whose six-year-old son Dylan died at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, spoke out against the idea of arming teachers. "It's not personally something that I support. Rather than arming them with a firearm, I would rather arm them with the knowledge of how to prevent these acts from happening in the first place," she told Trump.

Safety assessments programmes and interventions for troubled children are vital, she added. "Let's talk about prevention. There is so much that we can do to help people before it reaches that point, and I urge you please stay focused on that as well. It is the gun, it's the person behind the gun and it's about helping people before they ever reach that point."

Earlier during the session in the state dining room, where some speakers were tearful but composed as they recalled their experiences, Hockley also issued a challenge to the president. "This is not difficult," she told him. "These deaths are preventable. And I implore you: consider your own children. You don't want to be me. No parent does."

During the meeting Trump also asserted that he would be "very strong" on background checks for gun buyers as well as mental health issues. He sat in the middle of a semi-circle listening intently as six survivors of last week's shooting and bereaved parents from Parkland, Columbine, and Sandy Hook took turns to address him.

Crooked Hillary said that I want guns brought into the school classroom. Wrong!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 22, 2016

Sam Zeif, 18, a Parkland student whose text messages with his brother during last week's shooting went viral, fought back tears as he told Trump: "I turned 18 the day after. Woke up to the news that my best friend was gone. I don't understand why I can still go in a store and buy a weapon of war, an AR. I was reading today that a person 20 years old walked into a store and bought an AR-15 in five minutes with an expired ID. How is it that easy to buy this type of weapon? How are we not stopping this after Columbine, after Sandy Hook, sitting with a mother that lost her son? It's still happening."

Andrew Pollack, whose 18-year-old daughter Meadow was killed at Stoneman Douglas, reflected the candid anger of many when he took the microphone. "We're here because my daughter has no voice - she was murdered last week, shot nine times," he said. "How many schools, how many children have to get shot? It stops here, with this administration and me."

Pollack, his voice rising with raw emotion, added: "It should have been one school shooting, and we should have fixed it, and I'm pissed because my daughter, I'm not going to see again."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Trump's solution to school shootings: arm teachers with guns

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
'It is the gun, it's the person behind the gun and it's about helping people before they ever reach that point,' said a mother whose son died at Sandy Hook elementary

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Yesenia Herrera, a first grade teacher in Boston, has undergone training that helps teachers assess when they should flee, lock down or try to fight back during an attack.

However, she said she does not think teachers should be armed, a subject that's been hotly debated in the wake of the Parkland, Florida massacre. As part of his strategy to deter more school shootings, President Donald Trump has said he wants around 20 percent of the most "gun adept" teachers to be armed.

Trump tweet

"I'm not a soldier," Herrera told CNBC recently, a sentiment voiced by a number of teachers around the country who are nervous about having weapons in the classroom. "I can't even imagine myself being a soldier . . . I picture myself getting my kids out of there or hidden."

Yet Trump's proposal is perhaps easier tweeted than done. Putting guns in the hands of teachers is a concept that's widely opposed by educators like Herrera, and very costly to boot.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are nearly 3.6 million teachers in America. That makes arming masses of teachers difficult at best - or as a Brookings Institution report put it recently, "entirely impractical" at worst.

Cost is just one reason why some analysts feel arming teachers isn't feasible. Recently, Brookings analyst Michael Hansen put the price tag at an "extremely conservative" estimate of $650 million, or nearly $1,000 per teacher annually.

A key element is the training each teacher would need to wield a weapon. The price of getting a permit varies greatly from state to state, running as little as $10 in some states - or over $100 in others.

In a comprehensive analysis last month, The Washington Post found that under certain scenarios, training and arming U.S. teachers could cost as little as $43 million, or as much as $1 billion.

Regardless of the cost, a growing number of teachers appear uncomfortable with having guns in the classroom based on principle. In a recent survey, the National Education Association showed an overwhelming majority of educators oppose the idea.

"A teacher's job as an educator is to nurture, uplift and inspire," Tommy Chang, superintendent of Boston Public Schools, told CNBC in a recent interview. "The thought that teachers should be armed in order to ward off violence is utterly illogical and will result in making our students and teachers less safe."

William Hayes, who used to work at New Mission High School in Boston and now is the principal at Mastery High School in Camden, New Jersey, said he got into education because he has a passion for young people.

He wanted to have an impact on the future leaders of this country, and that vision didn't involve using a weapon.

"Teachers are already asked to do a lot," Hayes told CNBC, raising concerns about where the funding would come from. "We play many roles . . . we are not equipped to provide teachers with guns."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How many teachers feel about arming themselves in schools - especially when it could cost billions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Yesenia Herrera, a first grade teacher in Boston, has undergone training that helps teachers assess when they should flee, lock down or try to fight back during an attack. However, she said she does not think teachers should be armed, a subject that's been hotly debated in the wake of the Parkland, Florida massacre.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
One of the Florida school shooting survivors leading a movement that has already gotten Florida gun laws changed tells 60 Minutes why arming teachers in the classroom is "stupid." Emma Gonzalez and her mother Beth speak to Sharyn Alfonsi for a segment to be broadcast on 60 Minutes on Sunday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT.

"Now all a sudden they have $400 million to pay for teachers to get trained to arm themselves? Really?"

An excerpt of the report appeared on CBS This Morning, Friday. A transcript of that excerpt is below.

ALFONSI: What do you think about this issue of arming teachers?

GONZALEZ: It's stupid.

ALFONSI: Why?

GONZALEZ: First of all, they have-- Douglas ran out of paper for, like, two weeks in the school year, and now all a sudden they have $400 million to pay for teachers to get trained to arm themselves? Really? Really? If you have-- if you're a teacher and you have a gun, do you keep it in a lockbox or do you carry it on your person? If the teacher dies and the-- and a student who's a good student is able to get the gun are they now held responsible to shoot the student who's come into the door? I'm not happy with that.

Emma's mother Beth watched as her daughter became one of the most recognizable faces in one of the most polarizing debates in the country.

GONZALEZ: I'm terrified. It's like she built herself a pair of wings out of balsa wood and duct tape and jumped off a building. And we're just, like, running along beneath her with a net, which she doesn't want or think that she needs, you know?

ALFONSI: What is happening to her life?

BETH: It's insane. Somebody said-- you know, "Please tell Emma we're behind her," which I appreciate. But we should have been in front of her, I should've been in front of her. We're all adults, we should have dealt with this 20 years ago.

ALFONSI: It's a lot to ask of these kids.

BETH: Well they're asking it of themselves, but some adults are saying, you go girl, you changed the law. And I'm like, well, what are we doing?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Stoneman Douglas student tells 60 Minutes why arming teachers is "stupid"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
One of the Florida school shooting survivors leading a movement that has already gotten Florida gun laws changed tells 60 Minutes why arming teachers in the classroom is "stupid." Emma Gonzalez and her mother Beth speak to Sharyn Alfonsi for a segment to be broadcast on 60 Minutes on Sunday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Grand Rapids psychologist says gun control debate 'has been overly politicized'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- For many people, mental health is the core issue when it comes to the gun control debate. A psychologist in Grand Rapids says the debate over school shootings seems to fall along political lines. "One of the most frustrating things is that this has been overly politicized," says Dr. Jared Skillings, psychologist at Spectrum Medical Group.