Violence in Our Schools

Shortly after the Los Angeles "riots" somebody had the bright idea of putting metal detectors in all the schools and having security guards go around spot checking kids for weapons. Our D.E.M.M.O. Productions team (Digital Engineering for Mutli-Media Occupations), made up of "at-risk" youth, was asked by the administration to make a video exploring the need for metal detectors and other security measures and this was the result. Since many of our students were gang kids they did a good job of simulating a knife fight on campus for the camera. But we all ultimately disagreed with the security measures depicted in the film. Rather than putting more fences around the school we felt it was better to tear the fences down and make the school a voluntary campus -- it was never clear whether security was there to keep "bad guys" out, or to lock us all in... all we knew is that inner city schools feel like prisons, so of course prison behavior becomes the self fulfilling prophecy. As Pink Floyd sang, "tear down the wall!!!"

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Violence
• in
• schools
• metal
• detectors
• security
• state
• prisons
• inner-city
• ghettoes
• gangs

[tculhane]

What were you looking for, whi0019, "real violence"? Just come down to south central L.A. and try to make a difference yourself, okay? Get involved, see if you can "set up" situations in which real enemies "role play" their differences in order to make real progress toward solving them like we did. "Set up" indeed!

[tculhane]

Of course it was "set up" whi0019! You don't think we would sit around and film a real knife fight or gang violence and do nothing, do you? What is important is that the REAL gang kids in the video MADE the video. They did it to let the world know the problems they face every day in the hood. What we don't understand is why so many youtube visitors leave nasty comments instead of helpful comments.

[dannydxl1]

We are getting metal detectors in our schools after a knife crime spree in my town and all around Britain pretty much.

[whi0019]

set up