Freedom implies risk - Settlers 101

It is rather interesting that right-wing conservatives have been quoting Benjamin Franklin for decades regarding the gun control debate, yet only now are we starting to understand his words. Franklin is quoted as having said, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

This morning I found an article on CNN titled, They led a national march. Now Parkland students return to a school they say ‘feels like jail’ (Andone, 2018)* and in that article students are quoted as saying the security measures feel “like being punished” and the school “feels like jail.” For the record, a new regulation in Broward County requires clear backpacks only, each student must wear a school-issued ID, entrance to the school is restricted to a few specific locations, and the Florida Highway Patrol will provide additional security.

Kids, let me tell you, it sounds to me like life has hit you square between the eyes. Most jobs require some sort of employee safety and most employers with intellectual property require increasingly strict security measures. I can’t even enter my building without an electronic ID badge and passcode, and I am required to check in with security when entering and leaving. Every article in my possession is subject to search and seizure per company guidelines. If I don’t agree, I can surrender my ID and my paycheck and find another job that doesn’t require such safety measures.

It is called trading liberty for security and adults do it every day of their lives.

Besides, Parkland students demanded action. They demanded safer schools – it was shortsightedness and lies that led them to believe the quickest, most appropriate response would be gun control. While that may still happen, the immediate and most effective means to secure the school is through the loss of liberties and institution of strict control measures.

So while Franklin argued they “deserve neither Liberty nor Safety,” at least they get safety.

* Andone, D. (2018, April 2). They led a national march. Now Parkland students return to a school they say ‘feels like jail.’ CNN. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/01/us/parkland-florida-students-return-school/index.html