America, We're Better Than This!

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” - Margaret J. Wheatley

Everyday, when I arrive at work, I go through the same sobering routine. At the door to my room, the key goes in the lock and a quarter turn to the right gives me access. With the key still in the lock, I open the door just enough. Then, a half turn of the wrist locks the door from the outside and provides the first line of security needed for the day ahead. It’s a simple thing to do physically, but mentally, it’s a moment to pause and remind myself that this could be the day that we come under attack.

I’m about to finish my twentieth year as a high school teacher. This week, a student made a threat to “shoot up” the school on social media. District leaders had to make the decision to close our doors for the day so the local police could have the time needed to investigate. For us, it was a day to be reminded of the sad fact that, as much as we would like to believe that school shootings only happen in other places or are just another head shaking segment of the news programs we watch, that we are not immune from the possibility of violence reaching our own door.?

Fortunately, the police department in our community did exceptional work and the suspect was quickly identified and apprehended. The threat was mitigated and we returned to school. The first students I interact with each day are ninth graders. They are new to the high school environment and, after asking them how they were feeling about what happened, I shared something that I always share whenever we are talking about school safety. I reminded them that they are the first line of defense in that they are often the first to hear or see something that might indicate that someone intends to do us all harm. The fact that someone “saw something and said something” kept us safe in this instance. I reminded them that safety is most present in a community.?

?“Circle the Wagons” is an English language idiom that has its origins in the defensive practices of 19th century Americans that were migrating to the west. The act of forming their covered wagons in a tight circle around their chosen overnight camping spot has often been associated with their intention to defend themselves against the threat of assault from Native Americans. Upon further study though, this may not be entirely true. Old-western movies seemed to prefer that depiction of the strategy, but history suggests that assembling the wagons this way was more likely designed to keep valuable livestock safely inside the circle. Regardless of whether organizing in this way was a means of defending against an external threat or keeping something valuable inside, the lesson here remains the same: security is found through community.

The symbol of a circle endures as a representation of an unbroken bond between two or more people. It’s why we wear wedding rings. For a school community to remain safe, its members must be “circled up” and on watch for potential threats. It’s our first line of defense against a violence that has become all too common; it comes even before a locked door. Whether it be to defend against an outside attack from hate and fear or to safely hold love and hope inside, being communal is essential to our survival. But, this isn’t just true in our schools. It’s something we need to regain as a country. To be a community needs to mean more than to be “a group of people living in the same place”. To be in community and restore some sense of safety in this nation, we have to regain “the feeling of having a fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals.” I just hope and pray that we won’t need to suffer an attack from some terrible external force to remind us that what we have in common is far more important than the disagreements that stem from our differences. If our community remains fractured by fear and hate, we will remain vulnerable. However, if we can rediscover the hope and love that our community was founded upon, we will regain our strength.?

Love to Lead. Lead With Love.?

This essay was written by Blair Albright