> "The American people have traditionally viewed the classroom as a revered sanctuary that should not be sullied by any form of negative influences either of an

> "The American people have traditionally viewed the classroom as a revered sanctuary that should not be sullied by any form of negative influences either of an external or internal nature," it says. "Regrettably the safeguards which were initially put into place to protect the sanctity of the classroom didn't evolve with our dramatically changing society." These days, it's rare to find a quote in traditional media that directly and succinctly addresses the main issue in an honest fashion. The religious language being used is especially revealing: "revered" American "sanctuaries" have been defiled, and the "sanctity of the classroom" has been compromised. To address sins of this magnitude, the high priests of the Church of Safety at All Costs are willing to go to any lengths, including hiring former Secret Service personnel to train teachers, strap students into military grade armor, and lobby for armed guards at the entrance to every school. > "It's like you find life jackets on ships or planes in case they go down," he says. "It's no different to having a seatbelt in a car." Presently, only a few schools have taken it this far. But the cavalier attitude with which they are able to discuss these changes shows the degree to which America has accepted its post-9/11 militarization. Bulletproof vests for children are now thought of as no different than seat belts or life jackets. People spend so much time and money preparing for the astronomically low probability that their child will be involved in a school shooting or a terrorist attack, yet I routinely see parents do things like talk on their cell phone while driving their kids around town. Or buy their kid a car at 16 without making sure they know how to drive it well. Or not allow their children to get a flu shot because vaccines are dangerous and/or a conspiracy. These parents are subjecting their children to a subtle, prolonged form of psychological abuse. They are teaching them to be afraid of basic activities in life instead of equipping them to honestly and objectively prepare for realistic risks. They are not maximizing the safety of their children, they are minimizing their own fear. It's time we stopped conflating well-intentioned parents with good parents, because the road to a needlessly militarized world devoid of personal rights and privacy is paved with their good intentions.