Vetspective: Uvalde exemplifies our adult-centric society – We must change it

2022-06-09T09:33:16-04:00

I did an extreme act of courage this morning.

I put my 9 and 11 year old kids on the bus to go to school.

When this simple activity is situated within the context of the recent and horrific violence in Uvalde, Texas that resulted in the deaths of at least 21 people, including 19 children in the 4th grade, one can clearly see why sending kids to school has become an act of courage.

Indeed, given the consistent violence at schools across the United States, we can see that parents have been continuously engaged in extreme acts of courage – today, tomorrow, next week, and beyond.

But is it about us – the adults?

The courage I speak of is actually carried out by our kids.

Why?

Because they live in an adult-centric society.

At first blush, this would appear to be obvious. Adults work; they pay the bills; they run organizations that make our society go. Why should it not be an adult-centric society? This is the mentality that permeates every aspect of our society, culture, and the way it is organized.

COVID: Adults get their vaccines first.

Education: Adults get back to work first.

School shootings: Adults get their rights and security first.

And the list goes on…

The policies, practices, procedures, and norms of our society favor adults over children. What this does is transfer the risk from the adults to our children – from COVID, to education, to security.

In fact, I am guilty of living “adult-centric.” I transferred risk to my children as I put them on the bus in the wake of Uvalde mass-casualty event. I walked them to the bus stop, watched them get on the bus, smiled and waved as the bus went off without knowing the risk to their security or risk mitigation measures underway at their school – in essence suggesting: “I hope it goes well at your ‘adult-centric’ school because I have to get on with my ‘adult-centric day.’”

I fear our children will continue to bear the brunt of an adult-centric society because they are not part of the political or policymaking process. Without children moving from the periphery to the focal point of our political system by adults, their voice will continue to go unheard and their needs will remain unmet by society.

So, what would a kid-centric, “next gen” society look like?

It would start with the basic premise that the best way to secure our “adult future” is to do so through our children. By focusing on the stability, education, welfare, and opportunities for our children, adults will rapidly recognize the value back to them.

Our country and society would be more prosperous and more harmonious because we will be more focused on the future rather than the moment or even the past.

Our moral compass would be renewed because we will be focused on those who are among the most vulnerable rather than among the least.

And our future would be more secure because we will be supporting those with the longer productive future rather than the shorter.

Above all, a “next gen” centric society that puts our youth first in politics, policy, economics, and beyond will make our society more just. Indeed, I believe a focus on kids would actually translate into a focus on the most vulnerable across all of society.

This is the type of country I want to be part of.

And I know it’s the kind of country the children of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas would have wanted to be part of.

Sadly, they were not.

Alex Gallo is the author of “Vetspective,” a RallyPoint series that discusses national security, foreign policy, politics, and society. Alex also is a visiting fellow with George Mason University’s National Security Institute, an adjunct professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University, and a US Army Veteran. Follow him on Twitter at @AlexGalloCMP.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Jun 9 at 2022 10:31 AM

2022-06-09T10:31:20-04:00

A fair and well presented opinion but (you saw that coming, didn't you?) have you considered...
If this is an adult-centric nation, why are children encouraged to forgo growing up? We see it all around us. Children are encouraged by government policies to remain under the care of their parents. Their healthcare insurance coverage remains (by government dictate) subsidized by their parents. Their teachers, all of them k-12 and into college and post graduate school, indoctrinate them into the comforts of socialism in which they resign adult rights and responsibilities, in essence prolonging childhood to the grave with government remaining in loco parentis throughout their lives.
And how are children responding to all of this? Again, it's obvious. Many avoid traditional social intercourse (some even sexual intercourse) as well as marriage. As for parenthood, forget it! Who wants all that responsibility. However, for those who fall into parenthood accidentally, fear not. The government will happily step in and take care of those responsibilities for you.
Thus, to me, we live in a child-centric nation.
Regardless, adult-centric or child-centric, what effect would either have on crime?
First, we have to agree that all murder is a crime. Mass shootings. School shootings. Hate shootings. All are murder if the victim dies and all are crimes. Why then don't we discuss them as crime issues? I suspect because crime isn't politically expedient.
I'm going to keep my response briefer than your initial posting. There is much more to be said, but I'd prefer participating in a dialog as opposed to ranting...

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Jun 9 at 2022 4:22 PM

2022-06-09T16:22:53-04:00

CPT Alex Gallo Putting a child on a bus is not an extreme act of courage. There have been something like 150 kids killed in school shootings... Since the turn of the century.

150 kids in 20+ years. Out of millions upon MILLIONS each and every year. The odds of a kid being killed at school in any given year is something like 1 in a million.

If facing down a 1 in a million chance is an "extreme act of courage," then I hate to think of you as a former Officer. I shudder to think what risk management looked like when you were planning training. Or, Gods forbid, ACTUAL real world operations.

Also, if you placed your kids on that bus with no clue what their school looked like, you are just plain negligent. Don't blame society for your negligence.

Yes, we live in an adult-centric society. Because adults make the decisions. Why? Because kids, in general, are neither smart enough nor rational enough to make them. We discuss having "adults in the room" when serious things need to happen. Why is this a bad thing?

*If* the adults are doing their jobs, then this adult-centric society is planning for the future, by focusing on the now. We are not just planning for our children. We are planning for their children. And their children's children. But we can't realistically plan for that future without looking at the now.

Of course, most of the adults in this adult-centric society are too busy acting like kids, with me-first attitudes and whining about feelings, rather than embracing the suck and doing what needs to be done, no matter how painful or how many feelings are hurt. So while this adult-centric society *should be* focused on the future - as responsible adults would be - we have a bunch of kids running the show and only worried about what makes *them* happy *now*.

Your rose-colored pie in the sky philosophy feels good and briefs well. But it solves nothing, and serves only as a distraction.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 9 at 2022 9:39 PM

2022-06-09T21:39:42-04:00

I can understand where he is coming from:
In 2020 twice as many people were killed by schools busses than were killed in school shootings.

The most dangerous time of my kids' school day is during drop off, and pick up in the school parking lot. The placed is swarmed with distracted parents with little ones shorter than the common driver's field of view.

I'm constantly on the defensive. I have to unseat the oldest one first (by way of simply having to trust he won't walk into traffic while I unseat the younger one). I constantly harp on them to stay in arm's reach of the car (not to cross the white parking space lines). Only when BOTH are in my hand do I attempt the migration across the parking lot. I'm keen to ensure EYE CONTACT with the drivers around me while I have my kids in tow.

I absolutely do NOT stop walking when in the middle of the lanes of movement. If one of them drops something "it's gone" (I might get it on the way back), but we do NOT STOP MOVEMENT in lanes of traffic.

FINALLY I make it to the school gate, and they both get temperature checked. Both of them oblivious that walking around a parking lot is much as similar like waking around a live fire training range with a bunch of privates. All it takes is one driver to put their foot completely down on the gas and plow over a bunch of people. Just as easy as pulling a trigger.

My day is not done. I now have to get myself out of the parking lot without crushing anyone. I can only hope parents maintain positive control of their hyper kids. I do my best, and always park far away in a manner to ensure I have 360 space around my car to minimize the chances of a little one walking into my blind spot when their parent is distracted.

I can imagine getting on a school bus is just as nerve-racking.

https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/road-users/school-bus/
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/school-shootings-this-year-how-many-and-where/2020/01

School Bus Crashes - Injury Facts

School bus crashes killed 54 people nationwide in 2020, down over 50% compared to 2019 according to National Safety Council (NSC) tabulations.

Response by PV2 Kristie Wyant-Byington made Jun 10 at 2022 8:06 AM

2022-06-10T08:06:04-04:00

To change it: get government out of our lives. That door, usually locked, was left propped open. He headed straight to it too. He wasn't "searching around" for entry. He went straight to it. Less government involvement equals A FAIR life, equality, rights & freedoms. Govern yourself, teach children the same & one needs no "governance". Stop encouraging this. 2A attacks won't work either. Using my children as pawns...they know my answer. I'll hunt the person down, or do so in front of me, but make sure I'm next or you are. Those born before 9/11 should still feel the same. Those who knew of the 70s terrorist threats should feel the same. But...Obama bowed, scraped & simpered so we must all now? Stop letting terrorists win. And allowing children a voice is fine, but not teaching critical THINKING any longer...are they coherent enough?

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Jun 11 at 2022 8:24 AM

2022-06-11T08:24:01-04:00

All I see at Uvalde is a complete failure of the Public Safety(AKA Police) system to respond in an adequate and timely manner. The shooter had crashed his truck and was shooting OUTSIDE the school for 17 minutes and there was no attempt to stop him. The shooter was inside the school for more than an hour before the two Border Patrol agents engaged him in defiance of Police orders and killed him. What kind of weapon he chose really isn't relevant, he had over an hour before an armed person intervened to stop him. He could have done as much damage or more if he had brought his granddaddy's double barreled shotgun. My professional opinion as a former Infantry Officer is that this was a giant Cluster Fuck.
Just as a Counter Point, there was this incident. https://wchstv.com/news/local/victim-hospitalized-in-charleston-shooting
Next time, call the Fire Department. They still run INTO burning buildings.
If it is widespread protocol to wait for SWAT in an active shooter situation, the departments need to seriously rethink that protocol.

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Response by CWO4 Terrence Clark made Jun 16 at 2022 2:17 AM

2022-06-16T02:17:38-04:00

CPT Alex Gallo Hmmm. Tough crowd tonight brother Alex.

Response by SPC Joe Sullivan made Jun 19 at 2022 9:50 AM

2022-06-19T09:50:23-04:00

This mess falls on those who failed to protect the children.People want to blame the gun manufacturers for this. It would be like blaming to wind for the smell from a farm(which would be stupid)N o one can say what someone will do in life.Since the pandemic a lot have come out of the wood works.Those who are charged with protecting our children need to do a better job at it

Response by CPL Sheila Lewis made Jun 21 at 2022 12:50 PM

2022-06-21T12:50:56-04:00

This article is relevant and necessary as a reminder that politics, like people, need to change.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 21 at 2022 1:36 PM

2022-06-21T13:36:05-04:00

A one sided opinion that takes all of your points out of perspective.
Really? Adults getting the vaccine before kids? That's what you're going with?
Adults getting back to work first? Were the kids going to run the school or should we continue to let the adults do it?

I could go on....

Response by SPC Shelby Kline made Jun 23 at 2022 2:22 PM

2022-06-23T14:22:35-04:00

"I performed an extreme act of courage... By being a normal person." Lmao, I almost agreed with you until you mentioned the "adult centric society" bullshit and the post dragged for ages. At that point I realized you're just trying to pander.

Response by CDR William Kempner made Jun 26 at 2022 11:45 AM

2022-06-26T11:45:17-04:00

My HS Classmate Linda Peters Beigel Schulman's son Scott Beigel, a teacher at the Parkland .FL HS performed an extreme act of courage providing sanctuary to two exposed students, and taking the bullets meant for them. Let's don't get confused about bravery and courage. We entrust our kids to the care of others-an act of faith. Some like Scott pay for it with their lives!! As for the Uvalde PD, a serious lack of guts. Those of us who have been trained KNOW that time is critical. You load, bless yourself, deep breath, and "Let's go!" Any adult warrior/parent is thinking "we gotta SAVE THOSE KIDS!" (If you aren't. you should find another line of work.) God bless the Border patrol agent who knew what had to be done, and did it-without "permission". As for the Uvalde PD, regardless of the outcome, they all have to live with the fact that when it really counted, they didn't measure up. (smh)

Response by CPL Sheila Lewis made Jul 14 at 2022 3:51 PM

2022-07-14T15:51:31-04:00

The safety and security of those children and adults should have been the major concern.

Response by SP5 Richard Unice made Aug 12 at 2022 3:22 PM

2022-08-12T15:22:07-04:00

A remarkable and poignant message.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 17 at 2022 7:52 PM

2022-08-17T19:52:33-04:00

Thanks for the Share.

Response by SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM made Aug 25 at 2022 8:15 PM

2022-08-25T20:15:32-04:00

As Americans we should consider changes for things they are not well suited for.

Response by SSG Jeremy Sharp made Oct 24 at 2022 6:42 PM

2022-10-24T18:42:20-04:00

I have been pondering our response to school shooting events since they started. The first thing we do is attack the second amendment and legal gun owners. After Sandy Hook, I crafted a letter to POTUS posing the creation of a Federal School Resource Officer program which would equip, train and ensure that all schools in the United States have an adequately trained professional on site to deter violence. In researching this concept I found it difficult to get accurate numbers for the number of K-12 schools in the US. Even today they estimate the total number of schools as between 130 and 138,000 schools. If we were to remove one jet fighter or one main battle tank from the production list it would pay for these forces for several years. Heck, we just hired 97,000 IRS agents couldn't that money have been better spent protecting children at schools?