LIFESTYLEWhat I Learned in Active Shooter Training

Dying in a mass shooting is my greatest fear. I think about it every time I ride public transportation, every time I go to the movies, basically anytime I am around a large crowd. I’m old enough to remember the Columbine High School shooting and the hysteria that followed. Now 20 years later it seems like there are a couple mass shootings a year. We’ve become so numb to it that there is an industry that’s built itself around this fear. Mass shooter insurance, bulletproof backpacks, and corporate active shooter training which I experienced first-hand are examples of how this epidemic is being normalized. What bothers me the most is the uncertainty of its causes and the effects of it becoming so commonplace. These thoughts went through my head as my manager came into my office and told me I had to take the active shooter training days following the massacre in El Paso.  I’m smart enough to know that in the corporate world this is my company mitigating risk and liability in case an incident happens they can’t be held responsible. I took the training very seriously and here are the three things I learned while in active shooter training.

Report, Report, Report

Bullies in the workplace are still common and sadly go overwhelmingly unreported. Many mass shooting incidents stem from hostile work environments. Have you ever heard the term “going postal?” If you are working with someone who threatens, intimidates, and becomes violently frustrated it needs to be immediately reported without question. This should be taken more seriously if the person is obsessed with weapons, shows decline in health/hygiene, or increased use of drugs and alcohol is apparent. These factors can accelerate a declining mental health state leading to depression or even suicide. The bottom line is these people need help emotionally and physically. Maybe if we take preventative measures more seriously we can hopefully prevent future massacres.

This is a Man Problem

Statistics provided in the training video stated that active shooters are mostly white (64%) and overwhelmingly male (94%). The only thing I will say about the first statistic is that it may be skewed by the disproportionate amount of white people in this country making up most of our population but it still is worth being noted. The second statistic I can speak on. This may do with the pressures that we put on young boys to be self-sufficient and not ask for help but to do it ourselves. A lot of times when men ask for emotional support they are often told to “suck it up.” Maybe if we redefined strength and what manhood means we possibly can touch the root of what causes these incidents to happen. Depression is anger  turned inward and a lot of these shooters are young boys without resources. I am not giving them a pass but I am trying to understand “why anyone would turn on society and become a domestic terrorist?”

It’s Up to You

As I watched this eerie training video I began to dwell on if this “could ever happen to me?” I realized that the knowledge and training I was given was the type that I hoped I would never have to use but was happy that I am more prepared than before. First thing they tell you to do is not to hide but to first arm yourself with anything that you can get a hold of. If you are pinned in a room you can use a binder as a door stopper or tie the hydraulic door lever with rope or a t shirt to make it impossible for the shooter to get in.  Call 9-11 and stay on the line with the operator until help arrives. This will also help the police know how many civilians there are, where they are, and any other information that can help with combatting one of these assailants. If you or someone is injured, put pressure on the wound and wait for help to arrive. It is a harsh reality when you realize that if you want out of this situation, you are going to have to get yourself out!

This industry isn’t going anywhere because this problem isn’t going anywhere either, due to the fact that it is so over saturated in our media. America’s biggest export is fear especially when it is sold to its own people. Americans live under a constant never ending news cycle of death, destruction, and outrage. Rinse and repeat. Though I do dread an active shooter situation, that doesn’t define me or hinder my happiness. Whenever I get that anxiety when I am riding the trolley or in the movie, I just remember to be present and not worry about things that are out of my control. That being said at the end of the day this training felt cold, callus, and insincere. Somebody is making money off of my fear. Yes, this training was meant to create a sense of safety but all of the solutions were unrealistic and extremely traumatic. Am I supposed to think that my pair of scissors and stapler will protect me from a maniac with a weapon of war intending to kill me with planned precision? There are many factors in place but for me the problem lies in the way young boys are taught in this country, what we believe to be “manhood” is nothing short of inflated ego and outdated privilege. Boys need to learn that there are consequences for their actions but not disciplined with violence rather with understanding because violence begets more violence. Furthermore boys need to also learn that expressing your feelings and looking for understanding in your neighbor is the path to real manhood. For me this has never been totally a gun problem, the root is in our own animalistic nature and our failures as a society to root out these outdated ideals. Hopefully a change in male culture could be the spark of change that would permeate thoughout homes, schools, workplaces, and houses of worship.