Much More Than a Lockdown

It's so sad to see events like today's happening, at a high school nevertheless. From hundreds of social media posts, local news reports, and even making national news- it's very saddening to say that I am a student at Righetti High School at the time. The fact that young "adults" (it evens pains me type that word), young students would be so disrespectful to not only law enforcement and on-school authority, however to other peers is honestly shocking and more than anything else, immensely disappointing as someone who was hopeful for a brighter future for our school and its students. How discouraging it is to attend a school that now has even a worse reputation than the one it's held before. Others in our community, state, and even nation will look upon Righetti High School and Santa Maria to be a home of vandalism, uneducated students, and a major export of future criminals and 'good-for-nothings' that will end up with lives lived without achieving any sort of authentic success. To add on to this overwhelming discouragement, many friends and peers of those who were arrested for their violent acts today continued to support them through social media with allegations that the law enforcement at Righetti today were overacting and were unlawful to these 'innocent' teenagers. However, it was not stated like that. It was more along the lines of "Fuck the police", "Fuck the system", "I hate the pigs", etc. (pigs referring to police officers). As a school we must unify ourselves to create a welcoming and accepting community that will not allow any of this chaos to happen. Yes, that sounds like I'm high up in the clouds for writing that however it is true. Nothing is going to be solved with adding a few more security guards to our school. It's the students that must act upon change, change our ways of thinking and reacting to benefit the greater good in order to run an effective, working community. If we're not trying to help our students to push for a positive change than the cycle will repeat itself countlessly, only leading to even worse consequences and happenings. Enough lockdowns. Enough violence. Enough negativity. As a senior, it's reliving yet worrying to know that I will no longer a student at RHS. I won't have to put up with any of this, but will it ever get solved? Will Righetti ever prosper? Answers that the students and administration need to seriously think about and work together upon to come up with an answer a solution. Us students attend Righetti to receive an education. Not to fight, not to spread negativity, and not to be harassed by others. It's a school, a school. It should not be hard to get people to understand this "concept"  (pains me to write that too). As RHS's student body, let's work together to keep harmony and peace and  make our school a safe place where students achieve success, rather than set themselves up for a future that leads to a pit of nothing. Be nice, let's work together because while it's not easy, it is possible. Please and thanks. That' all for now.