School Shooting Research Paper

News of horrific events overshadows everything in your day. “Three students shot dead in California”, “School shooting kills four in New York”. All of this tragedy, this loss of life, could be stopped if school officials took the necessary steps to conduct much needed searches of student materials. A very controversial topic in the United States is whether schools have the right to search student backpacks and lockers without probable cause and without student consent. The stakeholders in this are school officials and students. School officials are pushing for more control over what materials students have in their backpacks and lockers whereas students are asking for the right to refuse unreasonable searches. This is important because essential

According to the Washington State Constitution, Section Three, “No person shall be deprived of life… without due process of law.” This means a school's right to conduct searches without probable cause is supported by this as not searching students may allow for a gun to infiltrate the school, then used to kill a student. Being killed in a school shooting is not due process of law, it is murder. Thus, this would be a violation of the Washington State Constitution. This also supports the democratic ideal of life, which gives citizens the right to live their lives without fear or threat. The fear and threat coming from the possibility of being victimized in a school shooting. Equally important, an article by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development states, “School officials need only reasonable suspicion to search students in public schools, but sworn law enforcement officials normally must have probable cause to search students.” This authorizes school officials to conduct much needed searches faster and easier than law enforcement. Which makes defending the student body’s right to live their lives without fear or threat from dangerous materials a much easier and more efficient task. Schools searching student backpacks and lockers without probable cause and without student consent is

This is supported by the Preamble to the Constitution that says we must promote the general Welfare and Provide for the common defense in order to Order to form a more perfect Union, and by searching student materials for contraband both of those ideas are accomplished. Additionally, the democratic ideal of life supports school material searches as they allow a student to live their life without fear or threat from possible drugs and school violence. Finally, the common good demands searches without probable cause as one search could save many students from drug exposure or harm from other students. According to Camas School District policy 3230, all students possess the constitutional right to be secure in their persons, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches. This means that the school does not have the right to conduct searches without probable cause or student consent. The First Amendment to the Constitution provides all citizens with the right to “petition the Government”. Now is the time to petition. Contact Tracey Malone of the school board at [e-mail] and ask for her to change the school district’s current practice of student searches so schools may conduct searches without probable cause or student consent. With these searches, all the ghastly