Are these the kinds of powers we want to give to kids who still think farting is hilarious? Do we really want a room full of independent junior G-men deciding what to do when a gunman enters a classroom?
Every time a student dies in a car crash, our local schools call in the grief counselors. They all talk about things for days. There are tributes, assemblies, and candlelight vigils. What happens when one of the gunmen is the bad guy, but the good kid shoots him? That's a scenario a child or young adult may not be capable of handling; and it's a dynamic that a school would not want - either in law suit form or in a rash of vigilante copycats.
Most law enforcement would admit a certain amount of the job is intuitive and instinctual. Similar to the priesthood or rabbinical school, it's a calling. It's not what you do. It's who you are.
The instincts for defensive driving, talking down a jumper, negotiating a hostage release, or knowing when to use deadly force are not really taught. Handling the pressure and stress, managing the emotional toll, and carving out a life in the margins of police work is tough business. I know many boys who tailspin at the mention that they have a zit.
And maybe I am just a little jealous. I am going to pull out the gender card and say that Girl Scouts were never this exciting. We weren't even allowed to weekend camp until third grade. We didn't know what we were missing! I didn't know I could have learned how to guard the Mexican border.
I remember as a Girl Scout leader many years ago, we had to have seatbelts, permission slips, and all sorts of training. I had to renew my CPR card every four years. I had continual training in safety and first aid. I can't imagine the Girl Scouts would permit me to train a kid to fight illegal immigration on the Mexican border - permission slip signed or not.
Pinewood Derby, anyone?
Article comments
1 - Clavos
I think you are creating a tempest in a teapot. By your own admission, these are Explorer Scouts, whose ages range from 14 to 21. These are not "children," they are adolescents, and at the upper age of 21, they are nearing the lowest age of active duty law enforcement personnel.
You allude to the immaturity of many American adolescents. This is one of the things Scouting addresses by teaching youths values and skills which will stand them in good stead throughout their lives.