Years ago, the dangers presented to our schools came from outside the country, while today, the danger comes from within. About a month and a half ago, we had an evacuation drill where we went to the middle school. This was done in case of any emergency where we needed to leave the building in an organized and efficient manner. I later spoke to my grandparents about this drill. They grew up in the 1960s during the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Their drills in grade school included getting out of their seats, putting their backs towards the windows, crouching down, and burying their heads, this was meant to protect them from flying glass. Later, protocol streamlined to being sent to crouch in the hallways. The middle school that they went to was modern at the time and had an underground bomb shelter that had reinforced walls, and no windows. Drills became an established procedure there too, rehearsed every month or so. 

As threats loomed due to the beginning of a nuclear age, homeowners were advised to stockpile food and turn their basements into bomb shelters as if it were the apocalypse. My great-grandmother had her basement windows reinforced and had a pantry filled with canned goods and non-perishable food. People were rightfully scared, nuclear weapons had the potential to change warfare for the worse, and as there were no standards and regulations for them, as well as NATO being unable to do anything, we should count ourselves lucky that no missiles hit the U.S. 

Times have changed though, now the main danger in schools stems from guns, which do have fair regulations. Thankfully, the Cuban missiles didn’t actually hit America, yet they still caused a lot of distress and anxiety among the public. In a world with ever-evolving danger, we should always take the extra measure to keep ourselves safe. It doesn’t matter whether the danger is from within, or from without.