Looking for Emmanuel – post Newton

In the late 90s I volunteered one morning a week for one class in a middle school in Mattapan in Boston at a time of many youth-on-youth shootings.  I asked my sixth grade class how we could make the class safe. Quickly ideas were shouted out:  “armed guards, metal detectors, bars on the windows.” Then a boy, one of the smallest, put his hand up. He said, “Then we will be in a prison,” he paused and said, “We could try to get along.” A murmur of assent went round the class.

 

 

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