I'm convinced that public schools are becoming more and more like a prison these days. Yes, there are several reasons as to why this has come to be, thanks to the students who never received guidance when they pleaded a cry for help before turning the barrel on their peers and then themselves. Increased security has become quite commonplace in schools, which is understandable, and of course produces a safer environment for students. Codes have become stricter to better safety procedures and other necessary precautions in an academic environment. The question is, though, how strict is too strict?
I recently stumbled upon this article off of CNN.com about a school banning hugs for over two seconds. Now come on, folks. We're getting pretty ridiculous here. I can understand making out, as it makes others uncomfortable and provokes premarital sex (oh no, God forbid), but a hug? A hug is human nature and not necessarily sexual. In fact, many hugs aren't sexual at all. And to top it off, a hug can go a long way, especially during our adolescence, which is the peak for depression.
With all the high depression rates in teenagers today, I think the worst thing our schools can do is ban hugs. A hug may even help someone that has fallen into such a rut that they're thinking about killing themselves or even their peers. By banning hugs, we're increasing the risk of self-destruction in our adolescents. If no one will listen and now even hug those who feel they've hit rock bottom, then perhaps our hierarchy of education officials want students to harm each other and feel the unnecessarily cold pain of feeling alone.
Do me a favor after reading this--hug someone. Hug anyone you know, love, hate, et cetera to make up for the lack of hugs these poor students will experience during perhaps the best years of their lives. Come on Mesa, Arizona--cut your students a break!
--Arlene Neilson
