Documentary Raises Concerns Over Militarization of US School Safety Drills
NEW YORK – A new documentary, “Thoughts and Prayers,” is sparking debate over the increasingly militarized approach to school safety in the United States, questioning whether current preparedness measures implicitly acknowledge a “war zone” reality within American education. The film highlights the growing trend of employing former military and law enforcement personnel to lead active shooter drills and implement security protocols in schools, a practice critics argue is both psychologically damaging to students and a tacit admission of societal failure.
The documentary, as reported by The Guardian, focuses on the disconnect between the expertise brought to bear on school safety and the surroundings in which it’s applied. Filmmakers observed instructors - many with experience in conflict zones like Afghanistan – preparing third graders for potential shooting scenarios. While acknowledging the instructors’ tactical awareness, the film questions the underlying premise. “so these are people that have done several tours in Afghanistan, and then are coming back and have a good idea about how to be tactically aware – but are creating programs for third graders,” said a source within the film, as quoted by The Guardian. “Our criticism is not necessarily to those individual instructors, but that the expertise absolutely is applicable to something like a war zone. So, wait, do we live in a war zone? is that what’s going on here? And then, if that answer is yes, maybe we should spend more attention on not living in a war zone.”
The film also emphasizes the perspective of students themselves, noting that the most insightful commentary on the pervasive fear of school shootings comes from those who have grown up with lockdown drills as a routine part of their education. According to the documentary’s producers, these younger generations readily articulate the core issue: the prevalence of guns. “We underestimate how present it is,” said producer Canepari, as reported by The Guardian. “We didn’t have to search the ends of the country for kids that could speak to this.” The film contrasts the often-circuitous explanations offered by adults – focusing on factors like mental illness or family instability - with the direct assessment of teenagers who identify guns as the primary driver of school shooting deaths.
“Thoughts and prayers” further examines the normalization of simulated violence in school safety training, showcasing programs that utilize large-scale video game simulations of school shootings. Canepari points out the paradoxical nature of these exercises, arguing they “gamify real-life horrors while further harming kids’ sense of wellbeing,” a dynamic far more complex than exposure to fictional violence. The film’s detailed portrayal of drills, specialized equipment, and extensive planning, collectively conveys a stark message: “We’re saying that’s what it takes to be safe in our country,” Canepari stated.
The documentary arrives a quarter-century after the Columbine High School shooting, which initially prompted scrutiny of violent media. now, the film suggests, media – in the form of these simulations – has become integrated into the response to school shootings, highlighting a shift from blaming media for violence to accepting mass shootings as an unavoidable reality.
