I taught for five years. In that short time, I experienced a rock thrown through our school windows, a girl who carried a pink boxcutter to school for self-defense, kids who flashed laser beams (which can quickly blind someone) during class, a Freshmen who threw a punch at the Vice Principal. American schools are dangerous places without guns, but our elected officials are cowards, and have decided their jobs matter more than kids and teachers. It's all fixable with laws that ban assault rifles, and money--smaller classrooms, more special ed teachers and counselors, decent pay for teachers.