Documentary ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ explores industry built around school security

Key Concepts

• Active Shooter Preparedness Industry: A burgeoning market of products and services designed to mitigate the impact of mass shootings in schools.
• Lockdown Drills: Mandatory safety exercises conducted in schools to prepare students and staff for active shooter events.
• "Thoughts and Prayers" Documentary: A film exploring the normalization of school lockdown drills and the rise of the active shooter preparedness industry in the US.
• Gun Violence in Schools: The pervasive issue driving the need for safety measures and preparedness.
• Teacher Preparedness: The increasing burden on educators to manage safety protocols beyond their primary teaching role.
• Student Psychological Impact: The mental toll of constant drills and the awareness of potential school violence on young people.
• Lack of Gun Reform: Identified as the underlying cause for the existence of the preparedness industry.

The Normalization of School Lockdown Drills and the Rise of the Active Shooter Preparedness Industry

The documentary "Thoughts and Prayers" by filmmakers Zackary Canepari and Jessica Dimock examines the widespread integration of school lockdown drills into American childhood as a direct consequence of gun violence. This phenomenon has fueled the rapid growth of an entire industry dedicated to active shooter preparedness products, now valued at an estimated $3 billion.

The Active Shooter Preparedness Market

The film highlights the National School Safety Conference as a typical venue where vendors showcase products and training programs aimed at preventing, or more accurately, slowing down mass shootings. These products are actively marketed to schools and businesses seeking solutions. Examples of such products include:

• "Lockdown One": Described as a popular product that works on any door.
• Mobile Shields: Devices that can be moved, featuring handles, suggesting a degree of portability during an event.
• Protective Shields: A specific product demonstrated at the conference, designed to theoretically stop AR-15 bullets. The demonstration involved a scenario where a 10-year-old child would use the shield to escort classmates to safety, a concept the filmmakers found surprising in its perceived practicality.

Filmmakers Zackary Canepari and Jessica Dimock noted the "calm and collected manner" with which people discussed these products, often assuming their effectiveness without deeply considering the real-world scenarios they are meant to address.

The Driving Force: Gun Violence and School Shootings

The existence of this industry is directly linked to the prevalence of gun violence in American schools. According to Education Week, there have been approximately 236 school shootings in the last seven years resulting in at least one death or injury. This statistic underscores the urgent need for safety measures, leading to 95% of American schools now conducting lockdown drills.

Filmmakers' Motivation and Perspective

The personal experience of the filmmakers, as parents of a child approaching school age, served as a primary motivation for creating "Thoughts and Prayers." They found themselves exploring the "wormhole" of school safety plans and realized the extensive world of preparedness that had emerged. While acknowledging the industry's existence as a response to a genuine problem, they express skepticism about the efficacy of these products as the ultimate solution.

Jessica Dimock stated, "the industry exists because there's a lack of meaningful gun reform, and people are trying to solve a problem. We have some doubts that this is the actual way to solve this problem, but we understand in some ways why the industry exists."

The Impact on Students

The documentary delves into the profound psychological impact of lockdown drills on children.

• Constant Anxiety: Students, particularly older ones, live with a pervasive sense of worry. They are constantly aware of their surroundings, assessing exits, windows, and potential escape routes. This "constant mental noise" is described as a universal experience.
• Proximity to Violence: Despite school shootings being statistically rare, students report being exposed to numerous "close calls," such as kill lists, social media threats, or janitors with plans. This proximity to potential violence is striking.
• Understanding the Cause: The children interviewed are clear that the problem is related to guns and is a uniquely American phenomenon.
• Future Aspirations Hindered: Student Julie, who aspires to be an elementary school teacher, expressed frustration that school shootings and the need for extensive training would add a layer of guilt and responsibility for her students' safety, even if not her fault.

Zackary Canepari described the drills as simultaneously "the darkest thing that we can imagine and also pretty mundane" for older students who have experienced them repeatedly. For younger children, the drills have a "spooky quality" without full comprehension. The idea of older students being encouraged to use improvised weapons, even if just to hold them, highlights the deep psychological imprint of these drills over years.

The Impact on Teachers

Teachers are depicted as being on the front lines of various cultural battles, including school safety. The film highlights a significant drop-off in teachers, with those remaining in programs that train them to use guns, beyond active shooter preparedness, being the ones willing to go to extreme lengths to protect their students. This is seen as an overwhelming burden placed upon educators whose primary role is to teach.

A Call for Change and a Rejection of Resignation

The filmmakers observed a deep-seated resignation among students and teachers regarding the current situation. However, their core message is a call to action against this resignation.

Zackary Canepari emphasized, "all of the things that we show in our film, which are very commonplace in America, are all predicated on the idea that this violence cannot be stopped or that this violence is just coming. What we need to do instead of prevent it, it's the practice for it."

The filmmakers aim to evoke a sense of outrage and hope, advocating for a different way of life free from such pervasive violence.

Conclusion

"Thoughts and Prayers" argues that the widespread implementation of school lockdown drills and the booming active shooter preparedness industry are symptomatic of a failure to address the root cause of gun violence in America. The documentary provides a critical look at the normalization of these safety measures, their psychological toll on students and teachers, and ultimately calls for a societal shift away from preparing for violence towards preventing it. The film is available for streaming on HBO Max.