You have the right to protect yourself!

The second course of my humanities class for junior year, is a class called A Nation’s Argument. This class focuses on learning about the structure of an argument while looking back at historical arguments that were made as the U.S formed its national identity. The second unit of this course was called 1857 because we looked at the Constitution as a guide to teach us on how to correctly structure an argument, and its relationship to the Supreme Court decision of Scott vs. Sanford. The second action project for this course is giving us a chance to amend a rule in the GCE Code Of Conduct by first deconstructing a current rule in the document. It was a bit hard trying to find a rule that I didn’t agree with, but after going over them twice, I finally found one that I think could be more reasonable and stronger for the whole student body. I looked into the rule of physical fighting. I don’t support it in every situation but I do think students have the right to protect themselves in forms of self-defense. I think the change I made would better protect students at GCE. I hope you enjoy reading and understanding my new policy!

I would like to amend the following rule in the GCE code of conduct:Fighting:  Physical confrontations are a violation of the Code of Conduct. Disciplinary action may be taken against any student who uses any form of aggressive or physical behavior that does physical or psychological harm to another student or a staff member. Disciplinary action will also be taken against a student who encourages other students to engage in aggressive behavior; slapping, hitting, and/or punching.

The logic supporting the rule is:

P1: Physically fighting can hurt people and their surroundings.

P2:Physical fighting is dangerous.

P3: GCE is meant to be a safe environment.

C: Physical fighting is not allowed at school.

I understand that physically fighting is not the best way to resolve an issue with someone, but if someone puts their hands on you first, you should have the right to hit back without any disciplinary consequence. In the investigation of the incident, the Disciplinary Council would give you a chance to explain that you felt it necessary to defend your own safety and thus, you should not be punished. Students have the right to protect themselves, and if a student is getting beat up, there isn’t any protection since they’re not able to physically fight back without being punished,according to the current rule. I think this rule should be changed because GCE is a place where safety is a concern, but if someone hits you and you can not hit back, you’re obviously not going to feel safe in any way. My amendment to this rule only applies,though, when someone gets violent first. The first hitter to strike should be the one facing disciplinary consequences.

The logic of my proposed amendment is:

P1: Some students will face an altercation in which someone lays their hands on them.

P2: Hitting back in a way of self-defense will provide protection to the student being assaulted.

P3: Students have the right to protect themselves.

C: Students should be allowed to physically defend themselves without facing a disciplinary consequence.

My amendment to the Code of Conduct has other benefits. It would take some anxiety off some students who ever get into a physical altercation since they’re not worrying about what consequence they would have to face, which would just leave room for them to focus on their safety. Although I know students won’t be jumping each other at school, there have been serious injuries when a person does not act in self-defense. Self-defense isn’t about getting wild and violent, but using certain moves to protect yourself. People even take classes to learn about this. GCE has offered its students Self-Defense classes as part of its curriculum,so with training,students can practice self-defense if need be with strategies they’ve been taught that may help de-escalate the fight.I will not support the act of using a weapon as a way of self-defence at school, but there have been many cases when a weapon used as in self-defence act saved a life. There was a study conducted by the American Women's Self Defense Association that found that women who use self-defence gain an 86% chance of avoiding serious injury. The attacker would most likely get discouraged if you put up a fight, which would help end the fight all together.

Another way of thinking about my amendment is, let’s say there’s a student who gets attacked by another student, but no one else is there to stop the fight. The student getting hit should not be worrying about the consequence he’s going to have to face for hitting back. Instead he should be focusing on his own safety.

I talked to VD, a GCE student, about my proposed amendment to this section of the Code of Conduct and she agreed stating: “I think that students should be allowed to defend themselves physically because it is not right to just let someone beat on you. You should have the right to defend yourself, because if you don’t you can actually get really hurt. “

This is an example of true citizenship because in order to be a good citizen, you need to have respect, and that's what my amendment is all about. 

Jiu Jistu against a knife attack. Berline 1924. Wikicommons

The picture above shows how one woman used self-defense as a way to protect herself, which is exactly what my new policy is in place for. 

The broader set of rights my proposal related to comes from the second amendment of the U.S Constitution, which affords citizens the right to bear arms. That amendment was written to show that people have the right to have weapons for their safety, but of course my amendment does not involve any weapons, and I am aware that schools in Chicago remain a Safe and No Weapons zones.