Should We Ban Cell Phones in Schools?

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The short answer is no yet, nada, absolutely not. My friends, look,
I understand the arguments for banning cell phones in schools.
Thirty one states now and the District of Columbia have
some kind of a law that either bands what they
call bell to bell cell phone use in schools, meaning

(00:24):
the second the students come into the school or into
the classroom, the phone is taken away from them, put
into a pouch or some kind of a basket, and
then return to them at the end of the school day.
They say that it helps students with their academic performance.
It ends a lot of the distractions that are in
the classroom with people and students fidgeting on their phones,

(00:48):
looking at videos, texting, going on social media. So clearly
there's no question cell phones are a distraction for teachers
and students. So why do I say no? Because I
believe this is an issue for school districts and local

(01:09):
school boards to decide, not a one size fits all mandate.
Some school districts may say they need some cell phone
use to help their students learn, but more importantly, what
about the public safety implications? As I've been saying now
for a long time, we live in a different age

(01:30):
and in a different era. My biggest fear with my
two children, my son Ashton is fifteen, my Ava is twelve,
going to be thirteen in a couple of weeks, that
they will have to be in a school shooting situation.
It is my biggest nightmare. It's that of Grace, my
wonderful wife. We worry constantly because there is school shooting

(01:55):
after school shooting, after school shooting, and our fear is
that one day this may happen to one of the
schools that our kids go to. If liberals and Democrats
cannot ensure school safety because they refuse to what they
call harden the target in other words, put in metal detectors,

(02:18):
lock down all the doors, put in armed security guards,
or even have police officers or school resource officers on
school premises and school grounds all the time. In other words,
get rid of the insane gun free zones that are
encouraging so many of these psychotic school shooters to go

(02:40):
in because knowing they're not going to get any resistance
or any pushback whatsoever. Then our children will completely will
continue to be at the mercy of mass school shooters
and potential mass school shootings, and in over ninety to
ninety five percent of the cases. It is students in
the classroom with their cell phone who are the ones

(03:03):
who call nine one one, or their family or their parents,
who then are able to rush to the scene, especially
police officers, and prevent future potential death and even more
killing and more murder and more mayhem. In other words,
those calls are the difference between life and death for

(03:26):
many students and staff, administrators and teachers. When there is
a school shooting. I want my daughter to have a phone.
I want my son to have a phone, not that
they can be distracted in the classroom or distract others,
not so that they can play video games or watch videos,

(03:47):
but that God forbid, if there is an emergency public
safety situation such as a school shooting, or a family emergency,
something with my health, Grace's health, one of their aunts
are on uncles. I want to be able to contact
my child immediately, and my child should be able to
contact me or dial nine to one one immediately. So

(04:12):
that's why I believe making a ban. They're trying it
now in thirty one states. Massachusetts is going to have
a band bell to bell probably by the end of
this year to take effect in September of twenty twenty six.
Is ultimately a bad idea. If you can't make the

(04:32):
school safe because of gun free zones, then don't turn
them into cell phone free zones, because many times, and
in many cases, during many shootings, that is the difference
between life and death. I am a no to banning

(04:54):
phones in cell phone and cell phones and phones in schools.
It is up to the low local school districts and
ultimately it is up to the parents. My child, my choice,