Tragedy struck. in Arizona on Monday. when a 9-year-old-girl was killed at her elementary school by a falling gate. The metal gate was apparently either damaged or not put together properly, and slid off its hinges when she opened it, falling on the girl and crushing her to death.

This may seem like a freak occurrence, but these types of things happen more often than you think. I once wrote an article titled “Which is more dangerous: sex offenders or soccer field goal posts,” The answer would probably surprise most parents and shows how as a society we often focus on unlikely risks while ignoring the more mundane everyday threats all around us. I can’t help but to see this girl as a victim of those misplaced priorities. Schools are under-funded while we waste massive amounts of money elsewhere, when all the while a little more resources spent on school maintenance could have prevented this girl’s death.

Sources:
CBS News. Phoenix 11-21-2023