Armando Morales tried to break up a fight outside Santa Ana, California High School, but the 14-year-old freshman was stabbed in the chest for his trouble. A school security officer and an assistant principal responded. They did not realize how seriously Morales was injured, and walked him onto the campus before he collapsed.
It is possible that the young man would have died no matter what the school officials did. Rapid medical response has limits. But here is a suggestion: Anyone working at a school, from the janitor to the principal, should be required to have a current Red Cross first aid and CPR certificate.
These are not the boring schools of my youth. At best these schools resemble the MMA octagon, and at worst they resemble the alley behind Big Al’s Bar at 2 am. But Big Al isn’t in charge. WE ARE. These are OUR kids. We cannot ensure their physical safety 100 percent, but we can do a lot more than we are doing now. A kid bleeding out at school is a disgrace to us all. It is a terrible sin.
