I am a 13-year-old boy going to Anchorage STrEaM Academy. During the summers, I commercially set net fish in Seldovia. Once we get down to fish camp, as a family we live in a dry cabin that has no electricity. This creates new challenges and lots of fun in the wilderness. Once we take the drive back to Anchorage and begin school, everything becomes extremely safe — too safe. To solve this problem, the schools could teach knife safety in school.
My first reason is that 350,000 people who do not know how to use knives get hurt every year from kitchen knives in the U.S., according to Beaumont Emergency Hospital. Some of these people would then go to the emergency room in the hospital, making waiting lines a lot longer for people who are actually hurt.
While we are at it, there should also be an elective that teaches self defense, so people will not take advantage of minors as much by participating in kidnapping, because the minors could fight back.
Lastly, knives are the culprit for 30% of all injuries in the work area. With knife training, it could drop down significantly when this program starts, and with lasting effect it could even go lower, therefore making the workplace a safer place.
— Samuel Barnett
Anchorage
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.