I am a firm believer in protecting our civil liberties. I feel that there are certain lifestyle
choices that should be left solely up to the individuals practicing them and
not subject to governmental morality or controls. I believe in our Bill of Rights and the
pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. I even will go so far as to say that I believe most people are reasoning
and responsible adults (or should be) and they should be allowed to live in
freedom, whatever way they please.
But then there are other moments
when I feel like, “Enough already, psychological testing for everyone.”
There is something broken.
My first reaction, when I hear that the school’s security is
blamed for not reacting quickly enough, is that that isn’t fair. There are always going to be certain
individuals who aren’t psychologically, emotionally, morally sound, with a propensity
toward violence. But obviously there is
something about our schools – perhaps they seem vulnerable and easy? is there a
glamour about conquering them? – that is drawing that violence.
shootings at schools, most of those in the US.
47
So do we ramp up security forces at our schools? Have the butts of guns bristling above the
heads of children walking into classrooms?
Give psych profiles as part of the new entrance exams?
There is something broken. I haven’t a clue how to fix it. All I know is my kids have to go school… and some days that makes me feel ill. – wg
Something is definitely broken. But I have no idea how to fix it either.
As a former teacher, the problem is that when you suspect something is amiss with a student, there is so much red tape. I once had a guidance counselor tell me NOT to tell a student’s Mom that I was sure he was on drugs because it was a liability issue to say something without bona fide proof. As a Mom, if a teacher ever suspects my kid, I want to know; but this is the world we live in. Look how quickly the tragedy turned into “Who’s to blame?”. Everybody wants to sue someone.
The most shocking thing to me is that the classroom doors at VA Tech did not have locks. I always had my classroom door locked when I taught in high school.
And you’re right, sending a child to school is terrifying some days.
I have no answers either. With a child in school (soon to go off to college), it’s frightening to think that something like this can happen. Any day. At any school.
Remember fire drills? Or how about those great tornado drills where you got to curl up into a ball in the hallway. And then, there were earthquake drills where the kids got under desks.
Now, we have intruder drills. Yup. I remember my last couple years as a teacher actually having to do that.
I would have to lock my door (which I kept locked anyways), and then create a barricade using desks.
It’s a sad world.
That’s terrible! I didn’t know they had “intruder drills”. I didn’t even know they had started locking the classroom doors. At my college they don’t lock the doors on classrooms because they assume someone might come into class late (we’re a commuter college so it happens a lot).
I think everyone also assumes that nothing bad will happen in the classroom! It saddens me that our ideas of school as safe havens needs to change.
I was just talking to my husband tonight about the same thing. Bet lots of parents are talking about it this week.
I feel like no matter how many laws we develop, as long as someone can get a weapon in the world, that things like this shooting will always be possible. There’s no way to fully protect ourselves from someone who’s going to do what they’re going to do. I don’t know what else to even conclude about all this for now.
-bm
It’s just so sad that this keeps happening over and over again. Just recently we found out about a “shooting threat” that had occurred back in January at my son’s school. Administration NEVER said a word to anyone except for the boy who made the threat’s parents. Even the girls who were threatened parents weren’t informed. Many of us have been calling for policy change at the school now, but it’s unlikely that much will change since they are a private institution that we pay for the right to not be notified at.
Sorry… stepping off my soapbox now.
Shortly after the American Revolution, someone said, “America is great because it is good; when it ceases to be good, it will cease to be great.” His prediction was uncannily accurate. Notice he doesn’t say “if”, but “when”. “When” is now!
Simply put, from 1776 to 1916, the United States was the greatest influence in the world. But since 1917 (when it got involved in a European war that was none of its business, whatsoever), the United States has been the worst influence in the world.
And it will remain the worst influence in the world, until it is destroyed.