Newtown, Connecticut, Sandy Hook Elementary School.
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There's now talk of looking into the idea of teachers being required to carry firearms. My boyfriend is a middle-school teacher, and we both believe that idea is preposterous.
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walliebaby:
"SNAP!"
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audi:
There's now talk of looking into the idea of teachers being required to carry firearms. My boyfriend is a middle-school teacher, and we both believe that idea is preposterous.
It is a preposterous idea. I think the talk is coming from the NRA. I hope it is not being taken seriously.
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Fan4-45years:
oobu24:
kapoo:
oobu24:
kapoo:
walliebaby:
I've been following this conversation closely as I'm in the classroom every day. I will say that arming teachers or having armed officers in school is just NOT the answer. Guns and students don't mix. I'm not for desensitizing students to guns or their presence in those students' lives. That would be like saying that no new drivers' licenses should be given out because there are too many traffic accidents. Guns in schools? No way. Not a chance.
I don't know why you laugh about the suggestion walliebaby. There are schools in Chicago where I'm from that have metal detectors and armed cops in them already, and you don't see this type of stuff happening, even though these schools are loaded with gang members etc. it works. And you all can go around thinking you're gonna change everyone's heads, but I say I'll pay a little more in taxes to have the added protection of an armed officer protecting my kids in school. Arming teachers is not what I'm saying. I'm just saying one or two armed cops is totally a viable option. It would absolutely stop the chances of what just happened from ever happening again. Again, it's not a laughing matter.
Kapoo...I am in Chicago too & we both know it doesn't only happen in scholls. What about all the shootings all frickin year long? Innocent kids & even adults are shot for no reason. Cops at every svhool will not work. There will never be that kind of money available unless the parents pay a special tuition or something. The guns will never be taken off the streets.
The reason you don't have mass shootings in these inner city schools is because they already have metal detectors and police presence. Yeah the gangs off themselves one at a time out of school, but at least for the most part it's gangs and drug dealers shooting themselves up. In the worst areas you don't see these mass school shootings cause there's already police presence. Time to bring it to the white affluent suburbs I you ask me.
ehhh...check some death totals over weekends in the summer. This year I was shocked to hear maybe 20 or more were killed over the weekend. It's all too much. If you have armed guards in schools...after awhile they'll be like the airport people...snoozing on the job...slackin off...totally uninterested. Mall cops.
Last year there was a full time armed policeman in the school where I worked. He was always alert and ready to roll. I talked to him sometimes. He was all business, no nonsense type. All you had to do was request his presence. He would be there in a second. He got a kid to tell who stole a teacher's phone (she always locked it up after that) and those kids NEVER TELL on each other. With all of the taxes we pay, why CAN'T we have an armed policemen at every school. It will create more jobs AND protect children and teachers. Seems like a win win to me.
Thank you, good post. Arming every teacher is idiotic, but putting armed guards in schools unfortunately may be required. and like I've said, its already happening in many of the worst school systems in the country. and you don;t hear about mass shootings in those schools. its always the affluent 'white' 'not a care in the world' areas. time to wake up. And where's the proof there was an armed guard at Columbine, cause I had never heard that. Sounds made up. Did the armed guard do anything? If there was one, well hopefully future officers will be more up to the task. and believe me, I am the biggest proponent of outlawing 99% of guns. Who the hell needs an ooozi, no one. I'm just saying, I'm tired of leaving our kids exposed.
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audi:
There's now talk of looking into the idea of teachers being required to carry firearms. My boyfriend is a middle-school teacher, and we both believe that idea is preposterous.
Yup. Let's fight guns with more guns. Next they'll suggest inserting land mines into the floor in front of the school doors to take care of unwanted visitors. : Perhaps the armed guards in each school could also pat down all of the students before they enter the building, as the majority of school shooters in recent years have been students. God forbid we put money into mental health and community resources to help these people versus gunning them down when these mentally ill people who've not been helped inevitably snap. Being reactive is easier than being proactive, after all.
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walliebaby:
audi:
There's now talk of looking into the idea of teachers being required to carry firearms. My boyfriend is a middle-school teacher, and we both believe that idea is preposterous.
Yup. Let's fight guns with more guns. Next they'll suggest inserting land mines into the floor in front of the school doors to take care of unwanted visitors. : Perhaps the armed guards in each school could also pat down all of the students before they enter the building, as the majority of school shooters in recent years have been students. God forbid we put money into mental health and community resources to help these people versus gunning them down when these mentally ill people who've not been helped inevitably snap. Being reactive is easier than being proactive, after all.
The idea of having guns closer to our students in any form is a blatant absurdity! I know perfectly well why walliebaby was laughing. My youngest daughter has been teaching world history in high school for 9 years.
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SurSteven:
walliebaby:
audi:
There's now talk of looking into the idea of teachers being required to carry firearms. My boyfriend is a middle-school teacher, and we both believe that idea is preposterous.
Yup. Let's fight guns with more guns. Next they'll suggest inserting land mines into the floor in front of the school doors to take care of unwanted visitors. : Perhaps the armed guards in each school could also pat down all of the students before they enter the building, as the majority of school shooters in recent years have been students. God forbid we put money into mental health and community resources to help these people versus gunning them down when these mentally ill people who've not been helped inevitably snap. Being reactive is easier than being proactive, after all.
The idea of having guns closer to our students in any form is a blatant absurdity! I know perfectly well why walliebaby was laughing. My youngest daughter has been teaching world history in high school for 9 years.
Thank you, Sur Steven. I came across this on Facebook just now and think this is an even better idea, actually:
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AMEN!!!
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walliebaby:
... This is a thread to talk about and grieve about the lives lost in the Sandy Hook tragedy. What happened there is horrible, but having an armed guard on the campus wouldn't have prevented a mentally ill person from harming people. It didn't prevent Columbine, it didn't prevent Virginia Tech, and it wouldn't have stopped this current tragedy from unfolding, either.
I think this HAS morphed into a gun thread.
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walliebaby:
audi:
There's now talk of looking into the idea of teachers being required to carry firearms. My boyfriend is a middle-school teacher, and we both believe that idea is preposterous.
Yup. Let's fight guns with more guns. Next they'll suggest inserting land mines into the floor in front of the school doors to take care of unwanted visitors. : Perhaps the armed guards in each school could also pat down all of the students before they enter the building, as the majority of school shooters in recent years have been students. God forbid we put money into mental health and community resources to help these people versus gunning them down when these mentally ill people who've not been helped inevitably snap. Being reactive is easier than being proactive, after all.
Of course money should be spent on prevention, mental health and community resources. But someone explain to me why we wouldn't have guards at each entrance and metal detectors? You guys make it so black and white. What I'm saying is what will happen. No question in my mind, it's common sense. ....along with stiffer gun control laws and whatever prevention can be accomplished. Which btw someone explain to me how that's going to happen...
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oobu24:
walliebaby:
... This is a thread to talk about and grieve about the lives lost in the Sandy Hook tragedy. What happened there is horrible, but having an armed guard on the campus wouldn't have prevented a mentally ill person from harming people. It didn't prevent Columbine, it didn't prevent Virginia Tech, and it wouldn't have stopped this current tragedy from unfolding, either.
I think this HAS morphed into a gun thread.
Walliebaby, don't mean to pick on you, but what are you talking about!? How would an armed officer in the school not have 'helped' reduce the death toll at the Sandy Hook incident? You know the psychologist approached the gunman and was killed easily. So what are you talking about!? And again, prove to me Columbine had an actual armed police officer on duty. I don't believe it. Now as far as Virginia Tech, and college campuses at large, that's a tough one. Tougher gun control laws would help. But there's always going to be risk in the world we live in.
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oobu24:
walliebaby:
... This is a thread to talk about and grieve about the lives lost in the Sandy Hook tragedy. What happened there is horrible, but having an armed guard on the campus wouldn't have prevented a mentally ill person from harming people. It didn't prevent Columbine, it didn't prevent Virginia Tech, and it wouldn't have stopped this current tragedy from unfolding, either.
I think this HAS morphed into a gun thread.
Yup. Once again fighting over what SHOULD have happened has gotten in the way of people remembering the victims of what DID happen.
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kapoo:
oobu24:
walliebaby:
... This is a thread to talk about and grieve about the lives lost in the Sandy Hook tragedy. What happened there is horrible, but having an armed guard on the campus wouldn't have prevented a mentally ill person from harming people. It didn't prevent Columbine, it didn't prevent Virginia Tech, and it wouldn't have stopped this current tragedy from unfolding, either.
I think this HAS morphed into a gun thread.
Walliebaby, don't mean to pick on you, but what are you talking about!? How would an armed officer in the school not have 'helped' reduce the death toll at the Sandy Hook incident? You know the psychologist approached the gunman and was killed easily. So what are you talking about!? And again, prove to me Columbine had an actual armed police officer on duty. I don't believe it. Now as far as Virginia Tech, and college campuses at large, that's a tough one. Tougher gun control laws would help. But there's always going to be risk in the world we live in.
Kapoo, I've been teaching for 12 years now. I've had this sort of knee-jerk reaction debate after mass school shootings more times than I wish I'd had, as no one wants to see innocent students hurt. At this point, you're obviously not going to agree with me, and there's not a chance I'm going to agree with you, so let's just stop and let this thread do what it was intended to do: honor those whose lives were cut short in Newtown, CT. Since you obviously want to debate this topic, perhaps you should start a thread on gun control and let this thread do what it was intended to do. P.S. If you read any book or article that talks about Columbine, the armed school guard is mentioned. It's not something I need to prove to you.
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walliebaby:
kapoo:
oobu24:
walliebaby:
... This is a thread to talk about and grieve about the lives lost in the Sandy Hook tragedy. What happened there is horrible, but having an armed guard on the campus wouldn't have prevented a mentally ill person from harming people. It didn't prevent Columbine, it didn't prevent Virginia Tech, and it wouldn't have stopped this current tragedy from unfolding, either.
I think this HAS morphed into a gun thread.
Walliebaby, don't mean to pick on you, but what are you talking about!? How would an armed officer in the school not have 'helped' reduce the death toll at the Sandy Hook incident? You know the psychologist approached the gunman and was killed easily. So what are you talking about!? And again, prove to me Columbine had an actual armed police officer on duty. I don't believe it. Now as far as Virginia Tech, and college campuses at large, that's a tough one. Tougher gun control laws would help. But there's always going to be risk in the world we live in.
Kapoo, I've been teaching for 12 years now. I've had this sort of knee-jerk reaction debate after mass school shootings more times than I wish I'd had, as no one wants to see innocent students hurt. At this point, you're obviously not going to agree with me, and there's not a chance I'm going to agree with you, so let's just stop and let this thread do what it was intended to do: honor those whose lives were cut short in Newtown, CT. Since you obviously want to debate this topic, perhaps you should start a thread on gun control and let this thread do what it was intended to do. P.S. If you read any book or article that talks about Columbine, the armed school guard is mentioned. It's not something I need to prove to you.
So you as a teacher just want to keep rolling the dice that a crazed killer doesn't walk into your classroom shooting? Your prerogative, just hard to believe a teacher wouldn't be asking for max security. I know I would be. I wrote a poem in the poetry thread honoring those kids and adults killed, the second I heard. I have 3 young children in school now. I want guards to protect them.
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walliebaby:
And btw, quit playing mod, Doris never framed the topic of this thread to 'honor' those lost. She framed it as a discussion. I'm on topic. Good luck to you as a teacher. Sincerely.
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kapoo:
walliebaby:
And btw, quit playing mod, Doris never framed the topic of this thread to 'honor' those lost. She framed it as a discussion. I'm on topic. Good luck to you as a teacher. Sincerely.
*shrugs* It's your choice to talk about whatever you want to. I'm just choosing to leave the debate in a thread about the victims of a horrible tragedy.
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While we're enjoying our time with friends and family this holiday season, don't forget to hug those you love a little bit tighter.
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Unfortunately... If there was a personal armed guard for every student on earth...the odds at best for the guard are still 50/50 because of the element of surprise. There are far better ways to decrease the chances of events like this one happening, than to increase the presence of the things that were in part, responsible for it to begin with.
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But who's to say what it begins with? The gun...TV violence, computer game violence...mental state...gang violence...big shot punks?