191 replies to this topic

[Debbie2]

I don't want to go to work. I don't want to walk into that school building tomorrow.

I don't want to see the disillusionment on their faces b/c I can't hide it on mine.

I'm so tired.

[Debbie2]

funny thing - my Dad just called. He's a retired Army man.

He said he was coming to my school tomorrow and stationing himself at the front door because no crazy s.o.b. was going to get in and hurt his daughter.

Funny but heartfelt. That's what daddies are for!

[Hullapalooza]

Debbie, as a teacher, do you think it would go a long way to secure our schools better than we do now? No one but the student or staff gets in or out. I was reading that in Newtown, some of the classrooms didn't have working locks... I know that in my daughters school, I am not allowed to just walk in to the school, but there is nothing that physically prevents me from doing so.

I would think that after this, there is something to be said for putting schools on permanent lockdown. Let's make sure no one but staff gets in or out, give kids badges that open the doors, etc. I was realizing today that my workplace is more secure that my daughters school...we should change that. Money well spent if you ask me.

[ChangingFate]

There were police officers outside my kids school when I dropped them off this morning.

[Hullapalooza]

Yeah some others have said they saw that too...I didn't notice that in CFB ISD. I appreciate the effort from the men in blue, but you know they can't make this permanent.

[Debbie2]

Hull, I'm not sure a total lockdown would work. Another school in my district has the same "buzz-in" entry system that Sandy Hook had, but it won't keep someone out who is determined to get in.

I don't have a problem with locking the doors, but it's not feasible in my school. We have portables because there aren't enough classrooms. This means the certain doors are always open during the school day. You can't lock the kids out. And, my room is directly next to these open doors.

We already use badges (not as keys, but for identification). You'd be surprised how many people come and go during a normal day. As far as using them as keys - HA! Even I can't get a key to open the school. I'm lucky to have one to open my classroom door.

I don't have an answer for how to keep the kids safe. I'm not carrying my gun to school, but I may display my autographed Nolan Ryan baseball bat.

We did not have a police presence at my school today. In fact, it was made plain to us we were to carry on as normal without discussing the tragedy at all.

I'm still tired but coming 'round. It's amazing how much sleep you lose over something you can't control.

[TheStarsFan]

Hull, I'm not sure a total lockdown would work. Another school in my district has the same "buzz-in" entry system that Sandy Hook had, but it won't keep someone out who is determined to get in.

I don't have a problem with locking the doors, but it's not feasible in my school. We have portables because there aren't enough classrooms. This means the certain doors are always open during the school day. You can't lock the kids out. And, my room is directly next to these open doors.

We already use badges (not as keys, but for identification). You'd be surprised how many people come and go during a normal day. As far as using them as keys - HA! Even I can't get a key to open the school. I'm lucky to have one to open my classroom door.

I don't have an answer for how to keep the kids safe. I'm not carrying my gun to school, but I may display my autographed Nolan Ryan baseball bat.

We did not have a police presence at my school today. In fact, it was made plain to us we were to carry on as normal without discussing the tragedy at all.

I'm still tired but coming 'round. It's amazing how much sleep you lose over something you can't control.

I assume you are talking about BMS? (you know what I'm talking about)

It is odd, but the sliding window wouldn't exactly stop anyone. The middle school has that, but the elementary schools don't. Neither do the high schools.

[dsjn25]

with enough firepower and will i'm not sure anything can be 100% secure. ultimate security is an illusion. doesnt mean that preventive measures can be taken. this isn't the same but when i was younger i worked at a bank and we hired a "security" guard.. and i use that term security loosely.. he was 91 years old and if anyone ever robbed the place i was more scared of his gun than any robbers. god only knows if shaky mcshakster ever pulled out his gun that bullet could have gone anywhere.

[Hullapalooza]

I was wondering when someone would bring up banks...it's clear that they got tired of being ripped off and did something about it. Not foolproof, but a whole hell of a lot better than what they used to have. I'm just talking about changing the mentality, and thinking about someone assaulting a school when it is designed, and make security a priority.

I think we are a whole hell of a lot more worried about something like a fire than we are about armed nutjobs assaulting a school. Although lately, the former doesn't seem to happen as often as the latter.

[ChangingFate]

I was wondering when someone would bring up banks...it's clear that they got tired of being ripped off and did something about it.

There are about 400 thousand bank robberies each year...

[Hullapalooza]

There are about 400 thousand bank robberies each year...

Your point being what? The banking industry did change, and continues to do so in response to being robbed repeatedly. Did you miss the part where I said it isn't foolproof? I never tried to suggest that no one robs banks anymore.

[ChangingFate]

Your point being what? The banking industry did change, and continues to do so in response to being robbed repeatedly. Did you miss the part where I said it isn't foolproof? I never tried to suggest that no one robs banks anymore.

Your statement made it seem like it has lessened them. If anything, they have increased in this economy. It's a bad analogy in my opinion. There are less shoot outs in banks these days, but that is mainly because the one change they made was to tell their tellers to just do what the robber asks and try to remember as much about them as possible, most of them do not post armed guards anymore. For the most part, anyone can go rob a bank with little resistance. They don't even have to carry a gun. Now if the tellers or other people in the bank had CHL's and were allowed to arm themselves, that might change the culture of bank robberies, but it's about as likely to happen as allowing teachers and Principals to carry concealed.

[Hullapalooza]

Again, I'm not talking about stopping bank robberies....I'm talking about realizing that it will happen again. It's understood that you can't prevent bank robberies, but you can limit the damage they can do and take steps to make sure they get caught.

When something like a school shooting happens, we seem to not believe that it will ever happen again, and our first response is to think we have to prevent it from ever occurring again. I'm saying we should expect that it can and will happen again and prepare for it.

[starshomer]

In a down economy it would make sense to start some sort of lockdown that is uniform in all schools across the country. The jobs created would be plentiful.

[dsjn25]

sorry if you took out the bank robbery stuff in my post... my point was more to the fact that security guards dont necessarily mean "security" so i'm not sure having a guard at a school would have or ever prevent anything.

[TNStar]

May not prevent, but it is a good deterrent.

[bfds]

May not prevent, but it is a good deterrent.

How is it a deterrent Charlie, the kid wasn't all there. Your guys ideals are all based on the person being sane and recognizing a threat to his plan. I'm sure the armed guard would not have been a deterrent.

Also, you all for sure the armed guard doesn't snap one day? Guns on my kids school grounds are not the answers I'm looking for.

[ChangingFate]

BFDS, where do you think shootings happen the most? Do they walk into areas where people are known to be well armed or "Gun Free Zones" where they know nobody but them will be armed? They may not all be there, but they are still there enough to choose places like malls and schools where they can kill as many as they like. People who go on shooting sprees usually don't just "snap one day" but have a long history of mental illness. So saying that kids will get caught in the crossfire or that a guard may "snap one day" is just ignorance of the issue. You may not want guns on your kids school ground, but the psycho doesn't care what you want. He also doesn't want there to be other people armed where he goes. The Aurora shooter chose the one Gun Free Zone theater within 20 miles to launch his attack. I wonder why, since he wasn't all there?

[dsjn25]

do any of you buy the notion that if guns were illegal no shootings would ever happen...

or ( and this is how i think ) that criminals will always find a way to get guns and be even more apt to commit crimes cause they know law abiding people will not be packing?

[Hullapalooza]

In a down economy it would make sense to start some sort of lockdown that is uniform in all schools across the country. The jobs created would be plentiful.

I would support that. I'm willing to put up with what that brings with it if the tradeoff is that our kids are safer.