During the World War we secured our assets with armed guards. The private police force at Bethlehem Steel outnumbered the City's police force. Last week, Wayne LaPierce, vice president of the NRA, outraged the liberal element when he suggested policeman for our schools. The president of the Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, responded:
Schools must be safe sanctuaries, not armed fortresses. Anyone who would suggest otherwise doesn’t understand that our public schools must first and foremost be places where teachers can safely educate and nurture our students. An unintended consequence of this debate was the frenzy it created at gun stores across America. Although the figures have not yet been compiled, it may have resulted in the sale of an additional 30 million firearms, especially those of high capacity. Weingarten must consider that even if the sale of firearms were banned tomorrow, there will still be over 200 million guns in the United States. I believe that a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines does not infringe upon the Second Amendment. However, whatever changes are implemented in regard to the sale of firearms, it will take decades to affect the volume of weapons currently in private hands. In the meantime, I don't think that a friendly policeman at a school is a bad role model. We must guard our assets.
As you say our children are our future and one of, if not our most valuable asset. They deserve to be protected, and provided a safe place to learn.
ReplyDeleteFrank
We could definitely use some more police at Allen High, especially at dismissal time. The day after that most recent shooting on the streets outside Allen, I had read that an "increased police presence" would be visible on the streets around Allen. Well, I drove right down Linden past the school at dismissal time, and I saw exactly one police officer leaning against the cement wall at West Park. One officer. OK, there were the usual two (EMPTY) police cruisers by the school, but you can't get help from a car.
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of fact, I drove past Allen High at 2:30 PM the day before the shooting, and saw a huge group of mostly girls having a horrific screaming fight right at West Park's central entrance on Linden. I looked and looked for a police officer to report the scene, but not one school official or officer was anywhere to be seen - either on Linden or at the school when I drove by. I saw the usual empty police cruiser (just one), but not one adult was present anywhere on Linden or anywhere at the intersection of 17th and Linden. Talk about a recipe for disaster. No wonder the little criminals feel OK about whipping out a gun in broad daylight and firing it. I thank the gods and goddesses that I did not work on the day of the shooting itself - I very well could have been caught in an ugly situation just by driving home. You can bet I'm definitely changing my commute path after that incident.
I don't think your post meant to include protecting citizens from the students themselves, but that is exactly what is needed near Allen High, sorry to say.
Unfortunately problems at William Allen are nothing new. When my son went there (1982-1985) they had a smoking area called 'cancer court'. The school basically pretended that it didn't exist. There were a couple of incidents. One was a kid was thrown in the dumpster head first. Another was stabbed in the leg. This was during school hours.
ReplyDeleteThen there was the time a kid got the snot beat out of him and bloodied on the bus on the way to vocational tech.
I also remember the time I went up to look for him at a school dance he wasn't supposed to go to. I was allowed inside to look for him. I was amazed. There were at least 4 or 5 couples laying on the floor necking. Outside the cop was on duty. Standing right behind him (not 5 feet away) was a kid drinking a beer. I have lots more stories I'd rather not remember about his 3 years in H.S. and at vo-tech. Thank goodness he wasn't involved!
Remember that the firearms of the day when the Second Amendment was passed were muskets.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your beliefs Michael.
ReplyDeleteI beleive in the Bill of Rights.
Anon @ 10:33
ReplyDeleteEh, the Pa. Long Rifle( aka Kentuckey Long Rife ) was NOT a musket. It was a rifle. There is a hint included in its name.
But then, beliefs are what's important here, not facts.
@2:30, suffice to say that there were no rapid fire weapons in 1791.
ReplyDeleteBut, if the criminals had "rapid fire" and no one else did, who had the upper hand?
ReplyDeleteOutlaw rapid fire. The criminals are OK with that. After all, they are BEYOND the law (or they would not be criminals in the first place).
i thought that weingarten's statement mischaracterized what reaction a policeman would cause in a school. likewise, obama's statement that we don't need more guns in schools also is a negative mischaracterization. i believe that a policeman in a school, in addition to providing security, can be a lesson in civics. it wasn't that long ago that the concept of community policing was considered a positive goal. as i wrote in the post, if all three aspects of obama/biden gun control were enacted tomorrow, there will still be millions of high capacity assault weapons in the public domain. in this era of copycat acts of horror, i suspect many teachers would be reassured if a policeman was assigned to their school.
ReplyDeleteA School Resource Officer, SRO, is a member of the local dept. ( not School Dist employee) stationed full time in a school.
ReplyDeleteIt is a " three legged stool". Teaching,mentoring,security.
In tandem with a school nurse,it is an excellent addition to any school. ( provided the right type officer is chosen and the tricky duel management --- works for the PD,in close collaboration with the building principle--- is worked out).
Great at High School and Jr High level--- still far from a gaurentee that a dedicated shooter can't cause mayhem.
The problem is what to do with a full time officer at medium/small elementary school.
Possible solution-- duel teaching, police training,and certification. No small deal. Additional problem--many small police departments and many school districts in Pa.
A bedrock part of proven Community Policing where implementation can be accomplished.
Tricky.... not impossible and not a. panacea.
Allentown has had armed officers in the building for at least a decade.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good thing, but . . .
if that officer is on the second floor, a block away, they won't even HEAR a gun shot on the first floor, also a block away.
Even if they DO hear a gun shot, that's pretty much after the fact, no?
You can have a quick responce, or a slow responce.
ReplyDeleteYou can't have a guarantee. Not in this life.
Despite having grown up on a farm with firearms all over the place (over the fireplace, hung in the stairwell landings, leaned up in the corner of an unused bedroom, etc.), I am uncomfortable with the guns laws we have - or do not enforce.
ReplyDeleteBut for the sake of making my point here, I'll switch sides for a moment.
I have yet to see anyone (Pro-GUN, that is) put forth a suggestion that not only should we NOT ban high capacity magazines or assault weapons, we should go even further and lift the ban on machine guns!
Once again, GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE, PEOPLE bla bla blah...
So why is there no movement afoot from the rabid gun interests to unshackle these armaments??? I would imagine that it'd be quite a bit of fun/sport to do some backyard plinking of tin cans with a tommy gun!
I can only imagine that they realize that there IS a limit somewhere, so why can't we just rachet it down a notch and implement some more restrictions? And you still get to enjoy your 2nd Amendment rights to boot!
And btw, IF the government ever did get a little out of control usurping our freedoms, I'm afraid they've already got us out-gunned.
I WANT MY TOMMY GUN!
You can have your Tommy Gun...... In semi-auto only.
ReplyDeleteThousands of law abiding Americans are prepared to turn over their guns.Tomorrow.....
Come and get them.
"When seconds count...the police are only minutes away".
ReplyDeleteVOR