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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMy report: Schools are open buildings, says a local school board member
Some of you know that I am president of my local Democratic Women's Club of Florida chapter. Our speaker at last Saturday's monthly meeting was a school board member running for reelection. School board races are non partisan here but this guy is a Democrat and a good school board member - wife a middle school teacher, kids attending public schools here.
He talked a lot about school safety WRT the Parkland massacre and the dumb legislation recently passed by the FL leg. He was challenged a lot by one women (I suspect a troll but don't know) - why can't we make schools safer, why are we not doing more.
He explained that schools are public, open buildings and despite all the steps taken in recent years to secure them - fences, all doors locked, visitors cannot enter the school except via the office, etc, it is impossible to totally secure them. She wouldn't have that and kept interrupting him and accusing him of not trying.
He noted that, as well as being schools, they are also public buildings. Non school related activities, including sporting events and churches, happen at schools every weekend. What's to stop someone from bringing weapons in on Sunday, hiding them somewhere, and entering the school with the students one morning (only time the main doors are fully open)? Also, think of all the different activities going on all week after school, marching band rehearsal, sports practices, service club activities. Kids and adults are in and out at different parts of a school.
Plus, what's to stop a shooter from waiting outside and opening fire when students leave for the day? He talked a lot about mental health screenings (this is a red county, he couldn't talk a lot about guns). So I piped up and said, instead of turning schools into prisons, how about we stop people from getting the guns in the first place? That got a round of applause and shut the woman up.
I substitute teach (sometimes). The schools I have taught at have dozens of external doors, some leading directly from classrooms. They are locked from the outside now, but I remember when DS1 was in these schools, they were not. Again, it would be simple for a student to open a door to let a fellow student in.
One or two SRO (school resource officers) cannot stop a carnage that could happen. Sensible gun laws can.
Girard442
(6,070 posts)...what about:
Churches
Malls
Highways
Sporting events
Restaurants
Concerts
Parks
Marathons
Etc.
thanks
Cha
(297,154 posts)I just found out about the tragedy in Texas.
mcar
(42,306 posts)But I just cannot deal with the same old script.
mercuryblues
(14,530 posts)kabuki theater for school safety. I love the metal detectors ruse. Like your board member said, what is to stop someone from firing from outside? My kid's school has over 2,000 students. All of them lined up to get through the metal detectors would be sitting ducks. Not to mention the daily logistics to get all those students through metal detectors and to class on time.
Or doing what this student did, pull the fire alarm. How about we focus on the fcking guns?
mercuryblues
(14,530 posts)I would be happy if they started arresting the parents who give them access to guns; as accessories. It's a start.
One of my son's friend had a real rough time when he came home from Iraq. When he asked to stay here, my #1 rule was you leave your guns at your grandparents. They and you will be gone if they come in my home. he said ok. and asked about pot. I just said, I have no problem with it as long as you go outside and not do it around my youngest.
The thing is I knew this kid was messed up and he wasn't even my kid. How deep in a rabbit hole of denial are the parents of these mass killers?
brer cat
(24,560 posts)Turning schools into prisons isn't the answer, and it's not even possible in many situations. My grands attend a large high school with 13 buildings, kids going to and fro. What would they do? Put a bubble over the whole campus?
mcar
(42,306 posts)I have to flag kids down to get me from classroom to classroom. They are big open mazes.
former9thward
(31,986 posts)You didn't suggest any in your post. I live next to a Chicago high school. All Chicago high schools have at least two armed police at the school all day. I never hear about shootings in Chicago schools even though there is an extreme amount of gang violence in the city as a whole.
mcar
(42,306 posts)former9thward
(31,986 posts)The high schools have armed police in them. Nobody is going to do shit there.
tammywammy
(26,582 posts)former9thward
(31,986 posts)Chicago police never would have allowed some kid to come into the school everyday with a trench coat and combat boots on no matter what the weather.