Connecticut school shooting

[ontheblack]

What I hope comes from this incident and after some of the emotions cool down is a rational discussion of how this happened and how to prevent it. "More Gun Control" from the left and "Our morality is gone" from the right are probably not the answer. We need to better educate teachers, parents, and administrators to the early warning signs so that the appropriate action can be taken.

What would better educated teachers, parents, and administrators have done to prevent this?

Nothing at all. But well armed security would have stopped it.

Put two National Guardsmen on every campus. School violence will drop dramatically.

[jonriv]

Our town, another affluent town in Connecticut, has had a policeman assigned to every school for several years. Many objected to it(I am sure they are OK with it now!) I believe it would have helped to have stopped or at lease minimize what had happened had one been in place in Newtown. I am sure all schools are reviewing their security systems and procedures. I think a Policeman or Armed security guard should be at every school. I just feel that a security guard etc... is a last means of defense and ALL defenses can be breached at some point.

Security Guards etc are a reactive response. I have always felt a more proactive response might be more effective, if we can stop these monsters years before anything does happen we might have a better success rate of preventing them in the future JMO. Is it better to prevent a crime or to arrest the people that commit it?

IMO too many parents are in denial or just ignorant of the problems their kid might have and the danger they might be to others. Too often "it's not my kid's fault" or to blame others. Pushing aside mental problems as an excuse or a crutch is ignoring a real issue. IMO guns or violent video games/movies are not really the issues, but either of those things with someone mentally/emotionally damaged is a recipe for disaster. We need to find and treat these people early, before we wind up shaking our heads again wondering how this happened

[Dugout Dad]

We have air marshals that carry firearms on planes and no one except the captain knows who it is. I can see each school having a couple volunteer teachers being trained to carry guns while continuing their teaching duties. They would receive extensive training from law enforcement agencies and would be paid a sizable stipend to be an undercover school marshal. Just the thought of every school having these undercover marshals at schools would thwart a psycho from targeting a school, knowing that someone is going to shoot back and disrupt their "perfect plan".

[jonriv]

We have air marshals that carry firearms on planes and no one except the captain knows who it is. I can see each school having a couple volunteer teachers being trained to carry guns while continuing their teaching duties. They would receive extensive training from law enforcement agencies and would be paid a sizable stipend to be an undercover school marshal. Just the thought of every school having these undercover marshals at schools would thwart a psycho from targeting a school, knowing that someone is going to shoot back and disrupt their "perfect plan".

Actually, this makes a lot of sense- would certainly discourage all but the wackiest(or stupidest)

[freetacos]

I have no comment on the gun laws of our country.

I just wanted to express my condolences to the families involved. Losing a child is something that reaches in and rips out your heart. It is life changing to say the least. Thankfully these parents are still in shock and reality is still down the road.

My prayers for all the families, you do not walk this road alone.

May God have mercy on us all.

FT

[NumeroUno]

I have no comment on the gun laws of our country.

I just wantedd to express my condolences to the families involved. Losing a child is something that reaches in and rips out your heart. It is life changing to say the least. Thankfully these parents are still in shock and reality is still down the road.

My prayers for all the families, you do not walk this road alone.

May God have mercy on us all.

FT

[ontheblack]

I have no comment on the gun laws of our country.

I just wanted to express my condolences to the families involved. Losing a child is something that reaches in and rips out your heart. It is life changing to say the least. Thankfully these parents are still in shock and reality is still down the road.

My prayers for all the families, you do not walk this road alone.

May God have mercy on us all.

FT

Hey FT,

My heart goes out to you if losing a child hit close to home.

[softball_parent]

I think we did our country and our children a huge disservice when we became focused on self esteem and not on self responsibility. When we gave the worst player on the last place team a trophy we told them that they got rewarded even when they didn't earn it. Now people think that if that doesn't happen they are a victim and have a right to be angry versus that they have to work harder. Mental health is real because these are the kids I have worked with for over 30 years but parents exacerbate the mental illness by not holding them accountable IMHO.

[ontheblack]

I think we did our country and our children a huge disservice when we became focused on self esteem and not on self responsibility. When we gave the worst player on the last place team a trophy we told them that they got rewarded even when they didn't earn it. Now people think that if that doesn't happen they are a victim and have a right to be angry versus that they have to work harder. Mental health is real because these are the kids I have worked with for over 30 years but parents exacerbate the mental illness by not holding them accountable IMHO.

Not on my watch. Thing 2's 10u team will drop and give me 10 for every error, strike out, failure to advance the runner, and base running mistake. If they lose, they will have to use their allowance and take me for frozen yogurt.

[softball_parent]

I think we did our country and our children a huge disservice when we became focused on self esteem and not on self responsibility. When we gave the worst player on the last place team a trophy we told them that they got rewarded even when they didn't earn it. Now people think that if that doesn't happen they are a victim and have a right to be angry versus that they have to work harder. Mental health is real because these are the kids I have worked with for over 30 years but parents exacerbate the mental illness by not holding them accountable IMHO.

Not on my watch. Thing 2's 10u team will drop and give me 10 for every error, strike out, failure to advance the runner, and base running mistake. If they lose, they will have to use their allowance and take me for frozen yogurt.

However, if the rest of the people in their life don't then all that happens is you become the jerk coach. It has be an all inclusive message from parents, school, coaches, religious leaders, youth leaders, day care providers. It's not about being punished for mistakes it is about learning from them. It is about learning to be self motivated with an internal drive and recognizing that you have a vote in your life and that working hard helps you make that vote. I would imagine that many of them don't use their allowance that mommy and daddy give it to them with the message that you are unfair.