President Obama listens to Secretary Duncan during a meeting to discuss efforts to address gun violence in Vice President Biden's office at the White House, Dec. 17, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
I have been proud to serve President Obama and this administration since day one, but today was one of my proudest days. The actions that the President is taking and proposing to reduce gun violence echo what America’s educators say they need to better protect and support students in school and in their communities. I thank the President and Vice President Biden for leading this critical national conversation. America’s schools are among the safest places in our country. The President’s comprehensive approach will make schools and communities safer.
We will never fully understand why 20 first-graders and six educators were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School—or why still more students and educators lost their lives at Columbine, Chardon or Red Lake high schools, Westside Middle School, Virginia Tech or the many other campuses and communities in our country where guns have cut short dreams and created fear. We can, however, take a number of common-sense steps to help prevent future tragedies.
As the President called for today, we can limit access to the deadliest guns and ammunition, and we can put in checks to keep guns out of the wrong hands. We can also provide new resources, so schools can develop and implement comprehensive emergency management plans.
We can expand student support systems by allowing communities to decide what they need most, including more school resource officers, psychologists, social workers and counselors. A renewed commitment to students’ mental and emotional well-being is key.
Helping schools reduce bullying, drug abuse, other forms of violence and problem behaviors is also vital. And as we seek to prevent tragedies, we cannot be reluctant to do research and collect data so we can understand the causes of gun violence.
Our goals are simple: fewer children dying from gun violence and fewer children living in fear. Harder to realize are the policies, actions, and value changes necessary to reach those goals.
Today, looking into the eyes of parents who have lost children due to gun violence, I am more committed than ever, and the President is, too. Those parents’ unimaginable heartbreak and extraordinary strength must motivate us to act. Now is the time. Our children, families, educators, communities and our country deserve better. We can’t let them down.
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Secretary Duncan – I hope that one of your staffers will read this. It’s likely very hard to contact you directly to make this offer to the Department of Education. Many, many schools today do not have use or resources to afford an emergency notification system. I am willing to pledge a system for all schools that cannot afford the system at no cost to the schools. I believe the correct, most efficient way to communicate this and make this service available is from the Department of Education to all K-12 schools across America. Please contact me to help us make our schools a little safer. Sincerely Troy McAlpin, CEO xMatters, Inc.
I am very supportive of increasing support services for students as proposed in the President’s plan. However, I am disappointed that Secretary Duncan, Vice-President Biden, and President Obama are not considering utilizing an existing model for reducing school violence, reducing drug use, and increasing access to mental health services for children and youth. That model exists in the Department of Education and has been found to be highly effective in all three areas. It is the Safe Schools/Healthy Students model and is a discretionary grant that was cut by this administration in 2010 as part of the budget reduction. SSHS was started in 1999 following similar school shootings and brought together funding from 3 federal departments – Education, Justice, and Health & Human Services. There are only a few SSHS sites left (finishing up their 4 year grants now). See http://www.promoteprevent.org for more information on a model that exists and has been found to be effective across the country.
The President’s plan will do nothing to keep our children safe. It is really sad, but the reality is there is and always has been evil in the world. No law will change that. Adam Lanza broke numerous gun laws before firing the first shot. Our schools should have had armed security since Columbine in 1999. We cannot keep putting our heads in the sand, passing more gun laws (which criminals routinely break), and hoping it won’t happen again. It will. Face reality. Why not hire retired cops who have the firearms training and skills and have them protect the school (at half the cost of an active cop)?
And for the record, “automatic” weapons and “machine guns” are already illegal. Also, a person wielding an old fashioned pump shotgun with a satchel of shells can do just as much, if not more, damage. Will we ban them someday too? Those of you screaming about the guns are very ignorant.
The solutions are simple. Armed guards and increased security measures at school. Increased screening and background checks for guns (not a ban). Eliminate “gun free school zone laws” (they are useless and have never stopped a suicidal/homicidal maniac from shooting up a school). More accessibility for citizens to obtain concealed carry permits (but make the character and marksmanship standards very stringent). Reform the mental health system.
I wish we didn’t have to even discuss stuff like this, but we can’t all sit around, sing kumbaya and legislate the evil away. We have armed guards protecting our money, courts, politicians, airports, federal buildings, airports, celebrities, etc. But hiring armed guards to protect our children is a bad idea??? Give me a break.
The copycats are planning and the terrorists will do the same. Remember the Beslan school massacre in Russia? That can and will happen here if we don’t prepare to confront evil.
With all of my respect to everybody, all of what we are doing is trying to cure the symptoms not the disease itself…
In my opinion to deal with the disease itself … in the long run we have to:
1. Consider and stop all forms and categories of violence against CHILDREN
2. Adopting Moral and Character Education.
3. Changing our mentality and stopping our immoral values when we deal with the other nations “countries”
Regarding #1
A. The World Report on Violence against Children identifies the main forms of violence as follows:
1. Physical and psychological punishment;
2. Bullying;
3. Sexual and gender-based violence;
4. External violence: effects of gangs, conflict situations, weapons and fighting.
B. The categories of violence
I. Physical and Psychological Violence
1. Abduction
2. Bullying
3. Domestic violence
5. Extra-judicial execution
6. Gang violence
7. Harmful traditional practices
8. Honor killings
9. Infanticide
10. Judicial use of physical punishment
11. Kidnapping
12. Physical abuse
13. Physical punishment
14. Psychological abuse
15. Psychological punishment
16. State violence
17. Torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment
II. Neglect
1. Abandonment
2. Dangerous, harmful or hazardous work
3. Deprivation
4. State neglect
III. Exploitation
1. Pornography
2. Sex tourism
3. Sexual exploitation
4. Slavery
5. Trafficking
6. Violence at work
Regarding #3:
We cannot adopt what we call it democracy to be as our religion while it depends on the DICTATORSHIP of Minority that we call it “majority” because this minority has a power to affect the majority’s opinion based on their interests… Democracy shouldn’t depend on the people’s opinion unless we know hundred percent that those people’s opinion is morally right… based on the human values…. otherwise nobody can blame Hitler for committing holocaust because he came to the power in a democratic way and the majority of his people supported him in what he was doing
2. we cannot act in the foreign policy as if we are masters and the others are slaves and they have to follow us and do only what we order them to do… and the president has a right to invade and wage a war against any country as long as this is in The US interest ….. so this is a bullying and gang act that give the fuel and energy to the violence everywhere including US I mean U.S
Most people in America think that violence particularly the kind that’s directed against small children is an evil that happens only in the ghetto! But; that’s entirely wrong, Sandy Hook was in a well to do white middle class community. Regardless, the location, America has a severe problem with guns. There needs to be stronger restrictions. President Obama has promised a $500 million program to curb this chronic problem once and for all. In solving the dilemma . . . . Innovation is supported in terms of Community Policing Options and Mental Health Services. Let’s not forget that Parent Involvement Component. We’re the first teachers of our collective children. And we also serve as a strong infrastructure for sustaining the freedom of public schools, and that means having involvement with the resources that Pres. Obama has proclaimed. It’s extremely patriotic for parents to work with each other in building up momentum that leads to the expansion of organizing parents who want a stake in Safe Schools and Violence Free Communities. And it all starts with a fair and equitable resource share in their neighborhoods along with being vocal and relevant throughout the Unified School Districts that govern the process of Education for their progeny.
Now is the time to reduce gun violence in movies, video games and other entertainment media…those are what influence unstable individulas to act in a violent manner, not the gun counter at Walmart!
Really Anne, so what was it that influenced the murderers like Al Capone and his gang, or the gangs of extremely violent young adults back in the days when there weren’t any such violent movies in the theatre or on TV and the video games that were not produced yet because home computer systems and XBox were not invented yet? I DO NOT believe it’s the movies or video games. What I believe is this: Some time ago the government listened to and agreed with a woman who was an atheist to take God and prayer out of schools. So you pushed God out and this allowed the devil to step in. Now it doesn’t matter what kind of laws or guards or whatever is put in place. The gun violence, among other things, is going to continue and get worse because God has turned His back on this country. He is NOT blessing it any more. He’s probably saying: “You want the devil instead of Me, you got him.” Face it people, if you’re old enough think hard and take a good look how things were in schools back when we all said a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance before class began. We never heard of such violence happening until after the atheist got her way and now we are paying for it. …and that is the truth whether you like it or not, whether you agree with it or not.
Firing range operators might be asked to help identify their highest risk users and to test and remediate lead dust.
Lead is linked to IAQ deficits and aggressive behaviors, and it’s a “take home toxic”, meaning the dust clings to clothing and shoes and will be tracked into homes. See DoD – NIOSH study at:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ranges/
What will it take before we wake up and realize that we need to take control of the guns in our country. How many people have to die. The President’s program will not
stop the bad guys from getting guns but it will make it more difficult. He is not asking people to give up the sport of hunting, but why do we need such high power
guns and magazines. Freedom to carry on our lives without fear of being shot is more important than freedom to own all sorts of high powered weapons.
As an educator in the State of Georgia, many school systems have placed school safety as a priority because of the tragic events of Newtown, Conn. Most are revising and practicing their lockdown procedures. School safety is paramount in order to have a conducive learning environment.
Conspicuously quiet on this topic is the Dept. of Education! With all the funds spent by this federal bureaucracy, you would think funds could be diverted to the local school systems to make schools safer. You would think after Columbine, which occurred many years ago, we could have resolved a major portion of this problem. We only seem to focus on it after a tragedy occurs. A year or two from now, most will have placed this priority on the back burner, without fully implementing any real change. Just my two cents!
I’m an administrator in a middle school and I am also a hunter. I feel several issues have been addressed in our president’s recommendations, however, in order to stop this, we have a long way to go. Before the holidays, I purchased a new deer rifle at Dick’s Department Store. I was sort of shocked to see several assult rifles ( better word machine guns) hanging on the walls as I purchased my gun. I don’t ever think as long as I have been a hunter that I have ever witnessed an individual kill game such as deer, bear, etc. with one of these guns. Therefore, why do we need these?
Secondly, I was under the impression that I would have to wait a while to get a background check while I purchased this weapon. I was surprised when in about five minutes I was given clearance. I proceeded and bought my new rifle and walked out of the store along with several boxes of ammunition. I’m not saying I have an issue or whatever but if this is how it is done accross the nation with everyone, I can see why we are having a problem. By the way, I am also a member of the NRA….
I hear everyone stating that the second amendment is our given right. I don’t think that our forefathers thought that we would have guns that would shoot 30 or more rounds when they signed this amendment. Does this mean we can have cannons, missles, ect. in our homes as well.
It is this Nations responsiblity to make public schools safe for our kids. What kind of a Nation do we have that someone can walk in a school and shoot and kill our teachers and students. I can’t believe that this is what is in store for the future in the USA. Are we going to have to make our schools like prisons with gates and barbed wire so all can bear an assault weapon? One way in and out with a guard checking in our students and parents before our kids can come in schools?? If we don’t so something, then what do we have left.
I also want to state that assualt rifles arent the only problems we are facing. Where are our mental facilities? It’s my understandings that under the Reagan administration that numberous mental institutions were closed down acccross the US due to the treatment of these individuals as being inhumane with urging of ACLU the same administration that laxed on the gun laws. I also understand this was a push by the insurance companies to do away with such institutions due to the cost. I think it is time to help these families and individuals with re-opening these facilities and giving them the support, guidence and or counseling when and where needed. We have enough issues in our public schools and we need a place to send these students as well.
The Columbine killings changed various emergency plans in schools accross the nation and there is no doubt that the recent one will do the same. The only thing I have to disagree with in the presidents regulations is that we all already have emergency and safe schools plans in our schools. The Conn. shootings crossed the lines on what we have been trained to do and we need to re-look and change again. Money is going to be a big issue. Things like bullet proof glass in all doors and windows, police officers in every school, are teachers and administrators going to be able to carry, if so, what about who is going to pay to train everyone, etc.
Lastly, Our schools are a given right, free, required and the future of our country. We have to do everthing to keep them safe and fee of harm or we will be a doomed society.
Jim,
I am glad to see that you are a member of the NRA and a hunter. However, I can see that the education side of the NRA needs to communicate the differences between assault rifles, machine guns and semi-automatic rifles in a better manner so that we have a more informed membership.
First, machine guns were banned in 1934 for normal purchase. Oh, there are tens of thousands in the hands of Class III license holders, but you never hear of criminal activity from those law-abiding citizens.
Second, assault weapons by their very definition have selective fire capacity — fully automatic and semi-automatic. Since the rifles in Dick’s are only semi-automatic, the term assault rifle is a misnomer and one that is used by press to incite fear among the uninformed.
Third, semi-automatic firearms, regardless of whether they look “frightening” or like an old fashioned rifle, have the same rate of fire and essentially the same internal mechanisms. To think that one type of firearm is more deadly because of its looks, is similar to thinking that removing the bayonet lug on a rifle will make it less dangerous (yes, the 1994 ban on assault weapons removed those dangerous bayonet lugs).
Fourth, the weapon you purchased could easily be utilized as a high-powered sniper rifle. As soon as the press and our government are finished with “assault rifles,” your rifle capable of hitting a person at 500 yards and killing them with one shot, will suddenly become a “sniper rifle” in their new lingo. You’re welcome not to purchase an assault rifle, but allowing one infringement will soon remove the obstacles to your rifle. Besides, if you can afford a rifle at Dicks, you have no legitimate need to hunt (in my opinion). You would be hard pressed to justify the “need” to hunt with a Safeway around the corner.
Finally, the second amendment to the constitution is more than hunting, personal protection and target shooting. It is the ultimate method by which our forefathers founded this country and removed a government not of their choosing. Forgetting this simple concept and pitting one set of firearms owners against the next, simply allows a government to remove our national rights under the constitution.
Jim – I respect your decision to hunt, and will protect it at all costs. I will do this knowing that I do not hunt, and that some people abhor your desire to kill an animal in the wild. I do this simply because I feel that not permitting you to exercise your second amendment rights, will ultimately remove my rights as well.
Jim, as a teacher I would think you would be a little better educated on the constitution. The right to bear arms has nothing to do with hunting.
Oh, and the fore fathers never forsaw auto loading weapons? They never foresaw radio, or television, or the internet, but all are equally protected as the printed newspage.
You seem to have a big problem with military styled rifles as well. Again you are wrong, these are not machine guns. These rifles are familiar in feel and operation to the many veterans who have served our nation. A pistol grip or a flash suppressor make these rifles no more dangerous than any another.
Please stop and be very honest with yourself Jim. Guns have been around for decades. These tragic shootings are relatively new. The heart of the problem is the heart. Listen to Rap music lyrics. Look at movies and video games. Look how life has no value in our society.
Your true heart came out when you brought up the money word. Just keep throwing us money……it’s for…..the children!
Pick up a 100 year old book. The one room school house days. Look at the large descriptive words used while communicating. It was wonderful!
Instead of inspiring young minds Jim, you’re trying to play the martyr. Woe is me, woe is you, woe is everybody. Shame on you.
No, you will never convince me that the gun is the problem. Maybe educators should put on their own thinking cap for a change instead of mimicking the thoughts of a liberal tenured professor.
Jim and hunters,
This isn’t about hunting, the 2nd Amendment is about the ability to throw off a repressive government by an armed citizenry. Do you honestly believe the Founding Fathers weren’t hunting everyday of their lives in the 1700s to feed their families? They weren’t concerned with their right to hunt for food. The so-called weapons of war that Sen. Feinstein calls semi-automatic carbines, hardly stand up to the US military and its might, but they are still all we have to defend ourselves and the US Constitutions protections should our government ever turn on its people. The nation is just over 200 years old, we are babies in world history and yes it can happen here as it has elsewhere in the world. That is why it is directly behind the First Amendment. The amendment has nothing to do with hunting, don’t be sidetracked by that spin on the issue and true reason for the amendment in the first place.
By the way, when the President and the Civil Rights leaders of our nation solve the gang violence and genocide happening in places like Chicago, his home, then we can take this talk seriously about gun violence. I worked gangs for years, no one ever felt those lives were tragically lost and yes, yes they were and by the thousands and well before Sandy Hook. Memphis inner-city gangs kill each other daily as well as in L.A., Miami, NYC, New Orleans, Dallas, Houston, Philly, etc. Some of these cities reside in states that have strict gun laws now, yet the killings are relentless and are committed with guns. Where are the leadership on these incidents? Why are they not marching in the streets to save these young people? You have to look at that and ask yourself why the double standard here.
I agree with having schools contract out Mental Health Services. This would mean the student does not have to be pulled out of class–which means everyone sees and may make comment, and the humiliated student now trades academic knowledge and standing for the opportunity to talk with someone procure guidance at best, and tracked at the least. Also, the already overburdened school counselor not trained in clinical psychology or autism spectrum disorders can attend to their other school responsibilities.
I fully support the President’s plan to reduce gun violence in America, especially the ban on assault weapons and on high capacity magazines. I hope to see other elements in place as well: better funding for educational and support services for children with disabilities; richer funding or coverage of public and private mental health services; expanded background checks, waiting periods, and required hours of training every year for all gun owners; and new federal funds to allow schools to recruit, screen and train unarmed community grandparents and others to be in halls and cafeterias, and on bus runs. No guns in schools: schools should be healthy havens for all children.
Claire,
Should the schools with the children of wealthy or elected officials also have to follow the “no guns” in school policy you suggest? If not, how is that fair to my child in the neighboring public school?
What is your position on violence in movies, television and video games? Should the Federal government ban Hollywood from selling products that contain such dangerous and violence-driven activities? Should the Federal government ban Hollywood from creating movies, video games and television shows that show our youth and adults how to commit violent acts?
I must have missed the Secretary’s and President’s actions on eliminating violence in video games, movies and television? Wait a second, former Senator Dodd (Democrat), who now heads the Motion Picture Association, disagrees with government imposed restrictions on violence in movies.
His comment is that their rights are protected by the first amendment. Too bad he didn’t “flip the page” on the Bill of Rights and notice there was also a second amendment to the Constitution.
O.O
so not cool man are you crazy i bet Romney would have laughed
What is cool Terrence, really? And why am I crazy to hold up liberty in high esteem? And where does Romney laughing come in? I’m honestly trying to engage everyone’s thinking here.
good point….
It is sad that the President is exploiting the children and parents of this sad tragedy for political posturing and gain. You should know better as well Arny. Many of the childrens letters were clearly written by, or coached by adults. And Arnys comments of children being too frightened to learn is more grandstanding. Children are amazingly resilient. Real security would require an armed officer at each school. Why not? It took twenty minutes for police to respond. That’s an eternity in a crisis situation. Allow teachers and custodians concealled carry as well. That’s a solution. Not disarming good, decent, law abiding citizens.
Good, decent, law abiding citizens have no need to possess assault weapons unless they plan on using them against people. Step back and look at history. You are exploiting, sir. No one wants your rifles, pistols, right to arm yourself. We want “machine guns” off the street. It’s been done before. Your country is NOT safer because of weapons. Check the data. You spit out emotional arguments and don’t consider facts.
Elizabeth,
Good, decent, law abiding citizens were killed by the millions by a man named Adolph Hitler. That is stepping back and taking a look at history. And Elizabeth, no one can legally buy or own a machine gun unless licensed by the federal government. You are the one who has not spoken a single fact!
And lastly, countless lives have been saved by armed citizens.
You really need to do your homewotk Elizabeth. If I was your teacher, you’d be heading for summer school!
Elizabeth,
You are another clueless person when it comes to guns. Manchine guns have been outlawed in this country since the 1930′s. You do not even know what an assault weapon is. My goodness, a basebat can be an assault weapon. You will never remove the three hundred million plus guns from America. The only thing you will do if you try to remove them is to make sure only the bad guys have guns. The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is to be the good guy with the gun. I pray that no bad guys try to break into your home to rape and kill you and your family. The police are only minutes away when the killer is only seconds from killing you. Good luck with that. If just one person in the front office of Sandy Hook were armed there would be no dead children in that school that day. Face reality.
I cannot believe anyone would suggest that we introduce guns into schools. I do not want an armed guard, and I fear the concept of anyone being allowed to carry weapons on any school campus, including one in which I am teaching.
It is interesting to note that the Wild West towns like Witchita and Dodge City were only tamed when laws were put in place to forbid cowboys to carry their sidearms inside the city limits. Lawmen like Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson became famous through their efforts to remove these weapons from individuals who refused to obey the laws. I find it very interesting that Bat Masterson did not carry a weapon on his person, and yet he was able to enforce the law and tame a wild town like Dodge City or Witchita.
I find it most offensive to suggest that a teacher should be armed. I recall my high school algebra teacher who in a fit of rage flung a piece of chalk through the classroom until it shattered on the blackfobard in the back of the room. As it whizzed by, I was stunned and thankful that the projectile was not made of lead.
Guns have no place in an institution of education, and weapons such as the ones used in Newtown should be outlawed. They serve no useful purpose other than to kill the maximum number of people in the shortest possible time.
I cannot imagine that my
So Dan,
What you are really saying here is that you would be more comfortable with becoming a victim and a number to the body count than have proper decent protection from a trained guard? Are you freaking kidding me?! I have been a school bus driver for 3 years, but my main career for over 14 years was with security, a portion of that was an armed guard. But, while I was a bus driver I have learned that here in my home city there are SRO’s in just about every school. SRO or School Resource Officer is actually a police officer appointed to a school for protection from any kind of violence, not just guns. Even if a student tries to start a fight with another student he/she is taken in and dealt with to find out what the problem is before they commit to harming another student or teacher. From all the schools that I have picked up and delivered students to, I can honestly say that I have never witnessed any wrong doing. I have even taken a high school football team on a trip out of state for a competition and we had a great time. They, the students, knew the rules and no guard needed because they were aware of the consequences.
By the way, your Wyatt Earp, Dodge City, etc. is way outdated. Things are very different today. Also, since you are a so called educator you need to learn exactly what the Second Amendment was actually put in place for. I’ll give you a hint, it wasn’t for hunting.
Please please please 1st things 1st – the quickest, safest deterrent for safeguarding our children, right now, is to place an armed, trained security guard in all schools and upgrade and reinforce the entrances and exits. It will take more time to get all of the other plans in place so for our childrens safety and some peace of mind please do this first! The terroists are targeting children in other countries to grab our outrage and hearts the most. Please!!!
What a problem and where to start. Like the question, how to eat a elephant? One bite at a time. Need to just get started. It does not surprise me how people have put their own wants before the safety of others, even our children. There was a assault weapon ban that was let expire because it was not allowed to come to the floor for vote. It would be interesting to see if that weapon could have been bought if that ban had still been in force. Gun laws are not going to eliminate gun violence any more than traffic laws eliminate car deaths, however how many traffic deaths do you think there would be with traffic laws? You can say what you want about President Obama, but he will addressing the tough issues.
I agree, we do not need these kind of weapons that have one perpose and that is to kill people I would really like for the nra and the republicans talk to the families of those kids that were killed and tell them why they are against a ban on these weapons and multi round clips. Tell them to do that face to face with these people
I would have no problem to tell them or you face to face. If there was just one person in the front office of Sandy Hook school armed with a weapon there would not be 20 dead children today. The number of cartridges (what you call bullets) makes not difference. What do you mean by “these kind of weapons?” The guy had two hand guns. The rifle everyone is talking about was in the trunk of the car. He never brought it into the school. The amount of protection one needs is their own decision. Just know that the typical person who has taken a gun course and has a permit needs three shots to take down one home invader. What happens when a small group of just five thugs decides to break into your home, rape and kill your wife and daughters and then kill you. With one five rounds in any rifle or hand gun your wife and daughters will be raped and killed and you will be dead just like Sandy Hook. Face Reality.
Oh My God Pat,
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I have stated the same thing myself to local friends and acquaintances. Adam Lanza entered the school with two hand guns, probably because these were the kinds of guns his mother taught him how to operate at the shooting range. This could be the sole reason why he DIDN’T TAKE THE SO CALLED ASSAULT TYPE RIFLE INTO THE SCHOOL. The rifle was found later in the trunk, but do you see how the wonderful media turned this all around and got the public believing it as well. The assault rifle wasn’t used, but since it was found at the site, locked up in the trunk, now all of a sudden it became the biggest focus by all of these gun ban idiots. Sen. Feinstein’s assault rifle ban DIDN’T STOP the Columbine shooting so why should any other gun ban.
I just wish the anti-gunners would keep the facts after they get them and not turn it all around. You’re also right about the bullet shots. It takes more than one shot to incapacitate a criminal who you are trying to protect yourself from. Research the statics and facts from the FBI and Police like I have.
Also, it just burns me how these people state that assault type rifles are made for only one purpose, to kill people. I’m sorry but they are so wrong. I’ve looked at all kinds of guns over the years including these and never have I read in the user manual that it stated: ‘This gun is only for killing people.’ What a joke. They keep on saying this to get everyone thinking that this is only what these guns are for. My friend has one and he never told me that he bought it because the user manual said it what for killing people. We go out with it, including others, and practice target shooting. But, guess what? The so called assault type rifle is great for varmints especially when they are on the run.
Increase penalties for criminals do noy make law abieding persons a criminal I have seen car trunks with eleagal guns for sale. The stores and shops or not the criminals
quit cutting funding for the mental ill.A CROOK CAN ALWAYS GET THERE HANDS ON A GUN LAW ABIEDING PEOPLE CANNOT!!!!!!
We have a prevention program in Puerto Rcio” Estrategias para Minimizar la Prevalencia de Conductas Violentas y de Maltrato” This proyect is sponsor by ” Consejo para la Deficiencias en el Desarrollo”. It has been very effective. We also publish “REVISTA PSYSOMA, a prevention Journal.
Education and prevention programs is the best approach to create a culture of peace in any school system.
I’m all for increasing mental health resources in our schools, but I’m wondering where the funds are coming from. I’m a counselor and as it is, jobs are scarce for us and our case loads are huge. School psychologists in our district are inundated with assessments and they rarely have time for therapy with the students who need it. If schools could contract with mental health offices in their districts, the need could be covered and insurance could be used for those students and/or parents who need it most, however, parents don’t alwiays bring their kids to a private office for therapy. Some community agencies are partnered with schools, but even those budgets are being cut in our district. If resources are going to be given, I worry that the money may not be used in the best way for our students mental health. Local educators, please be smart with the resources that come your way. It’s important to the lives of the children we are in this field to protect.
~ Amber from Philadelphia
Much cheaper to pay for teachers who want to take a firearms course and get their carry permit. Imagine if just one person in the front office had been armed; no children would be dead.