Many Massachusetts officials are wary of a declaration by the National Rifle Association that armed guards should be stationed at all schools following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
“I’m not so sure that armed guards at this point would be considered to be appropriate,” said Paul Andrews, director of professional development and government services at the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents. “We’re trying to maintain a learning atmosphere in a school and not make it into an armed facility.”
Comments
Sorry, Mayor Menino...you are just plain wrong. Your knee-jerk anti-NRA reaction is pure politics, not public safety. Clearly, the openess and accessibility of our schools have made them a target for those who, in their twisted way, seek revenge or public attack or even public suicide. As hard as we may try, we will never be able to anticipate every one of these attacks, and the only realistic answer is to increase security at our schools. "Armed camps"? Hardly. Were you at Logan Airport during the days following 9/11? Remember the patrolling State Troopers, armed with M16s? My sense of security soared at the sight of well armed security...and thousands of folks moved easily and safely through the terminal. I find it incredible that the Mayor and his Police Superintendent resist this common-sense measure...protecting our children with some of the same effective measures used at banks, sporting events and on the street. Drop the silly anti-gun theater, and meet the threat with an effective defense.
Thank you, God. Anything you say is Gospel... in your arrogant head.
Are you going to pony up the pesos to pay for all these armed guards or do you actually like unfunded mandates?
it is time to ban the NRA and all of its influence!!
Is that how we do things in America now? We BAN organizations? While we are at it, should we ban the Nazi Party too? Or should we just ban the Tea Party, would that be more to your liking? Maybe we should just BAN left wing Democrats?
The NRA will self destruct on its own...
I wonder, does the Mayor have a security detail? Is there armed security at City Hall? Hmmmm.
But more to the point. On Jan 2 kids will go back to school, nothing will have changed to protect them. There won't be any ban on "assault weapons", even if there were, tens of thousands of them will never be turned in or confiscated. If a ban were in effect on "high capacity magazines", hundreds of thousands of those would stil be in the hands of private owners. And you can bet anyone contemplating mayhem wouldn't be turning theirs in. In reality, on Jan 2, politicians will start doing what they do best, talking, posturing, figuring out how they can best get elected next cycle. Meanwhile, millions of kids will be sitting in boxes that get "locked down" at the first sign of trouble, while they wait for police to arrive.
Come to think of it, exactly who are these people, Mayors, Police Chiefs, et al who think THEY should decide on what safety precautions are appropriate for our children? The policies that have been in effect have not worked when these attacks have occured.
The Police Chief in Fall River has the right idea, do it now, put a Police Officer at the school while the politicians babble and bluster. But by all means, protect those kids! When they are done babbling, if a real plan emerges, fine. If not, the citizens of Fall River may just want to continue with Police Officers, or maybe not.
I highly doubt any school child is going to be traumatized by seeing a police officer at school. If so, one would have to ask the question, "What have the parents and teachers been telling children about Police Officers that would make them traumatized?"
When I grew up, I was told that if trouble started, the FIRST person I should rely on was a Police Officer to help. And now we are hearing from a Mayor and others that Police Officers are a negative influence in schools? My, my, my.
I sincerely hope that a copycat lunatic does not strike in Boston while the Mayor is busy furthering his anti gun agenda, risking the lives of innocent children.
Most of Massachusetts police officers are doing '"construction_oversight."
"I’m not so sure that armed guards at this point would be considered to be appropriate,” said Paul Andrews
Well, Mr. Andrews, you need to get sure, the lives of innocent children are at stake.
“We’re trying to maintain a learning atmosphere in a school and not make it into an armed facility.”
That sounded good, but how about making it into a SAFE LEARNING ATMOSPHERE? and skip your hyperbole?
I don't think the word 'hyperbole' means what you think it means.
"I cannot believe some of these statements made by intelligent people!"
You're assuming you're not among them, I suppose. You think what you say is superior to the rest. Did it ever cross you mind....? No, of course not.
“I’m wondering what kind of message it sends to kids to walk into a school and see an armed guard,” Fleishman said.
The kids have all seen the news, Mr. Fleishman. The message it sends to them is that we CARE about their safety, do you think they are stupid? When kids walked into school without any security it made them think "Whoa, isn't anyone going to do anything about what happened?"
I cannot believe some of these statements made by intelligent people!
Why are Mumbles and his chief police official even bothering to respond to this never happen proposal by the National Rifle Association's CEO? In a word, it is parents. The combined sorrow and hype that has flooded the nation since the Newtowne, CT school slayings has stirred huge numbers of parents to dread that some black-clad, assault rifle-toting maniac will get inside their children's school to mimic the Lanza madness and thus to call for protection from their local governments. The other wackiness this dread has produced is the idea of arming teachers and providing them with bulletproof vests. The use of tax revenues for such plans is dubious at best, although good locks on every door that can somehow be controlled during school hours without disrupting the school's functioning smoothly may not be a bad idea.
The idea of having armed guards at schools may initially be oft-putting but think of other places we secure and think nothing of it. After 9/11 airport security went through the roof. We have to take our shoes off because one wacky terrorist had a shoe bomb. Every large public event has security. Try to get into an office building in Boston without going through security. Those deemed to be at-risk have security details. We deal with security on a regular basis.
The odds of other mentally ill individuals looking to repeat the horrors of Newtown are very good. Other countries, including Australia which was recently back in the news, have shown us what gun control can do but, like anything else in life, people will always find a way to get access. The NRA stated it very crassly but common sense would tell you schools need to be added to that long list of things that require security.
I could be wrong, but Columbine High School had armed guards on duty when two gunman took over that school.
Cranky,you may be right. But what I remember most about Columbine was the police saying they didn't want to enter the building until the shooting stopped. Unbelievable.
Who is the person doing Menino's, "call-outs?" Obviously someone in the Mayor's office wants the image of a hard working mayor to remain on the public stage!
Why are we still after Mayor Menino? I guess Boston does kick a good man when they're down. Legally, he probably could take family leave, but he is actually working from his hospital bed!
Cambrigian is a hater. Everything he posts reflects it. Try to ignore him.
Gun control advocates are from Venus. Gun owners are from Mars. Neither one understands the other. Both think the other is illogical. Some school systems in the USA will put on extra guards, at least until the budgets get tight again. Basically, count on nothing of any significance to be accomplished after all the dust has cleared. A year from now, when the media are doing their summaries of events during 2013, they will mention the gun/safety discussion and they will say, "Wow! That fizzled out fast, huh?"
And, besides, even if we did decide that we wanted to do this we couldn't because every police detail is busy looking down the holes in our streets, or sitting in their vehicles playing video games while workmen fix our highways ;-)
Details are paid for by the contractors. For instance, if Verizon is in a manhole, many cities require a detail. It's a money-maker and costs the taxpayers nothing. Cops love details because they make extra money. It's like overtime.
You may disagree with the NRA's recommended approach, Mumbles, but you must admit that it is a reasonable alternative. Don't just read the headline ... Listen to Lapierre's entire speech if you are truly interested in being objective and not political.
Anybody who thinks it's a reasonable alternative needs a brain transplant. There are about 100,000 public schools, plus private schools, plus colleges and universities, plus thousands of theaters, shopping malls and other mass murder venues. There were armed guards at some of the schools that were attacked and all of the shopping malls. They prevented nothing.
There was NO objectivity in the rant from that evil man without a heart or conscience. He wasn't asking for discussion. He was dictating. It was purely political in support of the NRA agenda. If 10,000 were killed, the NRA position would be the same. These are obsessed and irrational people trying to brainwash everyone else.
let's hear from Mumbles---hasn't shown up for close to 3 months.
probably has had a heart attack - the liberal media in Boston won't report honestly...
and is mayor of a city that is sinking into the abis
Reading is apparently something you never learned to do. The story just quoted Menino, so he's alive and well. I know you want him dead, but you didn't get your wish. What kind of a awful person are you. As unworthy as you are to associate with decent people, I don't wish you dead.
Notice with all of the talk about too many guns, the high and mighty anti-gun Globe NEVER mentions about the Obama Administrations failed Gunrunning operation called "Fast and Furious", that handed illegal weapons to Mexican gangs. The Globe refused to report on the Congressional probe when it was in progress, and still says nothing now.