|
Well my opinion on this matter has to be broken into sections.
On the issue of teachers being able to carry concealed weapons, I find myself feeling a tad bit uncomfortable about it in one sense, but in another I see a lot of positive that can come from it.
I agree with you about how a teacher may be pushed overboard by stress and may just snap one day, but I honestly think that if they want to shoot and kill people, they WILL do it regardless of whether they are allowed to carry a concealed weapon or not. However, that would make it easier for them to be able to carry said weapon onto the school property. I do think that in a situation like VA Tech, it could have been a huge asset, potentially ending the situation before it ever got nearly as bad. But at the same time, there's always the chance that teacher could overreact and use their weapon with unnecessary force out of fear. So really it's all about weighing the pros and cons, and ultimatly about which one will keep the students and faculty the safest.
When it comes to the metal detectors, I think that is a MUST, but only when it comes to high schools. The reason for that is because high schools are generally one large building which can be contained easily. Basically, the moment they pass through that door in the morning and enter the school, they should not be allowed to leave the building unless authorized to do so (in the instances of gym class or lunch break), in which case they will be screened again upon re-entry. Really, they need to treat high school like an airport, and if they did so then there'd be no reason for faculty of the high school to ever have to carry a weapon. There should be no reason any weapons are getting into the school in the first place.
As for colleges, it just won't happen, and it's a totally different ballgame. You'd have to search everybody on a constant basis because there are many, many buildings on a college campus and it's not nearly as easy to lock-down. The amount of delays it would cause for students to get from class to class... well there'd be no reason in even going to class. Instead, they need to do as you also mentioned and hire armed guards as well as plain closed guards to patrol the campus. That's the sad thing about it all... there's not a whole lot you can do other than that. It's a large, public venue and people are everywhere. You can't prevent it, you can only be prepared. This is when I do think it would be benficial to allow professors to carry concealed firearms.
Lastly, you brought up the lack of parenting these days. When it comes to school shootings, I think that they may have some effect, but not a ton. From what I've read and seen about school shooters, they generally suffer from various kinds of mental illnesses or have other mental issues which go beyond the reach of a parent. I sometimes think people are simply wired to be inhumane, regardless of who their parents are or how they're treated.
However, I agree with you 110% about how parenting is no longer the way it was. I remember being raised to respect my elders and to follow the rules. Of course like any child I would break them from time to time, but that's when I was given discipline. My mother and father never hit me, but they didn't let me get away with shit. While they did the typical method of grounding me or making me do chores, there was one method of discipline which went far beyond anything else they tried. Disappointment. That's when I knew I really pushed it too far. I wouldn't get grounded, I wouldn't get yelled at... my mother would simply look me in the eyes and tell me how disappointed she was with me and how much it hurt her, and then she wouldn't make eye contact with me again after that. That to me was a knife straight through the heart. Nobody wants to be looked at as a disappointment in their parents eyes, and I think parents these days need to instill this value into their children.
Unfortanatly, a lot of kids these days lack all respect for authority and their own parents, doing whatever they hell they want and not giving a damn what anything thinks. I personally believe it's because when they were younger, their parents never put the disappointment factor into their heads, and if you wait too long it'll become too late. Parents need to bring back true discipline. I remember when I was 12 and I was too afraid to talk back to a grown-up; when my biggest aspiration in life at that point was playing hockey with my friends. It's amazing to see what 12 year olds are doing now...
--------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes When I'm Alone, I Google Myself
|
Favorites
Digg
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Furl
Magnolia
StumbleUpon
Google
Yahoo MyWeb
Please wait...
