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State Ed Boss: More Guns In Schools Not Answer
January 25, 2013
More guns in schools aren’t necessarily the answer to school safety issues, the new state education boss said.
Education Commissioner Tony Bennett says instead that creating a culture where kids and adults in talk openly and trust each other – and where adults communicate about potential problems – is a big part of the solution to school violence.
In a radio interview aired Thursday night, Bennett said when he was in Indiana the schools focused on being proactive in identifying potential problems, “as opposed to reactively, which is the discussion about putting more guns in our schools. I have to tell you, I don’t believe that’s the solution,” Bennett says. “I believe the solution is where we develop a school system where every child feels safe, every child has a significant adult they can go to and where we have a seamless line of communications where all of the leaders who affect a child’s education have the ability to share information so we don’t have that situation like we had in Columbine, where every community agency, they were dealing with those kids, and they didn’t talk to each other.”
By The News Service of Florida
Comments
10 Responses to “State Ed Boss: More Guns In Schools Not Answer”
I love the “putting more guns in the schools” talking point. People with an agenda say this to give the impression that guns will just be lying around loose where anybody can pick them up and start shooting.
Nobody is suggesting this. Local schools have had a positive experience with school resource officers. I see nothing wrong with an armed law enforcement officer on campus.
I do not under stand why people freak out , about having and arm police officer in our schools. It has been clearly proven that gun free zones only apply to legal law abiding people. The criminal element will not, respect any of these laws. Is it the fact that they do not wish to face up to the fact , that some how we have fail to raise our children to respect human life? It seems the new fad, is to play video games of first shooter, violent graphic games, with no remorse or thought, to the killing of one’s opponent. its just a game. They are being program to kill, And it seems in the young mind of these players, it is just and extention of the game. People in the country do not fear guns. We hear them and wonder, did they get a deer , shot a snake , target pracitice , oh well. Ever one around us has a gun and I am very proud of that. It is not the right of those who live mostly in cities to dictate to us , in the country, how to regulate fire arms because of their fear. Keep armed personal in school, and if they do not have them, put them in there.
Another out of touch with reality liberal. That would indeed be the ideal situation to have, but until that time arrives, we must deal with reality. Having several armed individuals, who are trained, would be better than having our children be sitting ducks waiting to be killed. Also, it would mean no more advertising our schools as gun free zones. Gun free zones are nothing but target rich environments for the insane people who commit these horrible crimes. You never hear of a mass murder at a police station, gun range, or any other place where it is known that people are armed. If we as a society will not take the steps to protect the most helpless (armed personnel in schools), even though it may offend some, perhaps we are doomed as a society. For even animals will defend their young.
A survivalist mother taught her mentally challenged son to use a high power gun that could hold a huge magazine filled with bullets. Other than to limit the number of bullets that he could spray from a magazine clip, I don’t think anything else could have been done or will be done. In the sixties and seventies there were very little of this fire power available to the average joe. So how could this be blamed on the culture revolution of the 60’s?
I just don’t think Mr. Bennett gets it. The adults he speaks of are mainly teachers, who already have their hands full trying to deal with all the mandated material they are supposed to deliver, and TRY to teach the kids the 3Rs. The shooters in the situations we’ve seen weren’t real good communicators themselves, and I don’t see them being talked out of their delusional mindset in some sort of kumbaya session at school. Should every teacher and principal be required to carry a gun? I don’t think so – we’ve all seen some school officials show pretty poor judgement, like the one who publicly frisked a 4th grader who had a paper facsimile of a gun, of the principal who evacuated a school when some kid wrote “bomb” on toilet paper and stuck it to the wall. If those guys were armed, who would they shoot? Tighter security? Yes. But, I think qualified personnel should handle that area.
reducing school violence today requires a multidisciplined approach….his ideas are important…..definatelly, improved “proactive” communication with students are part of the equation….however, it remains only part of the solution….i think that most kids (and parents) would feel safer with an armed officer at school, in light of whats been happening lately…add a few more counselors, increase the anit-bullying efforts…..maybe more parents will now get involved with their childs PTA ….could provide a very educational opportunity for parents, as well ….like gun safety at home- better communications with their child or just staying alert to dangerous personality changes in their child…
I agree communication is a first step, but this culture started in the late 60’s and 70’s, so I don’t think this is a problem that can be solved by just talking. Values should be taught starting at K5!! The “Peace Generation” started this mess and it will take several decades to correct. I have always stated my generation would screw things up, and I guess we have done a pretty good job of it. The Peace and Love back then has not translated very well to the future. Instead we have created a monster of a society that does not care about life, and would prefer to sit on their butts and get the handout from the tax payers of this country! We should do away with the No Gun Zone, this would make the schools a lot safer!!
Columbine? How many years ago was that? So, Mr. Bennett, what have you done in response to that school shooting of 12 years ago to fix the problem as you see it? NOTHING, THAT’S WHAT. As for Columbine’s shooting, what does it have in common with the more recent Newtown one? How about a gun free zone with no police presence on campus at the time.
I think he should ease on back to Indiana if he thought they did such a lovely job up there…
Tony…you my friend are a moron….
Education Commissioner Tony Bennett says instead that creating a culture where kids and adults in talk openly and trust each other – and where adults communicate about potential problems – is a big part of the solution to school violence.
Tust each other? This is a serious issue…Liberals…