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The Spectacle Blog
School officials had best get ready: the lesson of the Connecticut mass shootings in a grade school is about to come home to hundreds of such institutions across the United States. A random sampling of school parents in my area of suburban Washington shows no concept of what it takes for a stranger to enter a school.
One says there is a buzzer system. “You ring the buzzer and somebody answers and lets you in.”
Another says, “You first must go to the principal’s office just inside the front entrance.” I didn’t explain that the Connecticut killer’s first victim was the principal, in his office.
True, in some areas the local police have had drills to see how they would handle armed invasions of the local schools. But these do not foresee preventing such entries, only dealing with on-going crimes.
What local parents should do, at risk of being busy-bodies, is inquire of the security system designed to prevent incursions such as the Connecticut instance. Chances are the system is not in place. Schools are thought of as public places, after all.
But the lesson of the Connecticut massacre will not go away. A lesson that all might consider learning.
View all comments (23) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Reid Collins
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/12/14/hard-lesson
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Occam's Tool| 12.14.12 @ 7:05PM
Maybe the ACLU should be crucified in the court of public opinion for making it hard to involuntarily medicate violent psychotics outside of psychiatric hospitals. I blame the ACLU for this school shooting. 10:1 this guy had a history of mental illness.
Now, THAT'S a GOOD place to start that right and left can agree on. Worthless ACLU scumbags.
7-08| 12.14.12 @ 7:16PM
I worked on several NRA sponsored bills in our legislature. One was to make available mental records for consideration with potential gun purchasers with questionable mental histories. We favored such legislation. The medical community stopped it dead in its tracks despite the fact that only trained doctors were allowed to see the patient histories and only a state appointed panel of doctors was allowed the review.
Stan Redmond| 12.15.12 @ 4:02PM
Should our other bill of rights amendments be subject to such standards? If I want to buy a book at Amazon should that be subject to an FBI back ground check to make sure there is no potentially dangerous information in the book? Who appoints the magic doctor that doesn't have any bias? It's stuff like this why I won't join the NRA.
7-08| 12.15.12 @ 9:28PM
Patients with this issue were to be reported to a data base (by their doctors) and those on this list would be flagged. An independent review board of state physicians would act as an arbitrator if the patient challenged his right to purchase a firearm. In no way was the average gun buyer subjected to this process. ONLY IF a doctor put his patient on the non-purchase list was this to be implemented, no one else was affected.
Stan Redmond| 12.15.12 @ 10:32PM
Eliminate doctor patient privacy? If your doctor is anti-gun and decides to put all his patients on there? How much will it now require to fund this massive approval process? And what about those that don't visit a doctor? Are all Americans going to be forced to visit a shrink before they can apply for their constitutional rights? How the NRA thought a law like you suggest would not be subject to political pressure is beyond me. Again, apply the same standards to the rest of the bill of rights. The NRA is asking for a law that will do nothing to prevent these massacres and falling for the liberal gun grabbing premise. This monster stole the guns anyway. What good would it have done if he was not allowed to purchase firearms? NONE! He was an evil disturbed young man.
7-08| 12.16.12 @ 12:20AM
The bill never made it out of committee because of the doctor patient issue. The only people that were adjudicated were already under the care of a professional. No one was to be forced into anything. If you had no mental history you went through no additional process. If you did have issues that were noted by a doctor you were placed on a register which was checked when you tried to purchase. If you were not on the list you had no restrictions - no gun buyers were forced to "visit a shrink."
I sat through numerous hearings and not a single gun owner complained - the only objections were made by doctors.
Sean| 12.16.12 @ 7:00PM
I have to agree with Stan here. You realize they are trying to classify returning vets with mental disorders in mass to prevent them from owning guns. Our side continuously compromise while their side never does. Look also at the place that have concealed carry with applications. People apply and the government never approves.
7-08| 12.16.12 @ 8:02PM
These bills were proposed in the mid 1990's. None went anywhere. The only point here is that the issue of "deranged" people capable of violence has constantly been addressed. Those of you worried about the veterans, and I am a veteran, please understand that the criteria for getting the "purchase card" was waved for veterans, police officers, and NRA instructors.
These people were waved for their familiarity with firearms.
Again no medical criteria was adopted in any way shape or form. the purchase card was finally adopted, it costs five dollars and lasts three years. It does entail a criminal background check.
Occam's Tool| 12.16.12 @ 3:32PM
7-08: I have no clue as to why, other than wanting to avoid ACLU lawsuits. But the most important thing is to make it easier to medicate someone with a history of violent mental illness.
Stan: I'm talking about people who have already been committed. Here in MN, if you are committed for a mental illness, it is as though you are a felon with regards to gun purchases. It does not affectpeople who go see their doc for an antidepressant, or those who get voluntary mental illness treatment.
Kingofthenet| 12.14.12 @ 8:12PM
I am not sure why a female Kindergarten teacher bought a 'Bushmaster' semi-Auto rifle?
Stan Redmond| 12.15.12 @ 6:30PM
Because she can.
Thom| 12.16.12 @ 4:43PM
"I am not sure why a female Kindergarten teacher bought a 'Bushmaster' semi-Auto rifle?"
pump action rifle?
lever action rifle?
bolt action rifle?
muzzle loading rifle?
semi-Auto pistol?
6 shot revolver pistol?
6 shot 1851 cap and ball revolver pistol?
flint lock single shot pistol?
semi-Auto shotgun?
pump action shotgun?
break action double barrel shotgun?
break action single barrel shotgun?
muzzle loading shotgun?
ax?
knife?
hammer?
I’m not sure why we let anyone buy computer systems 100 times more powerful than they need and capable of spreading hate speech, lies and insensitivity at the speed of light.
When the perps and nutcases are all locked away and can only get toothpicks I’ll still have a sword because it is my right to defend myself.
spike59| 12.17.12 @ 6:02AM
and i am not sure what business it is of yours; do we question why your mom keeps buying you cheetos, queenie?
Sean| 12.14.12 @ 8:28PM
He was a son of a school employee so would most likely be let in to a building. Also there is no real security that could stop a mass murder except having other armed people around. Look at the Fort Hood shooting and that was against unarmed military personnel.
Occam's Tool| 12.16.12 @ 3:33PM
Sean: indeed. That is one reason I thank G-d every day that I did NOT take the Fort Hood psychiatry job that was offered me.
mike 3/505| 12.14.12 @ 8:59PM
Arm the teachers...problem solved.
Jimbobogie| 12.15.12 @ 1:38PM
Actually Mike I think we should go one better (I posted my suggestion in amother thread, but essentially EVERY SCHOOL-AGE AMERICAN SHOULD HAVE A LOADED HANDGUN ON THEIR PERSON 24/7). The NRA has a children's program-it's time for Mr. LaPierre to start using it-unless he's gone "soft".
Mike G| 12.16.12 @ 9:18AM
The problem is not about who is allowed to enter the school. We could build 15 ft. high cinder block walls around all of our schools, but if someone really wanted to get in, he/she could steal a dump truck to drive through the wall.
The problem is a societal problem resulting from allowing crazy people to roam free.
Occam's Tool| 12.16.12 @ 3:34PM
And/or unmedicated. Injectable long acting antipsychotics exist and are usable and easily monitorable.
Thom| 12.16.12 @ 2:08PM
Mr. Collins, just what hard lesson is to be learned from the CT shooting that hasn’t already been learned from VT, Ft Hood, two different mass killings in CO, etc? The majority or sheeple don’t want to deal with the truth of the matter and will look everywhere but the civic duties they have shoved off on imaginary others for decades. Government sponsored killing fields are what public schools, colleges, universities, churches and other government protected mass murder venues waiting to happen are today. A one legged vet with an 1851 cap and ball revolver could have stopped all these mass murders if they had been on site. You know what happens when you take no weapon to a fight with a weapon? Some protected “nutcase” will eventually use a chainsaw on a bunch of kids and then we can all sit back and wait for the calls for more “chain saw” control laws.
God help this country if some evil men with purpose ever pick up where these “nutcases” leave off. We are so naive about the world in which we live.
Bob K| 12.16.12 @ 7:05PM
Thom,
You have made some of the best, most rational and well thought out comments to this tragedy in your posts in this blog and in Aaron's above this one!
Thom| 12.16.12 @ 9:57PM
Thanks Bob K.
Unfortunately if rational thought had anything to do with our society today no one would have to say this. Rational people know where this is headed eventually. No sane person would want that but that’s the way of the beast. Democracies destroy themselves given enough time and rope. It is all about the MOB now.
Cpm| 12.17.12 @ 2:35PM
One thing for sure that you can count on is that the school will be a "gun-free zone", and unable to mount any effective response to an armed invader.