Posted on 01/03/2013 6:21:10 AM PST by PROCON
(CNSNews.com) - When children from Sandy Hook Elementary school return to class in neighboring Monroe, Conn. today, they'll be entering "the safest school in America," according to the Associated Press.
"Law enforcement officers have been guarding the new school, and by the reckoning of police, it is 'the safest school in America,'" the AP reported Thursday.
"I think right now it has to be the safest school in America," Monroe police Lt. Keith White was quoted as saying.
Having armed guards in schools is the National Rifle Association's suggestion for keeping children safe from the kind of terror that happened last month in Newtown, Conn.
"As parents, we do everything we can to keep our children safe. It is now time for us to assume responsibility for their safety at school," NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre said at a Dec. 21 news conference. "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," he said.
LaPierre noted that five years ago, after the Virginia Tech mass-shooting, he called for armed security guards in every school, and the media "called me crazy."
"But what if, when Adam Lanza started shooting his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday, he had been confronted by qualified, armed security?" LaPierre asked. "Will you at least admit it's possible that 26 innocent lives might have been spared?"
LaPierre urged Congress "to act immediately, to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every school — and to do it now, to make sure that blanket of safety is in place when our children return to school in January."
And that's exactly what they're doing for the children at Sandy Hook Elementary, who are now returning to class under a "blanket of safety."
LaPierre's suggestion to put armed guards in all schools was met with howls of outrage, as summarized by the New York Daily News:
"What about trying to stop the bad guy from getting the gun in the first place? That’s common sense," said Sen. Charles Schumer.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called LaPierre's speech “a shameful evasion of the crisis facing our country.”
Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who represents Newtown in Congress, tweeted that it was "the most revolting, tone deaf statement I’ve ever seen."
A number of Republicans also dismissed the NRA's suggestion: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said schools shouldn't be "an armed camp" because that wouldn't set a "positive example" for children. "We should be able to figure out other ways to enhance safety," Christie said.
However, policemen are now stationed at public schools in Marlboro, N.J., and other school systems may follow Marlboro's lead, the New Jersey Star-Ledger reported on Wednesday.
If they’d been there to begin with, those kids wouldn’t be dead.
Yeah, I know....common sense...can’t have that; it doesn’t play well with liberals and their “feelings”...
Ditto.
But Herr Obama said armed guards in schools won’t work!!!!
And destroy all "gun free zone" signs.
"Police Presence" would be a very good sign.
But, make sure no kids can get to it leading to false alarms.
Also, it would probably be too traumatic for kids to return to the scene of the most awful crime. There must be a lot of post traumatic syndrome for students, teachers and families.
School probably needs to be leveled and a new school at another location for present and future school children.
No - MMTU is correct. What should be implemented is the full restoration of our Right under the Second Amendment.
I resent the ideas of putting kids in 'compounds', having locking doors on the 'cells'/classrooms, and wandering guards/'security' -- all of that is the equivalent of jail. No thanks! Control overall access at the perimeters, fine, but not inside the building.
Like the guard at Columbine, most lower-echelon cops and security guards only fire their weapons for qualifying; most CCW holders practice more and hit their targets better, and have fewer bystander impacts.
Either we have CCW, or we have armed guards and armed criminals and we will be prey for both!
LaPierre said nothing about using cops and for an obvious reason. Cops cost money. Money that comes from taxes. Homeowners hate paying taxes. Hence his called for “armed volunteers.” No thanks. I’d prefer professionals protecting kids than unemployed Bubba. Perhaps instead of issuing parking tickets or busting kids with weed they could shift priorities?
I bet Christie has an armed guard. The principal said it is the safest school in the country. Hypocracy running rampant in liberalville.
“Look it up to confirm if you need. Neil Gardner was the guard.”
IIRC, the guard had left his gun in his car and was scared to death. He hid in a room until about 2 hours after the incident was over.
“A number of Republicans also dismissed the NRA’s suggestion: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said schools shouldn’t be “an armed camp” because that wouldn’t set a “positive example” for children. “We should be able to figure out other ways to enhance safety,” Christie said.
Isn’t an armed camp better than 20 funerals?
And if it is so darned easy, you do it.
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