You have made an excellent point about bullying in schools. Bullying is as old as cave kids learning to write on cave walls, but that does not excuse it. Bullying in schools has to be worse now as we see more and more hateful people of all ages. I am retired now but when I taught we were required to be standing in our doorways during class-change time and we were on rotation for the dreaded “potty patrol.” The presence of adults in the area of the restrooms and hallways cannot prevent bullying but it can help.

Also, awareness and concern and kind interaction with students who are hurting is something that should come naturally to a teacher but it does not always work that way. We are educated in child and adolescent psych as undergrads but I think more is needed.

“Teaching to the State Test” takes priority now. Teachers have less and less time to create a welcoming, interactive classroom atmosphere where students can get to know each other on a level beyond meeting the sterile standardized test requirements.

And while I am typing away here, I might as well say that I agree with Carl about “hardening the target” with metal detectors and guards at the entry, etc. But I do not agree with arming teachers.

Carl knows security. But I know teachers. The dynamics of schools would change, not for the better. Such an idea would grow arms and legs — all over the place. Would hiring sharpshooters take precedence over educating kids?

I do not think teachers should be armed. (And, btw, I do not think public librarians should have to administer Narcan to heroin addicts who choose public places to shoot up so that they can be rescued. That is happening in some of our cities now.) Such things are not what we dedicated to education types signed on to do.

Meanwhile, I continue to root for those Florida students who are standing up and making their voices heard.

(I cannot figure out why intelligent, law-abiding people cannot see that nobody is going to take their guns. How could that happen? It would be impossible. We are being pitted against each other. Classic Divide and Conquer tactics. And I cannot believe how easy, and fast, that has been to pull off. Where have all the moderates gone?)

I repeat what I wrote before about a faucet leaking a flooding your house. Would you not use every tool and trick to stop this deluge? Does not matter if the tool is painted blue, white or red.

There is a very serious problem with kids being murdered by other kids. Anything that works should be attempted.

Arming teachers sounds like a bad idea as how can you teach them to take a life which is what would be required of them.

Volunteer ex military maybe but there might be bad eggs among them as well. No solution is going to be perfect. An armed forced of enough men and women could even take the White House like in the War of 1812 to refer to Carl in Tampa's post(s). A plane came close on 9/11 but for the bravery of a group of passengers who brought it down.

I do not remember ever worrying about someone coming into our school with a gun and shooting it up when I was growing up. And Reno, Nevada was full of hunters and gun enthusiasts. I had a pellet gun which was as powerful as a 22 when I was about 10. And soon had some shotguns and 22s by age 14 or so. But I still do not get why anyone would need a weapon that just sprays bullets at a very fast rate of speed.

Thank you as well for sharing your background and experience. Your post reflects someone who is willing to look at this horrible situation from many different angles, knowing the importance in doing so. My concern is those who wish to make this a one issue discussion. If for example certain guns were banned, how long would that process take? We need much more immediate action in order to protect our children. Others on here have already commented on some of the other things we need to look into so I will not belabor the point. Real discussion will open up when people become willing to drop their politics and agendas and open their minds to the possibility that these terrible situations are worthy of more than a one issue discussion. Again, thank you for your post.

There is a way out of this mess

This is never going to happen just as gun control is never going to happen. That does not mean however that nothing can happen. If they need to tighten security at all of the schools, as Carl suggests, then that is what they need to do. They have done it at all of the Federal buildings and they can do it in the schools. They also need to find a way to get help to these kids who are potential killers without the ACLU jumping all over them for rights violations.

I agree. We definitely need to look at the gun situation as well from the perspective of proper enforcement of the laws on the books as well as where we may be able to tighten up on background checks. But the more people (esp our elected officials) we can get to look at this situation from all angles as you are, the more likely something will get done. Using an issue to divide will not accomplish a thing - we've already been there, done that, with absolutely no success.

One only has to look at how the issue of outlawing bump-stocks after Las Vegas, has been shoved in the closet with the hope that it would be forgotten...to prove your statement correct. :ohdear:

That is definitely they need to do something about along with magazine capacity.

The voices of the people most affected by these school shootings- students, teachers, school administrators-- MIGHT really bring about change. Especially if the people who do not listen and more importantly do not ACT, are voted out of office.

The NRA is nothing more than a microcosim of the political driven mechanism, quid quo pros, you don't go after mine and I wont' go after your benefactor's benefits, establishment handicapped, do not upset the status quo elected officials at local, state and federal levels.

What gets lost in the myriad of the powerful beholding few is the benefit of the many....WE THE PEOPLE!!!

The NRA is another special interest group, one of the many, like minority and any other so called rights protectors that directly influence any issues of significance outcomes.

The real as well as the political needs/aspects of the gun related issues will not change until the establishment changes the priorities from the few to the many. The majority has become emasculated, tolerant and unheard.

Excellent! I think more of us are on the same side of this issue than it seems. If only we would drop the politics and the one issue agendas it would become so much more apparent that, ultimately, we all want the same thing where this issue is concerned.

It seems the majority is now the so called “silent majority”. Perhaps the younger generation will make a difference.

They will. And it will be very different from what most of us would support.

What do you base this on, experience or what you read? Because Carl and I, who both have extensive firearms experience have already explained why magazine capacity would matter very little if any.

I agree.