topic Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards..... in Community Chat

From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

KingstonsMom — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 16:59:42 GMT

The Pennsylvania school district that stocked its classrooms with a bucket of stones last week has announced that they will replace the rocks with armed guards.

Blue Mountain School District put a five-gallon bucket of river stones - which are smooth and used for landscaping - in the closet of every elementary, middle and high school classroom on Friday.

But on Sunday, David Helsel, the superintendent of the district, wrote on Facebook that the district will be putting armed guards in schools in a letter addressed to parents, students and staff.

'As all of you are aware, recently there has been a great deal of media attention brought to Blue Mountain School District.

'This attention was due to social media posts that took comments out of context and misrepresented our actual planned response to armed intruders (particularly with the planned use of stones),' the post read.

'This unfortunate circumstance has increased our concern regarding the possibility that something may happen because of the media attention. Starting tomorrow [Monday] and into the near future, we have arranged for additional armed security for our buildings.

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

fourpaws56 — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:01:08 GMT

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

KingstonsMom — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:04:07 GMT

@fourpaws56

5's!

I know which one would get my attention if I had evil intentions!

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

sidsmom — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:08:21 GMT

....but Parkland had armed personnel, so...

How’s that working?

Oh, wait.

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

KingstonsMom — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:12:48 GMT

@sidsmomwrote:
....but Parkland had armed personnel, so...
How’s that working?
Oh, wait.

@sidsmom

While I agree with your point, it's better than a box of rocks, IMO.

Not all law enforcement officers are cowards.

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

Gsmom — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:13:09 GMT

In a high school in my state there was a near fatal stabbing with a pen last year

The victim was stabbed in the main artery of his neck thankfully he lived .

The mental health of students as well as Getting the parents tuned in to their severely troubled children has to be addressed and zero tolerance for all poor behavior threats etc.

I would certainly feel safer with armed security in every school

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

Ms tyrion2 — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:16:07 GMT

@KingstonsMomwrote:
@sidsmomwrote:
....but Parkland had armed personnel, so...
How’s that working?
Oh, wait.
@sidsmom

While I agree with your point, it's better than a box of rocks, IMO.

Not all law enforcement officers are cowards.

There is no way to know how someone will react in the face of carnage. They don't give you a bravery test when they put a gun in your hands.

More guns is not the answer. Never was. Never will be.

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

sidsmom — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:20:31 GMT

@KingstonsMomwrote:
@sidsmomwrote:
....but Parkland had armed personnel, so...
How’s that working?
Oh, wait.
@sidsmom

While I agree with your point, it's better than a box of rocks, IMO.
Not all law enforcement officers are cowards.

They would not be ‘law enforcement.’

They would be ‘armed security.’

Two totally different animals.

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

Gsmom — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:24:59 GMT

As long as there are families raising killers we need to protect our precious children as

Well as the all mothers and fathers who serve as teachers and administration With trained armed security

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

Carmie — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:23:26 GMT

I figured something like this would come about. Most of the people in The PA county where this school district is located thought the superintendent had rocks in his head when he came up with the bucket of rocks idea.

His idea was implicated and put into place last fall, but he brought it to the public’s attention recently and it did not go over very well.

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

Pook — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:34:57 GMT

Looking at all the mass shootings, it is quite obvious that the shooters were prepared to die and often killed themselves. I don't think the threat of knowing there are armed teachers or guards will deter someone if their intent is to shoot as they are probably not in a normal frame of mind! Arming some teachers could be a disaster! There already have been a few guns going off in schools by teachers. You get one teacher shooting randomly at shots fired then another shooting in the direction of the second shot and on and on depending on how many armed teachers there are. Bigger chance that others will get hurt or killed! You'll get all the yahoos who think they know firearms doing this but in the end they could make things worse! Most schools won't even have a candidate who might actually be trainable and won't overreact. The presence of guns does not mean safety for anyone! I think securing the schools better by making only one available entrance where someone has to be buzzed into a seperate enclosed area and then an armed guard will search and scan anyone wanting access before escorting them to their destination. Also safe closets are another option like one school already has. The cost of insuring and constantly training teachers who carry guns to school might actually be higher than shoring up security and hiring more real qualified police/guards.

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

Carmie — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:46:57 GMT

@Pook Most of the schools in PA have one entrance and all doors are always locked. You must have a badge to open the door or must be buzzed in to the lobby that leads to the business office. The only way you can get into the hall way is to go through the office area.

The area where I see a “security hole” is in the morning. When the students are coming in, a teacher stands and holds the door open for the students.

Since most of the students are comming off of a bus, there are 30 to 60 entering at a time.

Some schools make the students pass through metal detectors, but many don’t.

I think all schools should be using metal detectors and everyone should be passing through them.

We have had instances where first and second graders have brought a gun to school.... not planning to shoot anyone, just to show it off...dangerous too. They have idiot parents who do not lock up their guns.

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

KingstonsMom — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:49:09 GMT

@sidsmomwrote:
@KingstonsMomwrote:
@sidsmomwrote:
....but Parkland had armed personnel, so...
How’s that working?
Oh, wait.
@sidsmom

While I agree with your point, it's better than a box of rocks, IMO.
Not all law enforcement officers are cowards.
They would not be ‘law enforcement.’
They would be ‘armed security.’
Two totally different animals.

@sidsmom

You're preaching to the choir, I'm part of an FBI family, so I apologize to you for my poor choice in wording.

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

sidsmom — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:53:09 GMT

@KingstonsMom

We’re cool!

🌼💛

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

SahmIam — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:54:21 GMT

Metal detectors are great as long as you have someone who can then take control of the situation, if needed. Question is, WHO is that person going to be? In my county, it's an armed police officer in the middle and high schools. Currently, there is not a cop in the elementary schools but that will be changing (or so I hear). There is a major difference between an on-duty armed cop, a deputy and a hired security guard (all carrying guns). If anything, that 2 step defence (metal detectors and armed cop) should be the FIRST thing any school does.

But that raises other issues. And round and round it goes.

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

QueenDanceALot — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 18:03:04 GMT

@sidsmomwrote:
@KingstonsMomwrote:
@sidsmomwrote:
....but Parkland had armed personnel, so...
How’s that working?
Oh, wait.
@sidsmom

While I agree with your point, it's better than a box of rocks, IMO.
Not all law enforcement officers are cowards.
They would not be ‘law enforcement.’
They would be ‘armed security.’
Two totally different animals.

Boyfriend used to call 'armed security' "Rent-a-Cops".

I am in favor of actual well trained and equipped law enforcement to be present in schools. No, I don't like the "armed camp" criticism I hear, but it beats dead children.

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

QueenDanceALot — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 18:04:42 GMT

Maybe every school in the nation needs to say they are going with the "Bucket of Rocks" idea and then maybe they'll get some actual security.

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

KingstonsMom — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 18:04:54 GMT

@sidsmomwrote:
@KingstonsMom
We’re cool!
🌼💛

@sidsmom

Yep! We be cool!

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

kitcat51 — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 18:05:45 GMT

@sidsmomwrote:
....but Parkland had armed personnel, so...
How’s that working?
Oh, wait.

I understand your concern. Sadly the school, police & the FBI failed miserably & those failues should be investigated & charges filed for negligence...shifting the blame to gun rights & owners is not acceptable to me.

Re: From Rocks to Armed Guards.....

stevieb — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 18:06:42 GMT

The rock idea wasn't the brightest, but good for him for citing that media attention has the potential to do more harm than good, as it often does.