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Bunker mentality
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In light of the Newtown, Conn., tragedy, there have been letters advocating the arming of school personnel.
How many teachers would agree that this should be part of their work responsibilities? Of those who agree, how much more will these folks want to be paid to become "more valuable" employees with additional training and combat readiness? Armed guards/security personnel? How does that add value to the mission of education? School systems are already cash-strapped.
Once school personnel are "packing," what safeguards will ensure that one of them doesn't "flip out" and use authorized weapons to begin his or her own rampage?
Most important: Should our schools become armed camps? Friends, we already are the laughingstock of the world. Americans are perceived as being gun-crazed cowboys, ready to flip the violence switch at a moment's notice.
Introducing guns in schools is a reasonable strategy? This reminds me of an episode of the 1970s sitcom "All in The Family" with Archie Bunker as the protagonist. In the early '70s, when airline security was not what it is today, there were a lot of airplane hijackings. Archie's solution: arm every passenger as they get on the plane! That way a guy would have to be crazy to attempt a hijacking.
Archie's logic, both funny and sad, is not far from proposals to arm school personnel. More sad than funny because there are those among us who believe that weapons in schools is a reasonable response.
HENRY TOMER
Shaler
First Published January 3, 2013 12:00 am
