Do We Want Our Schools Secure, Or Not?

We’ve had another shooting in a school. 8 high school kids and 2 teachers were killed before the kid gave up. He had planned on shooting himself but he said he couldn’t do it. The same comments from the kids that witnessed these horrible acts and lived through it. “I never thought this could happen here.”
Well, do we want our kids secure in schools or not? My answer to that is we do not. Columbine was the wake-up call. That was in 1999. Almost 20 years later I’m hearing the same crap from the liberals: “It’s the NRA’s fault.” Or the same crap from the right: “It costs too much money.” What it comes down to it, it’s OUR fault. After 20 years we can’t hardly get past the thought that our kids are not safe. We put little Band-Aids on the problem or lay blame and it continues.
Let me make a prediction here and you see if it plays out. Unless we get serious, and I mean serious, about securing our schools, this will continue. I know it can’t be completely eliminated. Someone will figure out a way around any security measure you can come up with. But what is being done is not enough. I know that many worry about making our schools “prisons”. I will ask it again, Do you want to secure our schools or not?
I’ve heard many whine about arming teachers. I guess they think that’s going too far. That is too much for the safety of our kids. Again I ask, Do you want to secure our schools or not? I would think that any price, any discomfort, any hassle, any perception of how it looks, is a price that we would be willing to pay. Why can’t these measures be universal in all schools?
Some may say I’m being unrealistic. OK, if I am then what is the reality? Not enough funds? Find a way to cut administration costs, put in the security we need AND give teachers a raise. Would you and I pay more taxes for the security of our kids? Where do I sign? I have a large bunch of kids and we did not avail ourselves to the public or private school system. We homeschooled them all. But my taxes didn’t go down. I’d be willing to pay more.
This is a description of Israeli schools.
“The Israeli schools aren’t bunkers. Really, they aren’t. However, each one of these schools does has subsurface shelters. Not only this, but schools and kindergartens all over the country are regularly practicing the evacuation of students in different scenarios. This includes earthquakes, rocket attacks, unknown threats or even CBRN in some rare occasions. Keep in mind that these drills get students to take initiative, rather than just having them run to safety.
Currently, most Israeli school premises are completely fenced in and usually with only one gate. In the cases of bigger schools, there might be a few additional gates. In addition, there are two to three emergency gates which are locked (and look like normal fences) during regular, non-emergency hours. School parking lots are often located a bit further away from the school structures.
As for the gates: each gate is accompanied by a small guard cabin and an armed guard. He or she meets a certain standard to carry and do their job. The static guard is funded and under the responsibility of the Israeli police (though they are a sub-contractor and not a cop). The guard is mostly to be the first responder, but also logs traffic, maintains situational awareness and conducts hourly patrols along the school fences. In my experience as a kid, the presence of such a figure was not only practical, but also a psychological boost as us kids felt safer. That was also the first time I learned how a Glock works, but that was not really any part of the school educational program.
According to the official standard of the government, the guard will:
• Ensure that the premises is locked and under control in all time.
• Sweep and search any person who comes in.
• Have security authority.
• Ensure that foreign individuals are fully ID’d and their personal details are logged. Foreign vehicles must be documented as well.
• Assist the school occupants.
• Be aware on anything within the immediate environment of the school.”
These are just a few things that can be done. Cameras are a good idea. There are many other ideas out that some schools are doing.
As I’ve mentioned in the last article about the last mass school murder, as parents, make sure your children have some training. Don’t wait for the school. There are many videos out there about dealing with an active shooter event. You don’t have to scare them, but kids are better equipped than we think to handle this reality. Teach them situational awareness and to know where they are and what is going on around them. Do students, teachers, and staff know what real gunshots sound like in their school? What is so hard about that training? The same old crap is being said after a shooting, “I thought it was a car backfire or something else.” My kids know what gunshots sound like with and without hearing protection, indoors and outdoors. Some of my kids can tell you what different calibers sound like. My son can tell the difference between an AK and AR sound. Can you? Would that not be advantageous?
We need to stop worrying about a “safe space” and train our kids what to do and where to go. Their feelings matter little when their friends are being massacred. STOP coddling our kids!! Be serious about making them safe. Talk to security professionals. Make serious plans. School security needs to be over-done. Parents and students should demand this! It should not have any political over or under tones. High school kids for gun control is nothing more than political crap! The kids involved are pawns for adults who can’t figure out how to get elected. If the kids that are so ungraciously “demanding” change really cared, they would be asking for secure schools instead of gun control. Sarcastically speaking, I’m particularly impressed with how logical and well-spoken these kids are.
As adults we need to stop waffling and step up to the plate. Do you want to secure our schools or not?
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn