Seaford Schools Superintendent Brian Conboy responded to comments from the National Rifle Association Friday that armed guards should be present at every school in America in the wake of the Newton school shootings.
"It is a sad era in American history if this is what it will take to keep innocent children safe while at school," said Conboy. "Even a proposal as drastic as this one is not infallible and would not be guaranteed to prevent the horrible violence we saw in Newtown, Conn. More control over the distribution and possession of weapons coupled with better identification and care for the mentally ill will have a positive and longer lasting impact in my view."
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The NRA, the nation's largest pro-gun lobbying group said they were prepared to offer "meaningful contributions" to help ensure an incident like the mass killings never occur again.
"I call on Congress today 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," Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierrea said Friday, breaking a weeklong silence by the gun organization.
Rep. Peter King, R-Seaford, disagreed with the NRA's position.
"Except in extremely rare cases, armed police are not the answer to school violence," he said. "What we must have are common sense guns laws such as banning assault weapons and ending the gun show loophole."
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This story was updated at 3:54 p.m. on Dec. 21.
shall i remind everyone of the infamous Seaford shoout out ? We lost one father and law enforcement officer to a gun shot from another retired trained ex police officer . One life destroyed another one life lost.. BOTH trained professionals. Guns at schools doors dont stop people from walking around back, shooting in a classroom window, guards at doors dont stop a gunman from driving aorund and taking pot shots .. Guards at doors protect doors not people ...HOw Stupid do you think people are if they see a guard at the front door they will walk aorund and find another access point.According to reports The mentaly ill person SHOT out the door to gain acess. THINK. what are you going to do have an armed guard every entry point , have an armed guard on the playground ? have an armed guard at drop off and dismissal. that should work well especialy at the harbor school access calamity. Before you all start clamoring for armed guards THINK Find a solution so your kids dont grow up in a culture where armed guards are at the school door .. We are better then that, we can come up with solutions that keep your kids safe without bringing MORE guns into this already messed up gun toting society. This isnt the wild west this isnt Afghanistan or Irag or Iran this is the USA.
As for the Seaford shoot out you failed to remind everyone that the perp was also killed so perhaps some good will come out of that by reminding drug addicts that you never know who you are robbing and what good law abiding citizens are willing to do to stop evil in its path.
Police Lt. jumped on top of the Federal Agent's BACK ...and Fired! (as stated in the DAs Confidential Memo) in my opinion that's a huge OOPPS....Shot the Fed .... Not the Drug addict...who spent almost 1/2 his life in jail & set free to commit the SAME type crimes!!! ( thats another whole topic) As far as anything good coming from it....maybe not yet. Just a few hours before Sandy hit LI ...a big chain store in N Wantagh was robbed. An ARMED Robbery...for DRUGS ...guess the addict didn't want to run out of pills during storm. As I posted on the sporting goods gun topic....No one knows how they will react with a gun in their hand...not even LEOs. There was another person at the crime scene with a Legal LOADED 9mm in hand...a Civilian & in split second he made the choice NOT to shoot...which I think showed Amazing SELF-CONTROL by civilian! I don't know if theres any way to keep the little ones & schools safe. Very sad... What a shame!
I also agree with the gun show loop hole needing to end.
Simple premise: it's pretty tough to learn if you're scared. Like most, I think the idea of armed police in school is a non-starter. On the other hand, I could imagine a student taking comfort in response to a more visible security profile, armed or not. The point is that all those in education or government who have been so anxious to register their opinons on this subject should also be prepared to listen.
Using armed guards in schools as a solution is a specious argument intended to deflect legislative debate away from the topic of restoring the ban on military-style assault rifles. While there is an important "right" to keep and bear arms. that right does not extend to any and all kinds of firearms that may ever be invented.
The Second Amendment to The Constitution is pretty explicit here, if one reads it in the context of the overarching theme of The Bill of Rights. After the abysmal failure of The Articles of Confederation, our federal government was established. Fear of its ability to use its legislative powers, as well as the standing army, to enslave the masses, led to the adoption of the first ten amendments, a proactive document designed to protect the rights of the people against tyranny. Today, if we are to follow The Second Amendment, as it is written, it is pretty obvious to me, as well as to 4 out of 9 of the Supreme Court Justices, that no one has the individual right to own a firearm unless he or she is a member of a state militia.
Ah, problem solved, and the kiddies get to keep playing Call of Duty and listening to heavy metal music.
All actions are only as good as those following them, the problem comes in with compliancy and under qualified personnel. That’s a start as far as I see it.
- Katharine Butler Hathaway
one guy at a door or walking the perimeter with or without a gun will protect who, where, when and how. With what training, what guildelines for how long? IMHO Logisticaly speaking it is a "show" nothing more. You want something that is an unobtrusive effective deterrant and addresses the actual possibility of a threat. something that wont feed the fear of both the parents and the students. Again that is my opinion if you dont agree that is your perogative. So lets not make this personal and lets see what your suggestions would be. what solution(s) do you feel would be effective.
Should we ban cell phones..because "11 teen deaths EVERY DAY – Ins. Institute for Hwy Safety Fatality Facts" (http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and-driving-stats/)...No we should educate and teach....Banning guns only affects the honest law abiding citizen...I never locked up a perp who had a legally issued hand gun God Protect Our Children
& just where did all the illegal guns come from? Are they stolen from the manufacturer, shipped in from overseas? stolen out of homes, out of Police property, WHO is selling these illegal guns & WHERE are they getting them from? there are TOO many loop holes & NOT enough fail safes to allow any tom dick and harry to own a gun just becaseu they have a license. And if i am not mistaken in some states you do NOT need a lic. nor need to register a rifle or shotgun.
Again it's not the cell phone that texts itself and kills its the driver just as its not the bottle of beer that kills it's the driver....it goes back to responsibility! Again this doesn't make things fool proof but it might give or children a fighting chance...the gun doesn't pull the trigger the killer pulls the trigger!!!
Lorraine is partially correct
This was posted in another article by "Patch Fan" and from what i can see a rather reasonable suggestion, that while not perfect and certainly not infalible would atleast add some measure of structure and consistency of process in owning a gun. they suggested : "let us treat these weapons like we treat cars in the US (a VERY regulated industry). You want an assault rifle, sure no problem. Pass the background and mental health checks through a national data base. Take a written and then a practical exam (like a car). Every weapon that leaves the factory will be required to register in a national database. When sold title changes hands (like a car). You will need to get liability insurance on that weapon (just like a car). You and your estate are now liable for what ever that weapon does (like a car). If your weapon is stolen, just like a car, file the police report as soon as you know and you will protect yourself against that weapon’s claims. You will have to inspect those guns each 365 days to ensure you are following current safety standards set by the state (like a car). The government will every year review and modify safety regulations to include weight, material, safety features, and provide ratings for the public (like a car)." I am assuming from your posts Joe that you are in law enforcement so your thoughts on Patch Fans post would be appreciated. to me atleast it seems like a logical BEGINNING ..