First and foremost, my prayers go out to the students, teachers, and any employee's of Sandy Hook Elemetary School. Also, my prayers are to the parents, family and friends, and the entire community of Newton.
With that said. Why, after all these years of school shootings, is there not better security measures in our schools to make sure something like this doesn't happen. No one should be able to walk into a school with a gun and open fire. Ever.
The doors on the school should be locked from the outside and an access card given to all employee's to gain entrance into the schools during school hours. In case of an emergency, and with all the technology we have, there could be a switch where those doors could be unlocked in case of an emergency where police/EMS need to gain access.
If a parent has to pick up their child from school (appointment, a child is sick and has to go home, etc...) it should be the responsibity of a staff employee in the front office to meet the parent at the front doors and allow them in. No one should be able to freely walk into any school. That goes for parents (custody dispute??), students (suspended??), random people (ex of an employee), etc...
I hate to say it, even at an elementary stage, but there should be metal detectors in schools. I think these school shootings prove that these things can happen anywhere. Even in the best, most unsuspecting communities.
Are our children's lives that dispensable that we can not demand our tax payers money go to protect them in a place where they should be 100% safe?
I'm just sad and shocked that this can still happen.
MOO
