When walking into a bank, it doesn't feel (in my opinion) like a prison or detention center, rather it's more like a secure facility that would make any potential perp think twice about committing a mass murder !
That's the thing, though. You can just walk into a bank. It doesn't feel like a prison for that reason--you can walk in and you can walk out.
Of course I'm in favor of anything that will keep our children safe, even if it is to make schools feel like prisons. However, in this age group, elementary school, there are many kids who have trouble adjusting to leaving home. There are kids with various school phobias and separation anxiety. A daunting environment which is built to protect them is going to afflict more little children who already have conflicts about going to school.
Naturally though we'd prefer conflicted children to dead children, but making schools seem tense is in fact going to intensify a problem for many children.
My granddaughter's high school has metal detectors, even though it's in a very safe neighborhood in NYC. Mostly the kids are annoyed by it because the lines are long and when it's cold out they just want to get inside quickly. They do understand why it's important, though.
The school where I taught for 25 years, a middle school in a safe neighborhood in NYC, did not have metal detectors. A visitor has to sign in with the guards and show I.D. but that's it.
If an adult comes in with proper I.D. and claims something like he or she is there to pick up a younger sibling early, but then chooses to run amok, they could.
To me, the greatest issue is why are assault rifles available to anyone at all, when their purpose is in fact to assault. I'm not a gun-owner, but I understand in parts of the country people like to hunt, or want to protect their homes, etc. I can't comprehend why anyone should be able to purchase a weapon which screams "assault" in its description if they're not LE or military.
Jmo
www.washingtonexaminer.com
