Winston-Salem Journal LTE FR 01/18/13

Sum It Up

The Sum It Up question from Sunday was: Are armed guards needed in every school?

School resource officers in elementary schools, as part of a national crusade against violence in our society – yes!

’Tis a sad commentary on our society that little children need armed guards. Let's get tough on violent people and the causes of their violence.

RALPH CHAPPELL

There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Every school will have a different security challenge because of its location, its design and other factors. Local communities and school districts — not the federal government — should determine how best to ensure the safety of their schools. Armed guards may indeed be advisable for some schools.

We must also realize that designating schools as gun-free zones is a serious problem, because it leaves schools vulnerable to criminals and the mentally deranged. Permitting teachers and administrators who wish to undergo special training, in order to carry concealed weapons, should be an option. In fact, many of our capable teachers and administrators are ex-military; such individuals would be natural candidates to conceal-carry on school premises. States such as Utah, Indiana and certain school districts in Ohio already allow teachers and administrators to conceal-carry.

We must not allow political correctness to prevent us from employing common-sense measures to keep our children safe.

DEB PHILLIPS

No, what we need is a more competent school board to pay attention to opportunities for cameras on buses, given that more children are killed or injured on their way to school because of passing motorists rather than gun violence.

SUZANNE CARROLL

Maybe, maybe not. Armed guards in every school are only a partial solution to mass shooting at schools. The suggestion does not address the root cause of gun violence -- the ready availability of firearms and high-capacity magazines. Until we find a solution to the problem of freely circulation of guns and the mental-health problems, sadly, the horrific tragic show of mass shooting goes on.

BOON T. LEE

Yes, as they say, “The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” Sad, but true.

WILLIAM SAMS

That's almost the most absurd response I've heard to the Connecticut shootings. Second only to arming the teachers.

It certainly would please the NRA. It shamelessly uses every gun tragedy to boost the coffers of the gun industry.

HELEN ETTERS

There are an estimated 300 million guns in the United States and monsters among us that will use them. Have you noticed these monsters don’t go after police stations, gun stores or places where there may be immediate repercussions? It seems reasonable to have trained officers with weapons in our schools.

MICHAEL CALLAHAN

Legislate every person in the administration office to obtain a concealed handgun permit.

LLOYD V. EVANS II

Experienced, strictly vetted, armed guards should have been policy long ago. Perhaps it should be left up to the parents of particular schools to decide if they want more protection for their children. Decrees from Washington, Raleigh, or the local school board are not necessary.

Oh, but how will they be paid for? How are school resource officers paid for now? If need be, the necessary funds could come from PTAs like any number of other projects, or some other school-based program.

I may soon have great-grandchildren in schools.

Somebody better figure out how to keep them safe.

CHARLIE WEAVER

I would say no, we do not need to burden an already stressed budget for schools and raise taxes to accommodate having multiple armed guards per school. What I would suggest is to allow certain staff members at all schools to carry concealed weapons. Allow selected staff members to act as a rapid response team to at least initiate interaction on the onset of an armed incursion while awaiting the police to respond.

They would be trained and permitted to carry concealed weapons with additional training by local police departments. This would be less of a burden on taxpayers, allow the staff to protect the students and not be a visual target as an armed guard would be at a school.

I say again that these staff members would only be armed for the purpose of initial intervention. Had the principal at Sandy Hook or other staff members been armed, I do not think this outcome would have been so devastating.

MARK POWERS

I would prefer to have a police officer/sheriff's deputy in every school. Elementary school children see them as positive role models, and not threatening. I know most middle schools and high schools have one, and it should extend to the elementary schools, too.

KELLIENE FISHER

I find it revolting, disgusting, and totally bizarre to think of staffing our schools with armed guards when over 6,000 teachers and school personnel were laid off for lack of funding last year. Instead, let's concentrate on strengthening gun laws already in place, implementing more extensive background searches, as well as banning assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition.

Which is more important, our children or the NRA?

Also, our mental health-facilities are sorely lacking in funding and generally in shambles.

ANNE GRIFFIS WILSON

No.

What is needed is the infrastructure to protect teachers from thug teenagers. The option to expel those not wanting to learn. The liability, criminal and civil, of parents whose children are disruptive. Tort reform to protect the schools and teachers to defend from frivolous lawsuits.

Plus proficiency tests for all teachers, standardized tests yearly in all subjects to measure success. Fire all ineffective teachers, reduce administration and hire more teachers with the money saved.

Take education seriously enough to realize that while in school, the students’ only right is to safety and education.

KEN HOGLUND

I wish we lived in a country in which the tools of violent death were found only in the virtual world, but others fantasize having assault weapons in their closet and the power to murder by the dozen in seconds. If our schools are to be armed camps, let those who own deadly force pay the tab.

Let them pay when their ridiculous caricature of the Second Amendment is more important than life and liberty. Let them pay to guard those who are threatened by the existence of their perverse toys. Let them pay the costs we carry for their terrible obsession.

STEVE SCROGGIN

Yes, if you want to protect students, staff and property. This is why, I assume, we already have them in all middle and high schools in the Winston-Salem-Forsyth County school system.

FRANK SCISM

I don't think we need to pay new cops to be at schools, just arm the teachers who would like to do that since they are already at the schools.

HAROLD DYSON

No! It solves nothing. This is a distraction by the NRA. The NRA and the right offer this instead of real reform. It's costly without solving any problems.

We need to move away from guns, not toward more guns in society. This puts more guns into society without promising any protection.

Logistically, it makes no sense. A guard can't cover an entire school every minute of every day. Plus most shooters kill themselves; they won't be afraid of an armed guard. There were armed guards at Virginia Tech and that guy killed 32 and wounded 17 and the armed guards still didn't get him, he killed himself.

KAM BENFIELD