School Shooting: Perspective from a teacher and dad (to be)

12/14/12

I'll start this post by expressing my sincere best wishes, thoughts and prayers to those affected by the school shooting today in Connecticut.  If for some reason you live under a rock and haven't heard, 28 people were killed in an elementary school, 20 of those were kids.  Info is still being gathered, but so far, it's been determined that the shooter shot his mom at her home early this morning and then went to the school where she taught and and went on a spree before turning the gun on himself.

I must say that I have no idea how I would've reacted to this news if my child were here already, and I how many hugs I would've given out today in appreciation for my child being home safe with me tonight.  Something like this always creates more questions than answers for everyone involved, not to mention all Americans tonight.  Things like this always seem to bring people together, but it always bothers me that it takes a tragedy to create new bonds and create changes in a system that clearly needed some changes made prior to this happening!!!

From a teacher perspective, I can only say that this is a staff member's worst nightmare!  My parents always get upset when I say that I want to be a cop or serve in the armed forces because of the dangers in those professions, but my response a week or so ago when I brought it up to them was that, "Hey...I could get killed in school...but at least as a cop, I might have a fighting chance!!!"  A teacher friend on Facebook posted a comment criticizing those that say teachers should be armed.  My response is that if I receive propper training and I arm myself, then I give my 30 students that are locked in my room with me the best chance of survival if something like this ever happens!  Pardon my French as we move forward with this post, but I'm sure you'll all understand...I'm very passionate about guns, but especially passionate about the responsible use and ownership of guns.  It pisses me off that all of these mass shootings take place where citizens are not allowed to be legally armed.(which, by the way, why don't we call them mass killings?!  Is it really the weapon used that makes a difference?!?  Would we react differently if it were mass stabbings?!)  These sick individuals go to such places where they know there will be minimal to no real resistance from those intended targets.  For example, this elementary school, the recent shopping mall in Oregon, Columbine, Virginia Tech, the Aurora, Colorado movie theater, and the Gabby Giffords shooting...at each location, guns were not permitted.  Clearly, if those signs posted on the doors of the locations did their jobs, these killers wouldn't have done their evil acts in the first place.  But posted signs banning guns only deter law-biding citizens from carrying their legal firearms onto the premises.  I feel those signs should read, "Attention: Legal and permitted carrying of firearms allowed on these premises.  All persons with evil intent, beware!"  These killings happen only at crowded places and generally where the public is not allowed to carry weapons!!!  If I were allowed to have gun with me as a teacher, it would be used and presented only on such an occassion, and students would not even need to know that teachers have these guns. 

My schools have all had "lockdown drills" in which all occupants of the building practiced the lockdown procedures for such an occurrance as happened today.  Generally, each building has different methods of locking down; a low-level in which staff and students remain in the classroom, but continue their normal activities (i.e. a threat is outside of the building like nearby police action, or there is a medical situation in the building in which it is best to keep everyone away from the medical concern), and there is a critical-level lockdown in which students and staff duck and cover.  Both scenarios require staff to quickly clear hallways near their classrooms and lock the doors of their classroom.  How would this killing today be different if the staff member of one of those classrooms had a gun and were ready to shoot when their door was opened by another person with a gun!?!  Could more people have gotten hurt?  Sure...but I feel the number could have been significantly less than what it was. 

Some of these statements may seem arrogant to some of you, or in sharp contrast to your belief...but, haha...this is my blog, so I get to say what I want!!!  Sorry...but gun control would not have prevented this tragedy today.  Criminal background checks when guns are purchased would not have prevented this tragedy today.  It's already tough for legal and good people to buy guns, so more laws would make it tougher for the wrong group of people to buy guns because evil people will always accomplish their goals if that is their intent!!!  What we need to do is look at how we can be more able to lock up crazy people and give cops/school officials/psychologists more leverage and benefit of the doubt when they feel someone is not stable and needs to be locked up, rather than making it nearly impossible to do so out of concerns for someone's rights...if someone is locked up and receiving additional and more scrutinous evaluations, that is time lost in their preparations for carrying out evil acts.

Back to the topic of today; the school shooting tragedy through my teacher and dad-to-be eyes.  I want my family and friends to know that my job is more dangerous that most people think.  Angry parents and students are a common sight in a school on any given day...and some of these individuals are frankly not right in their heads.  I'm also willing to bet that any teacher you may know is able to identify a student they know in the building that may be the one person that perpetrates these horrible crimes in their building.  It sounds bad... but humans are animals, and we have an animal instinct to fear and be uncomfortable around people we feel is a threat to ourselves or others.  But please know, that I am a caring teacher.  During my time at school, my life revolves around my students and I care deepenly for them, not just as learners in my classroom, but as young adults/children who I look out for as they grow up.  I am trained to hide my students away from the door during lockdowns and to never open the door until an "all clear" message has been relayed from school administration over the intercom.  But having said that, if someone comes through my door, I am the last line of defense for my students and you better believe that I'm going to put up one hell of a fight for them.  And, when the time is right, I'll share the dangers of my job with my child and I will explain to him/her what I may need to do.  But, if, God forbid, something like this ever happens in my school and I don't make it home...my child will know that dad put up one hell of a fight in order to save his students.

Until the next posting, which will be on a much more happy note.  Laura and I both appreciate your thoughts and best wishes you send our way as we await our baby's arrival next spring.  Thanks for reading my Daddy Diary!  Take care!