Living with fear: Readers react to school killings

The press worries me! The report says that it was a copycat crime. If you all, meaning the press, would stop reporting the crime, then maybe other similar crimes would not be committed. People who kill others at random are generally looking for fame and acknowledgement from the public in any way they can get it. Stop reporting in such graphic detail and fewer children and people will be murdered. Do I feel safe, not now that you all have given the murderer so much attention. Back off. This same thing happened right after Columbine. They, referring to the criminals, had their fame and recognition, thanks to you. Focus more if you must on the lives they destroyed. Do their memories honor rather than the assailant.
— E. Dow, Yarmouth, Maine

I am terribly worried about sending my little girl, who is 12, to school. If she didn't enjoy it so much this year in particular, I'd pull her right out and homeschool her, which I have done 2.5 of her school years so far, though not consecutively. If it happens again she's out, and I may even do that anyway. If you think about it, these are large areas of pretty defenseless kids, and if you're a sicko, determined to assault children, sexually or not, all you need to do is go on a suicide mission and do what you're going to do and you're guaranteed to get what you're after — high-level security or not. Even more than that, children are where it gets us most as a society, and if someone is after revenge, or a serious stab to the heart of the majority of the people of a country, then they just may go after schools for that effect. Obviously there is a fundamental problem with the moral and ethical standards of our society right now, and I'm not talking about believing in god or anything of that nature at all. I mean a social, ethical and moral standard, and people just aren't getting this. Everyone is so disconnected from each other and everything around themselves and their communities, and dealing with things in a constructive manner is not exactly how our country as a whole deals with things apparently these days. How often does this happen elsewhere? By their own people, for these kinds of reasons? We live in a supposed civilized and free society, so why so many crazy rampage killings of this nature?
— Crystal, Austin

I have two kids in school, one in middle and one in grade school. My 9-year-old has been hearing of all these school shootings and told me Sunday that she wants to go to a private school because "it is too easy for bad people with guns to come hurt and kill kids who didn't do anything." And she has every right to be scared, what are children supposed to do if their school is attacked? They, as well as the school staff, are totally at the mercy of the killers and they did nothing to deserve it. It is not at all right. I think all schools need to re-evaluate their security systems. Maybe have the maintenance workers who are there all the time be trained and licensed to carry a gun for the defense of the schools who are so vulnerable. A child should be safe in their school.
— Donna, Iowa

The media makes to much ado over these shooting. These people get their name and causes blasted all over the news for days or weeks. People who have causes or inferior feelings about themselves use the schools as a venue for addressing these issues. It's the same as terrorists use to express political views. Downplay the perpetrators and keeping it as local as possible might help.
—Sam Campbell, Ind.

I am a teacher and I feel that schools have become safer since 9/11 and because of Columbine and related incidents. Schools are not ever going to be fool-proof. We cannot lock the doors from the inside and we cannot control every situation but our county has implemented stringent guidelines for these types of situations. All schools are equipped with a ringing intercom and door system which does provide protection from the crazies of this world. The office has visual access of the front door and all other access is locked at all times. We hope and pray that this insanity stops but until we implement more security and begin to look at the issues that drive these attacks then no one is really safe.
— Dawn, Columbus, Ga.

My biggest fear is that instead of dealing with the real problem, government will predictably focus on inanimate objects, the firearms used. The real problem is school security and social alienation, including that caused by bullying which can leave lifelong scars and cause rage decades later. But these are harder to deal with than simply blaming an inanimate object.
— Nadja Adolf, Calif.

I'm glad that my kids are done with traditional schooling. They're now in a local college that has a very good security system. I know many parents are considering homeschooling which I fear limits socialization in youngsters. Homeschooling does keep them away from uncontrolled situations like these horrendous shootings but can hamper their development and limit the family's income. Children used to be off-limits. It's not the video games, movies or desensitizing of our youth that is to blame. It's the lack of enforcement of common courtesies, rules and the ability to follow through with discipline. Parents have lost their ability to effectively parent. I don't have the answers but I do see many causes that resort in constant fear and heartache in the population.
— D. Saville, Muskegon, Mich.

I don't feel safe at school anymore. As a student of Colorado schools, I am very worried. Our school isn't big on stopping people in the halls, they think that if the person looks like a parent, then they should be here. Every day I go to school wondering if I could get shot. After the close shootings at Columbine and most recently, Bailey, I think everyone should be more on their toes.
— Ashley, Pagosa Springs, Colo.

It is most frightening to me that there don't seem to be any clear warning signs indicating a person's state of mind or intentions. More frequently than I am comfortable with, members of our society are falling prey to individual(s) who have mastered the appearance of being normal, healthy, stable ... and the predator's family and friends are just as bewildered.
— Neptune, Asbury Park, N.J.

It is not a good day to be a small child in America. We live in a violent culture. Billions of dollars are spent on defending our country against terrorists from abroad, but where is the protection for our schoolchildren? This was a neighbor who bought a gun and walked into the school. How do we answer our children when they ask us if they are safe? When do we put down our weapons, meant for killing, and give up our precious rights so we can hold our children?
— Beth Bennett, Walnutport, Pa.

What worries me the most about the recent spate of school shootings is how resigned I am to the fact that they have happened. It makes me sick to think that because it is happening so much that something of this horrific magnitude no longer seems completely foreign. When in the world did I become so accustomed to children being killed in schools? It's absolutely terrifying to think that one day this may be something that appears regularly on our news reports, like the carjackings that at one time seemed so unbelievable and now are a part of everyday life. I am a newlywed with plans to start a family in the next couple of years and I am beginning to think that depending on how things progress in our nation, eventually homeschooling might be the only safe option. How very sad.
— T.S., Ithaca, N.Y.

What worries me the most about this latest rash of school shootings is that the liberal gun control advocates will use it as an excuse to further their cause of attempting to abolish our constitutional right to bear arms. Just as it was mentioned in the article I read, only 12 to 20 homicides occur in 100,000 schools nationwide but, the gun control soccer moms that have the fantasy that the nation will be a safer place by banning guns only pay attention to the media frenzy that these school shooting attract. When was the last time you saw a story about a crime that was diverted because of a gun? It's been awhile for me, and even if you do find such a story it will typically be nowhere near front page material.
— Matthew Wagner

As a second grade teacher, these stories hit close to home. The district in which I teach does have an emergency plan in the event of a tragedy such as this one taking place. The problem is that it is hardly ever practiced. Unfortunately, the main concern of our administrators seems to be state test scores, rather than extra safety measures. There are safety precautions that are in place such as the doors at our school may only be opened by ringing a buzzer which shows the caller's picture on a video screen. Visitors are not permitted inside the building without first signing in at the main office. Even though these are all extra steps towards safety, nothing is a guarantee. Many times people are let into the building simply by someone who is holding the door open for them. Parents roam the halls as if they own the place and don't understand why they are required to sign in at the office (yet, they would be the first ones to complain about the lack of security!). I simply could not believe that there had been another shooting in the course of a week. It is unfathomable to me that this is the sick society in which we live today. I cannot even comprehend the loss that these parents are experiencing. It seems as though the safest environments that we can give our children (home, school, etc.) are becoming the most dangerous of all. My prayers go out to all of the families in Pennsylvania and to all of those who have lost a child to senseless school violence.
— Anonymous

What worries me the most about this recent trend of school shootings is hard to put into words. Are our children safe anywhere? But to kill these innocents who do harm to no one is beyond the pale. My heart goes out to the victim's families and friends and the whole community. It tears me up and I know none of them, but my grief is real because I know that we are all connected and so my heart breaks for their pain and terror. At first I thought that this murder was a sign that we can no longer separate ourselves from each other, but I realize that we aren't separate no matter what life we choose to live. This community is reaching out to the rest of us to help us to remember this, to remember about forgiveness and the power choosing to forgive. Retaliation of any kind only brings more pain and there is always collateral damage. Now this killer's children have no father and the victim's families hearts are broken. I am so touched by the outpouring of love the Amish have for the killer's family. Perhaps these little girls lives were not lost in vain, if we too choose to forgive.
— Teresa, Albuquerque, N.M.

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