School Violence

[RascalPuff]

This notice petitions proposed solutions to the ominously increasing incidents of firearms violence in high school and campus settings.

Is an 'airport security' procedure logistically tenable?

Should some faculty members be armed?

Although this issue originates in a vast and complex social arena, what might be done to diminish it in schools?

What preventative policies might be engaged to deter - or prepare for - the growing problem?

[Profpat]

I think a lot has to do with our youth RP and their ability or lack of ability of handling frustration and stress. Also of course since there are more guns in America than people doesn't help the situation. I think this is also part of the reason we can get our young people to go to war and/or become a suicide bomber.

Best to you and thanks for your interesting thought,

Pat

[mkirkpatrick]

Cheers Rascal for the topic,here in the UK school violence is growing,they are actually
now using metal detectors in schools because kids are bringing in knifes and threatening
staff and pupils with them.


regards michael.

[Profpat]

Maybe they could put Prozac in the school's water.

[neutralino]

Is an 'airport security' procedure logistically tenable?

No, and nor should it be!

Should some faculty members be armed?

Absolutely not. Schools, or universities, are places of learning, not places of violence, thus it should not be encouraged for students to take weapons into school. Since students are supposed to view professors as role models, then this would indicate that it is alright for them to bring guns to school, which it is not. This solution seems to be of the kind "if you cant beat them, join them."

As Pat points out, the problem I think is with the number of guns available in the US. If you get rid of guns, then you get rid of the problem. (I know a lot of Americans wouldn't agree with this, but I think that if the founding fathers were around now, with machine guns, assault rifles, etc.. they would have a second thought before writing in the second amendment.)

And yes, I agree with Michael's point, that violence in the UK schools is increasing, but I would much rather have someone armed with a knife than a gun, since it is a lot harder to go on a killing spree with a knife than it is to open up and fire at people with an assault rifle. To be honest, I don't know what can be done to change the way that some of the children act today.. but then if I did I'd be a wealthy man!!

[mkirkpatrick]

No, and nor should it be!

Absolutely not. Schools, or universities, are places of learning, not places of violence, thus it should not be encouraged for students to take weapons into school. Since students are supposed to view professors as role models, then this would indicate that it is alright for them to bring guns to school, which it is not. This solution seems to be of the kind "if you cant beat them, join them."

As Pat points out, the problem I think is with the number of guns available in the US. If you get rid of guns, then you get rid of the problem. (I know a lot of Americans wouldn't agree with this, but I think that if the founding fathers were around now, with machine guns, assault rifles, etc.. they would have a second thought before writing in the second amendment.)

And yes, I agree with Michael's point, that violence in the UK schools is increasing, but I would much rather have someone armed with a knife than a gun, since it is a lot harder to go on a killing spree with a knife than it is to open up and fire at people with an assault rifle. To be honest, I don't know what can be done to change the way that some of the children act today.. but then if I did I'd be a wealthy man!!

Thanks N,it is very worrying the way knifes are being used,gangs are using guns as well
here,mostly to do with drug selling,much like it is in the states i suppose.

regards michael.

[RascalPuff]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Gun+control

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=guns+and+society

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...bumperstickers

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...ol+controversy

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=guns+in+school

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=gun+violence

[RascalPuff]

The issue of gun control is a long historied and complex consideration.

There's gridlock at several junctures of argument.

Ideally, there would be no more guns in the world - but criminal elements would (and do) inevitably manufacture, blackmarket - and use and abuse - more...

The disarmament of law abiding citizens would leave them vulnerable to criminal elements, which, by definition, would continue to possess and abuse firearms.

A situation comparable to the prohibition against alcohol would likely ensue - driving the domestic sector to criminalized behavior, in this case, in order to defend themselves.

An economic factor is that the weapons industry is second only to petroleum as the most powerful and prolific establishment in the world. This fact automatically includes high caliber politics, of course.

Moreover, the National Rifle association is among the most powerful lobbies in congress.

A world without firearms is a high ideal, but an improbability, for a host of gridlocked, socio-political reasons.

As regards the problems of firearms in school, again, it appears that the solution is a matter of being damned if you do arm select administrators and faculty, and damned if you don't. Meanwhile, the problem definitely appears to be worsening.

An effective argument can be made on either side of this enigmatic issue.

I don't know that there is a tenable solution, but I do not think that firearms will ever be effectively abolished.

[swoarg]

its the finger that pulls the triger and the mind that pulls the finger. obviously the state of the offenders mind is messed up some how. why ellse would some one do such things, the main cause of gun crime is lack of education and its not the offender who needs the education, the offender is the tool and the dead person is the result.
weapons an crime are big money for some.

[Mikal]

Whether school violence is at the University level or lower does it not seem incredible that most shooters share the commonality of having a history of young Ritalen or neuropsychotic drug use. Drugging the young was not going on back in the 60s, we had no school violence, no shootings but then again we were not drugged for behavior control and school for us was about learning not behavior. We need to do some more thinking about how the big Pharmacuetical Industrys are destroying our society, lives and our young.