"The Impact of Newtown is Here" by From the editor

The Impact of Newtown is Here

December 18, 2012

This is a story of just one school, one brief moment at that school earlier today.

The school is Pinehurst Elementary. Normally in the mornings, there is a Pinehurst officer on Dundee Road directing the knot of traffic that forms there as parents pull in to drop off their students at school.

My son, Ayden, normally rides the bus, but this morning we let him sleep in and I took him to school. The normal officer was there directing traffic. But as I pulled in to the school circle and queued for drop-off, I counted no fewer than two other officers in the circle overseeing the drop-off. And the teachers, pleasant enough, clearly had vigilant looks in their eyes.

As Pinehurst Elementary Sara Bigley said in a note to parents Monday night, "Safety of our students is our top priority."

The emotion of the moment overcame me, and it was a struggle just to tell my kindergartner "goodbye." As I pulled away, tears rolling down my cheeks, I noticed a Moore County Schools police cruiser patrolling down Dundee.

I was overwhelmed by the absolute loss of innocence, if not for the children certainly for the school, the parents and our community. Ayden and the other children just think of these officers as their buddies and think nothing of seeing them there. The officers are frequently in the school to read, to mentor, to help with recess and have lunch with the kids.

But we all remember a different time -- just a week ago -- when this drop-off scene was unimaginable.

Elementary schools should be idyllic places of warmth and welcome where hallways smell of crayon and paste and teachers shushing voices. The singsong patterns of learning should sound out from open windows, and playgrounds should be beautiful bedlam.

They still are, but they now exist under ever more watchful eyes. Because scenes of great tragedy are very imaginable.

As a Facebook friend just posted to me, "We are all Newtown parents now."

Courseaire 5 months, 1 week ago

You may think it's bad here now, but try imagining being a parent in any of the Middle East countries.

fugitiveguy 5 months, 1 week ago

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/18/stop-school-shootings-by-letting-teachers-fire-back-say-texas-officials/

A common sense approach implemented in Texas 5 years ago. Seems to be working fine there.

JohnANagy 5 months, 1 week ago

I don't use Texas as my guidestar for anything. More castle-doctrine laws aren't the answer. I don't know the answer(s). But I know extending the right for folks to blow others away isn't it.

fugitiveguy 5 months, 1 week ago

John, did we read the same article? If the bottom line is to keep our children safe, why would you care if the solution came from Texas? Open minds and thinking out of the box will come a lot closer to solving this than passing more laws.

geoffcutler 5 months, 1 week ago

Very moving and thought provoking, John. Thanks!

JohnANagy 5 months, 1 week ago

Fugitiveguy, not every solution means putting more guns into the hands of more people. My post was not a call for more guns, just as it was not a call for fewer.

For those of you who don't want to click Fugitiveguy's link, here's the top part of the story:

"We give our ‘Guardians’ training in addition to the regular Texas conceal-and-carry training,” Thweatt, whose school is about three hours northwest of Dallas, told FoxNews.com. “It mainly entails improving accuracy…You know, as educators, we don’t have to be police officers and learn about Miranda Rights and related procedures. We just have to be accurate.”

Sorry, Fugitive but that perspective scares and disgusts me. It's as reckless as the other side screaming for absolute gun control.

fugitiveguy 5 months, 1 week ago

"Thweatt said there have been no incidents since October 2007, when his district adopted the plan giving an unspecified number of teachers and school staff -- dubbed "Guardians" -- authority to carry concealed weapons on school premises. Participating staff are anonymous and known only to Thweatt and the school board, which must approve each application for an employee to become a Guardian. They receive a small stipend annually"

I suppose people could click the link or not click the link, not sure why the need to cherry pick the only paragraph out of 10 that gives the impression of a "wild west scenario" but here's a little balance

fugitiveguy 5 months, 1 week ago

“We’re 18 miles and 30 minutes from the nearest police station," Thweatt said. "So we are our first responders. If something happened here, we would have to protect our children. You know, police officers are true, everyday heroes in my book, but one of them once told me something very revealing. He said, ‘Ninety-five percent of the time, we get to the scene late.’ I can’t afford to let that happen.”

Courseaire 5 months, 1 week ago

This would be very similar to the Air Marshals on planes - if you don't know who they are, you'll think twice about trying to do something. This might work.

debsalomon 5 months, 1 week ago

Any school that's 18 miles and 30 minutes away from police ought to employ an armed guard....a trained person or persons whose sole responsibility is to watch over the school. Just think of the friendly fire possibility posed by armed teachers: By the time teacher locates and draws gun, aims and fires the perp may be on the move. The only thing worse than a student being shot by a maniac is being accidentally shot by a teacher. Air marshals aren't frequent flyers who have taken a quick gun course. Let the teachers teach, and nuture. Leave protection to the professionals, no matter what it costs to train and hire them.

fugitiveguy 5 months, 1 week ago

IMO this will happen again. If a solution is working in Texas or wherever, it should be looked at as an option. The CT shooter violated countless laws, how can any reasonable person think that another law will stop the next one. I am not a gun person, I also question why private citizens need automatic weapons and assault rifles but those aren't the type of weapons typically used in these situations so I fail to see why it is being talked about so much now.

khgalloway 5 months ago

A friend posted something on Facebook saying that a few armed veterans should be employed by the schools to stand guard - what a great way to create jobs, employ veterans and keep our schools safe! Maybe...

I feel the same John... It has a panick-stricken week for me as we'll, as in the back of my mind, security is being rightfully stepped up at schools... But not daycares.