Saturday, February 17, 2018

Keeping Our Schools Safe


I am writing to ask that you do everything possible to keep our own schools safe. The continuing mass killings of our children is unacceptable and we cannot assume that something similar cannot occur in our local schools.
Our schools must have secured entry, metal detectors, and armed guards. We need a system to insure rapid response from the police department. I am hopeful there is already internal procedures in place for most of our schools. We need a method of tracking known people who could be threats to follow “see something...say something”.

Mental laws in most states are very lack.. Efforts to force mental health holds on those with serious mental issues have continued to fail. We need laws that law enforcement and mental health professional can use to protect the public. While not want to further stigmatize the mentally ill there is a need to provide more compassionate care to those who by the various nature of their disorder lack understanding and insight to their illness.  While most mass murders have not suffered from a serious and persistent mental illness being able to provide needed resources is urgently needed.

The issue of gun controls evokes emotional and often unfounded reactions on both sides of the issue. The argument is that guns do not kill our children it is the people. This is partially true.  However, the AK-15 has been the weapon used in the majority of mass killings.  What can be done to ensure owners of these weapons are responsible individuals?  No other economically developed nation has this issue. What can we learn from them?
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Please join me in contacting your local school administrators, board members, state and federal senators and representatives. Parents must take the lead to hold these stakeholders accountable to create a safe environment for our children and teachers.  Finding solutions are possible when there is an open mind to collaborate on solving the problem. Unfortunately in today environment please do not just sit back and offer your prayers please take action.  Enough is enough....

Dr. Bob


2 comments:

Unknown said...

Dear Dr. Bob. As you mention in your recent post most of the mass killings in the schools do not involve perpetrators with obvious mental heath issues. I do not agree that running our schools as prisons with metal detectors and armed guards is the best way to maintain our schools free from danger. What if the same individual stands outside the school and opens fire as students and teachers leave the premises? What are your thoughts in stricter gun control laws? Constitutional right to bear arms is not and never has been, in my opinion, a valid excuse for these shootings. US constitution has been created a couple of centuries ago, and should be amended to reflect the dangers of contemporary weapons of mass destruction.

Dr. Bob said...

Yelena, thanks for taking time to read my posting and most importantly to care. While we may disagree on how to protect children within schools the issues of gun control is more complicated. As I shared I do believe in the 2nd amendment and taking guns away as done in Australia is just not an option in the USA.
As shared I think the background clearances need to be uniform and more comprehensive. For AK -15 and other types of assault weapons, I also recommend a 72-hour wait after purchase before the gun can be taken home. Restrictions on the number of bullets in a clip should continue to be limited as currently done in Colorado. For hunting, there is a requirement in Colorado that all individuals must complete a gun safety course. Would something like this also be a reasonable option for now hunters?
Dr. Bob

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