[sunrico90]

The Lancaster Tragedy is the latest of many fatal incidents that had taken place in the public schools of our nation. Do you know what are we doing to reduce this risk in Florida? Or how can we help?

[bnepler]

I lived less then 10 miles from Nickel Mines (before moving to FL)and nothing ever happens there, except a minor drug bust or a buggy horse getting hit by a speeder on the narrow, winding roads. These are some of the most innocent people you could meet. I don't think you could ever deal with something like this in places like that. It really breaks my heart to see it happen there.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by sunrico90

The Lancaster Tragedy is the latest of many fatal incidents that had taken place in the public schools of our nation. Do you know what are we doing to reduce this risk in Florida? Or how can we help?

I think the public schools are a hot bed for all kinds of problems that are just symptomatic of society in general. Any time you put a lot of people in one place whether a school, large work place, arena or what ever you have the potential of problems. As far as the solutions you need to look no farther then the home. But that is futile anyway because you have parents raising kids and teaching values who have no values themselves, so what is there to expect? It s a vicious cycle that won't change and I would expect it to only get worse. I am glad I don't have kids, I would probably never sleep thinking what their future may be.

[cflmmo]

We can start by teaching our children how to deal with anger....

[macguy]

Originally Posted by cflmmo

We can start by teaching our children how to deal with anger....

In all seriousness what they don't teach in school; is simple finance for everyday living, it is the most important lesson they could learn. One of the primary roots of all problems is money. Kids don't have a clue and neither do most adults, they have to learn by trial and error usually screwing up their lives in many cases. I am dead serious.

My father would sit around the table and talk about investing and owning property saving money, spending money wisely and so on. It came from being an immigrant and knowing how important it is. Today's kids just see parents who are having things turned off for non payment, stiffing the landlord, running up the credit cards. Like I said in the other post you have parents who have no values, what do you expect the kids to be. I honestly see a very bleak future for this country.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Well, the two most recent school shootings, the one in Colorado and the other in Pennsylvania, did not quite fit the pattern of the others; the men who committed those heinous crimes were not teenagers. If anything, both were sick new twists in the classic male-violence-against-females scenario.

Having said that, I agree with cflmmo that we need to teach our children how to deal with anger, and also with macguy that our instant-gratification society contributes to kids' inability to cope with the most simple problem situations.
I wish that more families would turn off the TV, and talk to each other instead of passively staring at the tube.
If bullying is going on, as it was in Columbine, kids need someone to talk to.
Constant stress and the soul-killing emptiness that permeates the life of a kid who has material objects but zero communication can send him over the tipping point.
Some of those most messed-up kids simply can't see tomorrow. They pick up a gun as a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

In terms of how to keep our kids safe at public school, I think most faculties already do their best. If a school is over-crowded, the odds are against the staff.

[lulu]

I don't know what to say...but what has happened in Lancaster is truly devastating...my heart truly goes out to them.
Here in Homestead we have an Amish group. I just love to go down once a year and visit them and buy a couple of boxes of their homemade sticky buns - it's like a yearly ritual. They are such a decent & innocent group of people. To think such a thing can happen to a group like this is, well...needless to say, way too much. Sad...

[NYTom]

My heart aches for them.
I got my Bernese Mountain Dog from an Amish family in Lancaster PA.
I can't stop thinking about them.

[lulu]

Me either...too painful. I get sad just thinking about it...

I hope to God someone out there builds a new schoolhouse for them or at least have a fund raiser to build them one or something....
Having to use that same school is going to be an awful reminder of the incident.

[sunrico90]

Back to my original question: Do you know what are we doing to reduce this risk in Florida? I read newspapers and attend county meetings but I don’t see great changes. Most of our schools are wide open for anyone to gain access to the school facilities. A number of schools are not situated in good neighborhoods. During my time at Homestead AFB, the schools that my kids attended the military police had to guard the facility because of a “crack-house” next to the school.

We need to evaluate what are the neighborhood risks or liabilities and try to make corrections. Is a problem that is reducing the youth chances for proper education in our state and nation.

Each of the replies hit’s on topics that need to be address at all levels. The lack of basic values in some families is cementing a negative future for everyone else. Thank you for you inputs…