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 School shootingsI might as well throw in my two cents worth. (One cent worth when adjusted for inflation). Superficially speaking, there are two main issues here with the gun debate: the effectiveness of greater gun control and the constitutionality of it. With respect to its would be effectiveness, proponents point to other countries with strict gun laws and low rates of gun violence. while opponents point to the exceptions to this. So who’s to say what the effect would be? Even if it would produce the desired effect, there’s that second amendment to the U.S. Constitution that seems to be a thorn in the side of so many people. We need to stop and ask ourselves what it is that holds us together as a nation. I have my own thoughts about the place that the U.S. holds in the plan of Almighty God But consider how divided we are on so many fronts. Based on the last election, the American people can be divided into approximately two halves. Each half thinks the other half is either ignorant, stupid, or absolutely evil. Rightly or wrongly, minorities continue to express grievances; there is rich vs poor, secular vs. religious; etc. And with all of this turmoil, it is amazing to think some think that ever greater diversity is what is needed, increasing the pressure exponentially. It should remind us all of Abraham Lincoln’s house divided speech based, either wittingly or unwittingly, on the principle set forth by the Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 11:17-18 in which He states, “ Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand?” Abraham Lincoln basically said that the nation could not remain half slave or half free. One side of the other was going to win. In other words, there were limits to what even Federalism could tolerate. And so it would appear with our present culture war. So how does this relate to gun violence? I’ll reserve judgment on what greater controls might accomplish. As far as the founding fathers of our country are concerned, gun rights were placed in a military context, not a sporting context. And in this modern era, what kind of “well regulated militia” can you have armed with nothing but hunting rifles and shotguns? And if only the National Guard is allowed to have the weapons covered by the amendment, then who has the right to even own a hunting rifle or a shotgun if they are not a member of the National Guard? It is the militia that was to be regulated, not the ownership of the weapons. If their thinking is out of date for our time as they did not foresee the kind of weapons floating around these days, then we have the option to amend the Constitution which they purposely made difficult but not impossible to do so it couldn’t be changed on a whim. This was supposed to contribute to the stability of our government and way of life. Our form of government has already lasted longer than much older nations like France, Germany, Russia, etc so it has withstood the test of time. Again, I think God’s covenant promises have much to do with that. But if we are divided in so many ways and yet freedom and our form of government is supposedly what defines us as a nation in the thinking of many people, do we want to pass laws that violate the letter of our founding documents? And an amendment does not appear on the horizon (and I don’t advocate it) because of our divided society previously mentioned. We have always had crime and violence which is as old as humanity. But consider that a couple of generations ago in this country, we did not have individuals going into schools, churches, movie theaters, concerts, etc. and killing as many strangers and children as they could. No, AR-15s were not popularly sold. But the firearms were available to do a lot of damage, if not on the scale today. And, there were less restrictive gun laws. I don’t suggest that that is why there was less of this type of violence but perhaps the laws were less restrictive because they didn’t need to be any more than they were. All of this points to the facts that society has changed and we are undoubtedly reaping what we have sown. We don’t want God talk or prayer in our schools and then wonder where God is when something like this happens. And do we really think that additional restrictions are going to be anything more than a tight bandage on a festering wound? |
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winslowhightower 19-Feb-18, 14:27 |
I did read this interesting post that I feel is fitting: www.facebook.com Okay, I’ll be the bad guy and say what no one else is brave enough to say, but wants to say. I’ll take all the criticism and attacks from everyone because you know what? I’m a TEACHER. I live this life daily. And I wouldn’t do anything else! But I also know daily I could end up in an active shooter situation. Until we, as a country, are willing to get serious and talk about mental health issues, lack of available care for the mental health issues, lack of discipline in the home, horrendous lack of parental support when the schools are trying to control horrible behavior at school (oh no! Not MY KID. What did YOU do to cause my kid to react that way?), lack of moral values, and yes, I’ll say it-violent video games that take away all sensitivity to ANY compassion for others’ lives, as well as reality TV that makes it commonplace for people to constantly scream up in each others’ faces and not value any other person but themselves, we will have a gun problem in school. Our kids don’t understand the permanency of death anymore!!! I grew up with guns. Everyone knows that. But you know what? My parents NEVER supported any bad behavior from me. I was terrified of doing something bad at school, as I would have not had a life until I corrected the problem and straightened my ass out. My parents invaded my life. They knew where I was ALL the time. They made me have a curfew. They made me wake them up when I got home. They made me respect their rules. They had full control of their house, and at any time could and would go through every inch of my bedroom, backpack, pockets, anything! Parents: it’s time to STEP UP! Be the parent that actually gives a crap! Be the annoying mom that pries and knows what your kid is doing. STOP being their friend. They have enough “friends” at school. Be their parent. Being the “cool mom” means not a damn thing when either your kid is dead or your kid kills other people because they were allowed to have their space and privacy in YOUR HOME. I’ll say it again. My home was filled with guns growing up. For God’s sake, my daddy was an 82nd Airborne Ranger who lost half his face serving our country. But you know what? I never dreamed of shooting anyone with his guns. I never dreamed of taking one! I was taught respect for human life, compassion, rules, common decency, and most of all, I was taught that until I moved out, my life and bedroom wasn’t mine...it was theirs. And they were going to know what was happening because they loved me and wanted the best for me. There. Say that I’m a horrible person. I didn’t bring up gun control, and I will refuse to debate it with anyone. This post wasn’t about gun control. This was me, loving the crap out of people and wanting the best for them. This was about my school babies and knowing that God created each one for greatness, and just wanting them to reach their futures. It’s about 20 years ago this year I started my teaching career. Violence was not this bad 20 years ago. Lack of compassion wasn’t this bad 20 years ago. And God knows 20 years ago that I wasn’t afraid daily to call a parent because I KNEW that 9 out of 10 would cuss me out, tell me to go to Hell, call the news on me, call the school board on me, or post all over FaceBook about me because I called to let them know what their child chose to do at school...because they are a NORMAL kid!!!!! Those 17 lives mattered. When are we going to take our own responsibility seriously? |
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The FBI had prior warning about this individual , yet did nothing to track him down! Why? Back in the day high school students went to school with a rifle or shot gun in the gun rack of their pick ups. The problem is not fire arms. It's the mentality in today's society and the lack of moral restraint which no longer guiding our youth! Where is God in all the this? He used to be in the class rooms! |
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winslowhightower 20-Feb-18, 14:16 |
www.facebook.com Mike Rowe shared Returning The Favor's episode. February 17 at 5:47pm · Off the Wall "Dear Mike. Where have you been? Your words are needed..." Susan Collins Hi Susan Sorry I’ve been so scarce. I guess I could blame a chaotic production schedule, but the truth is, I’ve been absent because I don’t know what to say in the wake of Florida. Like most of you, I’m overwhelmed with pity for the victims and their families, but consumed with anger for the coward who chose to murder. Rage and sorrow are hard things to reconcile, and the more such things occur, the more apparent it becomes that there is nothing new to say. So forgive me Susan, if I repeat what I said after Vegas and San Bernardino. Evil is real. As long as humans have walked the earth, people have chosen to do evil things. This is what happened in Florida. A nineteen-year old man chose to do an evil thing. He planned it. He executed it. He succeeded. Should we endeavor to know why? Absolutely. Should we discuss the impact of video games, accessible firearms, single-parents, no parents, powerful medications, social media, mental illness, bullying, or anything else we think might have encouraged him to choose evil over good? Without question. But we should also stop confusing the influence of such things, with the root cause. Because nothing in this man’s past can possibly explain his decision to kill seventeen people. If you believe otherwise, ask yourself why millions of other people with a similar past, don't make similar choices. The past does not equal the future. This is the most comforting thing I can tell you, Susan. It's also the most disconcerting. Because the facts are undeniable. People from horrible backgrounds often become the epitome of kindness. And people with every imaginable advantage, often go on to squander everything. The past does not equal the future. To the families of the victims I can only offer my sincerest condolences, along with my heartfelt wish that the man who killed their loved ones is removed from the planet with all due speed. As for words, I can only repeat what others have said, and ask you to remember those who confronted evil with courage. People like Aaron Feis, the football coach who threw himself in front of the kids the killer was trying to murder. Beyond that, I'm afraid I can offer nothing but my weekly attempt to prove that goodness also walks among us, just as surely as evil. In numbers far greater than our newsfeeds would lead us to believe. Mike |
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Short video youtu.be |
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Fake News! My name is John Bouchell and I am not a bot. I was in school administration after spending a stint in the military. Let me explain: As usual, I was a teacher, a coach and later became an administrator. I worked at all three levels of public school in administration. Like most athletic males I was assigned as a part of a school security team- at all three levels. Eventually, I was trained by the Department of Homeland Security, Several sheriff's departments, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, GBI. Prior, I was trained the military. I was a Combat Crew member and a certified marksman with both rifles and pistols (M-16, and .40 Cal Colt) with an Oak Leaf Cluster (Multiple awards). I was a likely person to help with school security and had an extensive background in technology and video surveillance as well. I held an SCI security clearance which is the very highest we have in America. I say these things to help you to understand my background to weigh my opinion as to the events in Parkview [Parkland] Florida, (30 minutes from my home where I live, now retired from School administration). As an administrator in charge of a large High School of 1,800 students and 140 employees, I held tabletop exercises and wrote publications & power points presentation, & helped with both multiple school & mult-jurisdiction school systems training as developer and presenter. Never did I hear from, receive information from, or was contacted by, read any publications, or gathered statistics from the United States Secret Service. Not once- EVER. Yet, 3 weeks prior to the shooting in Florida, the USSS was not only at the Parkland school, they held training. I have also, despite actually thwarting a school shooting by an armed predator at my school, causing both Code Red, total lockdown, 911calls and arrests and conviction of the potential shooter, [never] saw, spoke with, or was interviewed or contacted by the FBI, or the USSS. Its worthy to note the 911 response time was in excess of 20 minutes. In fact, I was only contacted by a few reporters. The incident was basically ignored and squashed in fear of damaging the political establishment, school board, school superintendent, et.al. NO REPORTERS EVER CONTACTED MY STUDENTS for interviews or opinions. I never spoke to a national law enforcement agent much less the USSS. So, to hear the FBI were the first responders only beating CNN by minutes in a wealthy Florida area saturated with Law Enforcement shocked me. Seeing the amazing amount of CNN coverage so well organized and all espousing one message and only one message is equally troubling. Seeing a student saying she actually walked with the shooter while evacuating and HEARD shots shocked me. Seeing video of a student telling us she was told they would have a drill that day with actors deeply troubles me. Seeing the same young man over and over who visited CNN that day and whose father is an FBI agent troubles me. Seeing and hearing the same narratives over and over that conflict with every aspect of training and experience I have is extremely unsettling. I saw video interviews of students claiming multiple shooters. This is troubling as well. I realize that the shooter apparently pulled the fire alarm to create chaos and provide a richer target environment (that alarm would have sent a signal to its precise time and location by the way) and tossing smoke bombs in a stairwell to drive the victims to the shooter's local BUT: At least one interview I watched was a student saying her doorknob was rattled and she heard a voice say "Go try another door". This needs exploration. I can sit here and tell you who I think failed miserably but it is fruitless. I'll save that opinion for future reference. In my utterly qualified, expert opinion, there are several troubling "Facts" being dispensed that I refuse to accept prima facia. Some of them are: Why was the shooter visited 39 times by local LE but never placed on a watch list and their right to a firearm flagged and denied. Why was his extensive school discipline not compiled and presented to the school board for total expulsion from the schools? What was the FBI the first response when the school is so close to the PD and an officer with a radio was supposedly on campus? How did CNN have so many "Kids" in place to echo their exact verbiage and focus on the actual weapon and not the shooter? Why isn't the alleged USSS involvement in a public school being examined? Who is this reoccurring "Student" that has family in the FBI? Why are the interviews that do NOT agree with the one shooter or the narrative that CNN is pushing being heard? Why aren't the multiple videos available (With the floor plan I have seen I would have had approx 22 cameras in that building and had over 140 in my school) being seen? I realize that some of the videos will be used for the trail of the shooter; however, it is in the interest of the public to see some of the unused footage that is available. Why was the USSS at a this school providing training 3 weeks prior? And how was the weakest, sloppiest, and most often NOT on REAL location news company all over this son of the FBI agent with an amazing and uncanny ability to find a news camera in multiple sates [sites?] in the last six months? Did this infamous teenager actually graduate already? Has the USSS ever been to any other schools to supervise and provide training for an active shooter situation? How could the USSS possibly visit all 22,000 High Schools in the US? And how would they be chosen? Who identified this shooter and how did L.E. track him to the retail store he was arrested at? Why has the entire CNN narrative to attack the second amendment when at least THREE government institutions (possibly FIVE if you count DFACS) failed miserably to help the mentally ill Why has the school district decided to demolish this building (like they did Sandy Hook) if their narrative is true and correct? Why not allow the forensics to be published and explored completely? Make it the offices of school safety as a monument even- But I digress. All in all my PROFESSIONAL opinion is this stinks to high heavens. Either we are surrounded by the most incompetent news people in the world, who don't ask questions or give a damn about these murders, or they have NO concept of why this happened will happen again soon. I for one am SICK TO DEATH of fake news outlets pretending this is about a rifle- its not. Its about a mentally ill person, totally abandoned and discarded and politically expediently ignored, by multiple agencies allowed to commit inhumane acts of terror due to incompetence. END www.peakprosperity.com/forum/113778/school-shooting-more-red-flags |
