I have some serious questions for you who are on the "we need more gun control laws now" bandwagon.
(1) How many of you support those who are charged with enforcing those laws? Many with that ideology also then post comments with such disdain for the law enforcement officers claiming invasion of privacy, overbearing in their duties, criticizing them for participating in chases, etc....

(2) How many of you elect judges who are on the lenient side, allowing felony offenders very light sentences, mandating early releases, etc?

(3) Would you still not consider capital punishment had he not killed himself or been killed in firefight with officers? And even if so, 15 years of appeals is excessive and the source of the cost many of you complain about. Yes, allow due course of appeals where necessary. But make it expedient. Do not allow enough time to pass whereby the general public forgets the nature of the crime by the time it comes to conduct the execution.

For those of you answering on the lenient side, what do you expect to become of any new legislation? You don't want current laws enforced unless Law Enforcement very politely asks the suspects if they will please turn themselves in. Don't you think many laws already on the books were already broken?

Those demanding more laws, and supporting law enforcement and meaningful sentences, well I have much more respect for your opinions and desire. Don't necessarily agree with you, but at least there's a consistency factor present.

Suggestions of banning firearm production worldwide is absurd. Making the purchase illegal has little effect on criminals, since weapons are already coming in by the shipload illegally at former Navy shipyards now leased to the Chinese government. (Thank you Mr. Clinton).

Allowing those in Law Enforcement to actually enforce laws already on the books, and demanding those on the bench to hand out meaningful sentences, (and while we're at it, remove many of the comforts of jails and prison) will go a long way IMO.

Why are we singling out schools because of this event? There have been shootings everywhere. I dont see how we can let the victims age be a determining factor on anything. People are people. but for some reason when you have kids involved all logic is thrown out the window and everything is based on emotions. This is why nothing will ever come out of this. Here we are talking about schools only because of this event. What about the mall? stores? restaurants? health spas, churches, movie theater, old folks homes? Hospitals? Unless you can predict something, why is a school more prone than any other place? The more and more I read this stuff the more I see stupid and failure. We are reacting to a problem that dont exsist, so publisizing this fake problem is what is going to help create it. The more we advertise "schools are being targeted" all the psychos will know that is our week spot and go take one out.

DeGryse...thats part of the problem...you called him nuts. Shame on you. We have to let the freaks go on being freaks because they haven't done anything (yet). The gutless spineless “leadership” in denial that there is a problem and if there is a problem it must be because of “bullying”. So make new law targeting those who call out the freaks. Never target the freaks. Let them go on about their lives. Then when the freaks go and do something like this...have a group hug and say “how could this possibly happen?”

If you required teachers and other school personnel to be armed and given the proper training of what to do in an active shooter scenario would require them to be classified as a protective employee, like firefighters and police, which would mean earlier retirement (minimum age 50 instead of 55), shorter years needed to work to get a full pension, and lifetime pension and benefits, without social security and medicare. Which is ironic because if you look at past comments from some/many of the people advocating this they also are the ones who advocated for less benefits for teachers in the past.

This conversation needs three legs -- limiting access to guns that rapid fire magazines of ammo, quality & available care for mentally unstable people, and changing our fascination with violence and gore in entertainment.
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I don't think a week goes by that I do not overhear some child talking to another about a TV show, movie or game that involves gory violence.
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We have come a long, long way from John Wayne movies. Look at the horror film industry. One of my female students is fascinated with Monster High dolls -- zombie like creatures. If people stop buying it, manufacturers will produce other goods. As long as people purchase the toys, video games, movies, etc. that glorify carnage, our children will be de-sensitized and act out in more and more horrific ways.
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Then there are the signs on homes that alert strangers that the residents are armed and ready to protect their home. Could be one of their children who take the guns and attack. After-all it is a family value to be ready to kill anyone who is a threat. . . children get confused about what a true threat to safety is. JMO

Over worked, stressed out, underpaid teachers with guns in a classroom? HMMMM

deductive reasoning

"This gunman had access to many hand guns that holds 30 rounds which in my mind there is no need for a hand gun to hold that many. Better yet for the future all hands guns around the world should not be manufactured any more as they have no use but to kill another human being." - wtp

It is not the gun that killed the people, it is the killer. A person could manufacture a bomb very easily and kill many..and it's done all the time. Someone could walk up to a bunch of people and stab them with a letter opener. Are they being "controlled"? Many things kill many people all the time. We're not outlawing them. It is our right to have them, and that won't be infringed upon :).

In my opinion my question is if a madman with a gun gets into a school and starts shooting what can be done at the moment. if you have all the security measures in place it wont mean a thing once a madman is inside the building and shooting.My question is what other options would be available to deal with a situation like that?

Re what schools need to do --
What we have been doing for around 10 years:
1) classroom doors may be kept locked so that in a "lock down" the door can be secured quickly.
2) at lock-down signal, teachers check hallway quickly to bring any student into the nearest room before closing the door & alert office if someone is out of the room (errand, bathroom, etc.)
3) Soft lock down = continue teaching, but do not let students leave the room unless escorted by an adult
4) hard lock-down, all blinds are closed, lights turned off and children move to the designated area out of any possible viewing. Everyone is silent. If someone tries to open the door, there is no response.

Also, any glass on doors or windows by doors is covered with a curtain or paper, etc. so that no one can look into the classroom when doors are closed.

We have practiced drills on a regular basis for both soft or hard lock-downs for many years (10+??). The children and staff know what to do.
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Just want to reassure any parents of children in SDJ that we have a plan in place . . . . now the newer piece of breaking in through glass or fears of someone buzzing in. . . I know that the office staff have a camera, if the person is familiar (like a parent who is in the building frequently) they don't always ask. But I have traveled to other buildings for meetings during they day, and even with my staff ID on, I am always asked, "May I help you?" People get busy, and sometimes could be misinterpreted.
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Quiet down your fears. Someone could turn up in a restaurant, mall, post office, theater, etc. any day, anytime. We have to move forward; treat the mentally ill with greater compassion and consistency.

You want your gun rights AND protect your children? Hire armed guards at all the schools and make sure the guards have more weapons than the attackers. This won't be cheap either...welcome to the new age.

Well said tink. I agree 100%. I have a child in elementary school as well. It amazes me how easy it is to get in.

I have three kids all in Janesville Schools, which two are at an elementary school and I know for a fact that yes anyone can get in. I have buzzed the door (which is considered the front door I guess)and they buzzed me in before I even said who I was or what I was there for. I agree, solid doors (no windows), and only allow visitors in the main door and yes maybe even a metal detector at that door or an armed security officer at that main entrance. It all comes down to money - hear from so many "do you know how much all that would cost" who gives a rats butt - as long as 27 kids & adults don't get shot down for no reason all seems worth it to me! But yet we are argueing over sidewalks in this city!

County Police Chief Recommends Arming School Personnel http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2012/12/17/c...

nicksmom - I know the meds stabilize them, but what if they stop? Or mix the meds with something else? Or drink alcohol? BOOM! There are a lot of new medicines out and a lot are experimental. I know people that take meds for other conditions and doctors have been prescribing them some new stuff to try. All of a sudden you have a person taking meds for nothing related to mental issues now halucinating and what apears to be crazy. Everyone reacts different with drugs... Today anyone can walk into the docs office and walk out with a prescription for whatever they want really. Its a cake walk.

I find people who reference other people's knee jerk reaction with a knee jerk reaction interesting. This type of problem requires much thought and much discussion quickly so more loss of life is prevented. I believe people need to understand that we will never eliminate this problem altogehter but we need to find a plausible solution to reduce the risk. This doesn't seem to be the time to profess more hate for liberals, conservatives, the NRA, the President or anyone else. As with everything, zealots should not control this conversation and as I think has been proven a number of times, zealots cannot provide solutions because of their general lack of perspective. They really only sound reasonable to other zealots who agree with them and foolish to everyone else.

I hardly believe concealed carry is the answer and I hardly believe Texas has all the answers. There is freedom to carry in many states like Wyoming but that doesn't prevent crime. Look at the facts...it doesn't prevent crime! Also, I don't think the framers of the consitution or the authors of amendments had a problem with people get shot in mass by muskets so i'm not sure we can blindly accept their wisdom on this one.

Among many other laws, we require people to put their children in car seats and we require people to drive the speed limit to reduce or mitigate the risk of harming others. I, as a long time hunter and sportsman, am not worried about losing my rights to own a shotgun or hunting rifle and frankly wouldn't consider hunting with a semi-automatic gun with a jumbo magazine a sport anyway.

I think we can look to other precedents for help and I think we can use common sense without over zealous rhetoric to help solve the problem. One things is clear...this is a problem that needs to be solved because turning a blind eye isn't working!

@DeGryse: Ahhh- you do realize that psych drugs help to control the conditions? I think the ones we need to worry about are those who haven't been diagnosed, refuse treatment or haven't found a drug cocktail to help them. As for arming everyone - yeah let's do that - our gun culture is working famously.

A armed, knowledgeable security guard would have stopped this before it happened. The headline would have read "Security guard stops gunman at Elementary School".

Gunfight at the not so OK Corral.

ya, locking a door on a madman with a gun...lol. That will work.
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Teachers should be given the option to carry a gun. Texas is letting them do it. Guess what? The next school shooting likely wont happen in Texas.

Jefferson School will let anyone in. Yes, they are locked. But anyone carrying a small arsenal under a coat would be buzzed in without hesitation. And people are allowed in when the door was "buzzed" open for someone else. They walk in behind them. Once in...too late for all...

What more could be done you say? How about having entrance doors without glass? Get rid of classroom doors that have glass that would allow a perpetrator to view into the class. Install camera's in all hallways and entrance ways. There are too many entrance ways into both Craig and Parker that are unprotected. It also has to be taught to students to NOT let anyone into the building after classes begin. These are just a few suggestions that can be kicked around.

Or...

If the school staff would have been armed, they could have stopped him, instead of selflessly sacrificing thier lives.

This schoold did take all the measures for secuity, but when a shooter. shoots the door window and breaks in, what more could be done to prevent a situation like this. this gunman had access to many hand guns that holds 30 rounds which in my mind there is no need for a hand gun to hold that many. Better yet for the future all hands guns around the world should not be manufactured any more as they have no use but to kill another human being.