<p>Unbelieveable.
[Officials:</a> Boy opens fire in New Mexico middle school gym, wounding 2 - CNN.com](<a href=“http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/14/justice/new-mexico-school-shooting/?hpt=hp_t2]Officials:”>http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/14/justice/new-mexico-school-shooting/?hpt=hp_t2)</p>
<p>So disturbing to hear these stories. Even more disturbing to me was that I didn’t hear about it till this morning - which makes me wonder if we are getting conditioned to these things happening so somehow, even in social media, it didn’t get a lot of attention yesterday. </p>
<p>Finally, also disturbing to me because S starts his middle school student teaching experience today. I pray its a good and safe one. </p>
<p>Prayers for this community.</p>
<p>I heard about this yesterday and actually watched the threads to see if anyone would post about it.</p>
<p>Yes, I think as a nation we are becoming conditioned to hearing about it.</p>
<p>What bothers me most is that schools still believe in the " it could never happen here" scenario.</p>
<p>Metal detectors need to become standard, that is all there is to it.</p>
<p>As a practical matter, sax, that wouldn’t work at every school. My high school had thousands of kids moving between four buildings each hour. Can you imagine how long passing time would have to be? </p>
<p>Furthermore, wasn’t there security in place at Sandy Hook and the guard was simply shot and walked over?</p>
<p>IMO, no, metal detectors are not the answer. Once the gun is in hand, it’s already too late.</p>
<p>I’m certainly not getting conditioned to these things. We put so much time and effort into getting a house in this nice school district so that when we have kids in the near future I will have a good place to send them, and I am afraid that when the time comes I will be too frightened to send them. Every time this happens a piece of my sense of security is chipped away never to return.</p>
<p>I think because I work in public health and I ignore the media hype, I have no fear of sending my children to school. I know that they’re much more likely to face violence at home than at school. </p>
<p>Maybe it’ll change when I have children but I doubt it. I wasn’t raised in fear like many of my generation and that’s just not how I think.</p>
<p>I think you have to make the metal detectors work. You stand a better chance of keeping the gun out of the school and away from a majority of the students. </p>
<p>Don’t see many school shootings at large urban schools with detectors.</p>
<p>At least if someone opens fire outside you have a moment to lock down as much as possible inside.</p>
<p>here are the arguments concerning metal detectors
[School</a> Metal Detectors and School Safety](<a href=“http://www.schoolsecurity.org/trends/school_metal_detectors.html]School”>http://www.schoolsecurity.org/trends/school_metal_detectors.html)</p>
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<p>Fixed that for you.</p>
<p>You know, I always wondered what would happen if there was a shooter on campus at pcep during lunch or passing time. There would be mass panic and pandemonium, nobody would know where to go. I don’t even know if they have loud speakers outside, if you were outside you wouldn’t know to run and not go to into the building. I was almost always either in class or outside.</p>
<p>I asked this question to one of the principals once and he treated me like I was trying to plan a shooting instead of asking a valid question so I never asked again. I think it was after Virginia Tech when everyone was talking about security measures.</p>
<p>I’m not against metal detectors, especially in schools where they could be useful-- the schools my kids will be going to won’t have the difficulties my old high school would have had, and I don’t think the difficulties there would have been much either if they actually had enough metal detectors for each entrance. Only one person can fit through the door at a time anyway, they would adjust.</p>
<p>I don’t think that’s a cure all for the problem either, though.</p>
<p>Any word on how the child got a hold of weapon?</p>
<p>The weapon was a 20 gauge shot gun which the student had sawed the stock off so he could fit into his band instrument case.</p>
<p>According to the local news reports, the father is a hunter and the gun belonged to the family.</p>
<p>So even if you had a metal detector, you’d have to make all the band members open their cases each time.</p>
<p>I think that talk about metal detectors is a diversion from what we need to do to improve mental health care, instead of making it more difficult to get.</p>
<p>Metal detectors are a deterrent but they do not prevent acts of violence. Someone could rush through one and start shooting. Someone could figure out a way of getting around one.</p>
<p>On Sunday, my organist had to rush her husband to the hospital due to chest pains. They recently installed detectors at the passway between the waiting room and the exam/treatment area “for the protection of the patients, family and staff”. Organist had to place her personal items in a bin and pass through the detector. Hubby, in a wheelchair, was pushed past the detector, since of course, the wc has metal parts.</p>
<p>As he was being admitted after spending a few hours in the ER, he asked the nurse what he should do with the 4" blade folding knife that was in his pocket (former Navy Seal; carries it everywhere).</p>
<p>Now how long will it take for the gang members or whoever to figure out that if they want to chase after someone who has been brought into the hospital that all they have to do is pretend to be a patient???</p>
<p>We spend way to much time and money on feel good measures that give a false sense of safety.</p>
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<p>Bingo !</p>
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<p>Don’t even get me started! All the talk about treating mental illness the same as any other disease is a bunch of nonsense. What did Anthem do this year under most of its policies (ALL of the ones on the exchange)? Limit each family member to THREE office visits where a copay applies. After three visits, the rest are included in the deductible. So in my son’s case, I would pay $25 for the first three psychiatrist appointments, then about $80 for the remaining 21 visits. An increase of about $1,500 over last year. We should be OK this year, because our son was accepted for MaineCare, which pays everything that Anthem doesn’t.</p>
<p>I am not impressed with psychiatric hospitals, either. Saying, “Hospitals discharge patients too quickly,” does not begin to address the problems. Hospital doctors are overwhelmed and don’t know much about any patient. The person’s REGULAR doctor is NOT welcome to visit or make recommendations. After hearing me in TEARS on the phone, my son’s regular doctor ignored protocol and called the head of the hospital to let him know how upset I was with the way my son’s case was being handled. My son was too sick to be discharged, but the hospital started to feel like a warehouse after a couple of weeks (a very expensive warehouse, at about $1,100 per day). He was getting worse, not better. I visited him 30 out of 32 days. I advocated strongly for him every one of those days. I hate to think what would have happened if I hadn’t been there. It was disturbing how few patients had visitors any of the times I was there.</p>
<p>The other huge problem is the lack of quality group homes where mentally ill people can live. Our son lives at home with us, where we can monitor how he’s doing and supervise his studying and self-care. Our friends’ son is 37, and they thought they’d found a good group home for him. But the supervision has been non-existent and the employees not helpful at all. This young man tried to kill himself twice LAST WEEK! His parents are beside themselves. </p>
<p>I guess I’m getting cynical. I don’t think things are going to change. We’re going to continue to have shootings and other horrible incidents. And at least in some of the cases, the perpetrator’s family is going to suffer tremendous pain and guilt for the rest of their lives.</p>
<p>I don’t believe you’re being cynical, Maine. You’re passionate. You’re aware. You’ve seen it first hand. I believe you’re 100% right.</p>
<p>I also believe you are 100% right. </p>
<p>Nothing will change. At least not in any foreseeable future. Mental health access is not going to get easier. </p>
<p>Honestly, I think moving to another country which has universal coverage and comprehensive mental health treatment might be the easiest path for some families. I am completely serious.</p>
<p>I am becoming such a cynic that I am afraid even with free and comprehensive mental health treatment this kind of thing would still happen. There are lots and lots of people who can afford and have access to mental health treatment right now that choose not to get it, for a multitude of reasons that have nothing to do with the government or insurance or healthcare in general.</p>
<p>The problem, Ema, is that our system is so complicated. That’s why I suggested another country. I do not think that increasing access to mental health services is the answer in the least. The entire system needs to be overhauled from top to bottom and that’s not going to happen. </p>
<p>When I was battling depression, anxiety, and PTSD- all conditions that can be reasonably treated with semi-minimal care, it was very, very difficult to get doctors to communicate, to get the records transferred, to keep everyone in the loop, etc, etc. I couldn’t imagine trying to do everything like what ML has to do with an ill child. Can’t even begin to wrap my mind around it.</p>