EDITORIAL: Lack of Security at School Events

Students at the Sandy Hook school in Connecticut being led to
safety after the horrific mass shooting on December 14, 2012.

The scene shown in the above picture is unimaginable and one which no parent ever wants to see.

In the wake of this tragedy, there is always debate about gun control. Some say this is not the time for such a debate, and others question when will this debate occur. This editorial is not about gun control. It is about the lack of security measures present at extra-curricular school activities.

West Virginia is a gun state. President Obama was criticized back in 2008 for saying that we "cling" to our guns and bibles here. He was right. And we do so cling to our guns and bibles. And we make no apologies for doing so.

Considering we are such a "gun state" we ask each of your who attend these extra-curricular activities to consider what security is in place to prevent or minimize a tragedy of the Sandy Hook type. For example, last night at the Richwood-Webster basketball game, folks could freely walk into the gym carrying any type of handbag, backpack, package, etc. No security was present to even observe folks entering the gym, let alone do a simple, non-invasive search of their coats/belongings. Other schools at events like this have officers present at all entrance doors and even have walk through metal detectors present. So it can be done.

We would freely consent to security searches at these types of events. We can hide behind our constitutional rights but the same must be sacrificed to this small degree to provide some measure of prevention, rather than debate the reaction when something like a Sandy Hook tragedy occurs.

We call on our Superintendent and our Board of Education to have a serious discussion about adding security measures now at these school events.

Sandy Hook could have been any of our schools.

Sandy Hook could have been any of our children.

We need a serious, honest conversation about how not to be another Sandy Hook.