At least one no-gun zone

testing

OK, Editor, you've made the leap from Taconic to Columbine, conjuring visions of a baker's dozen dead and two dozen more injured. Shall we now discuss the differences between the two cases?
First, the Columbine attack was planned and prepared for over the course of months by Eric Harris, and Dylan Klebold, later diagnosed as a clinical psychopath and a depressive, respectively. Rayquan Watford has displayed sociopathic behavior, but has not, so far, been attributed with any psychotic tendencies.

Second, Harris and Klebold, as far as we know, waited until they were ready to commit their attack before bringing their weapons (two shotguns, a carbine and a Tec-9 pistol, and numerous bombs) to school. Watford, with one pistol and 21 rounds of ammunition, shows no signs of such extensive preparations.

You may ' question the wisdom of bringing a weapon and ammunition into school in this day and age,' but those looking for wisdom from an eighteen-year-old sociopath are doomed to disappointment.

In Massachusetts, arming the student body of any high school is forbidden by at least two points of law: Applicants for a license to carry firearms must be at least 21 years old and, schools are already statutory 'gun-free zones.' Only law enforcement officers may be armed on school grounds. The only practical addition to the roster of armed responders on campus are staff and visitors who possess a license to carry.(This is not likely to occur.)

You've raised the specter of terrorists and the 'gun show loophole,' neither of which apply in this case. Let's get the rest of the story before attributing to Watford an ideological goal or guessing at the provenance of the firearm.

I acknowledge the issue of bullying, and suggest that after informing a deaf administrative ear, a bullied student has very few avenues for redress; either tolerate the intolerable or attempt a more active self-defense.

Metal detectors would probably work against low-level threats like Rayquan Watford or any student with a Swiss Army knife; but a Columbine-style attack wouldn't notice them - Harris and Klebold started shooting outside the school and walked in with armed bombs.

The Eagle will always opt for the simple emotional aspect of an issue and facts be damned.
Watford is a gang-banger just out for a quick buck, a good buzz and a welfare queen to squeeze.

'Prove me wrong', I'd appreciate it if we could address the issue at hand: school safety.
Taking a roundhouse swing at The Eagle and smearing Watford doesn't advance the discussion.

I spent some time considering the question and making a response. I'd appreciate it if we could save the mudslinging for at least the second page of the thread.

Please, try again.

ah yes, the child without fid or any kind of gun permit gets to set the laws for those with permits. the gun was probably stolen with the SN filed off... stolen guns can not be tracked and the gun runners who profit from tighter gun laws dont give a damn who they sell them to. meanwhile the state sees fit to take away the arms of law abiding citizens because of a couple of cock-ups. who never went to any gun safety courses or took a go at the fire arms permit tests... this incident would have been just as bandied about as it would have if he had a knife, only more because gun control is a hot button issue.

the people who want to get guns banned are the same people who would have a country so quickly melt down their own past and heritage to save its nose. the gun forged this country, without it we wouldnt have a USA. without the advances in medicine that came about from gun shot treatments. you anti-gun crowd would be still dying of simple diseases and aliments if it wasnt for the gun and the people who had to work night and day to keep soldiers moving on the fields of war, your ingrown nail might be a death sentence.

What really needs to be done to "clean" up any high school is a dress code and uniforms.This does away with the goth garbage and kids with name brand cloths picking on kids with WalMart cloths.
As long as one in three kids comes from a single parent home you will see trouble as most problem kids are being raised by a single mother and live in poverty and are on welfare.It is sickening that some of these punks use the F word freely in school and think nothing of disrupting class and doing as they please because they know full well that nothing will be done other than a slap on the wrist when what is really needed is a slap in the head for a start.But then what more can you expect when the alleged parent is a low class and immoral welfare rat? All welfare and section 8 should be fased out and all welfare should be based on being drug free.If it requires taking kids away from these leaches then so be it.