School defense

It pains me greatly that we are going to have to teach our children the same lessons that are taught to passengers on airplanes post 9/11. Prior to 9/11, flight attendants were taught to listen to the instructions of the hijackers. Now passengers are told that they must help keep planes safe by not allowing a criminal/terrorist to take over a flight.

Sadly, we need to teach our children the same message. Of the three school shootings, the Amish school shooting is the most disturbing-that is if one can be more heinous than the other.

It is one thing to want to take your own life, but it is another to decide to take others with you-no matter what has happened in the gunman's past. Exacting revenge isn't an option. Even anger at the Supreme Being isn't a reason to take others with you.

School shooters are terrorists. I do not care how old the shooter is. I do not care what their past reveals about their lives. I do not even care if they are suicidal. There is no reason to take hostages, especially in a school.

Terrorism is rampant in our own country; perhaps it is time to focus on home-grown terrorism. I do not understand when taking innocents hostage became the standard for criminals, but it is time to prepare our students to defend themselves against terrorism.

My fear is that if we do not do something soon, we will have to arm our teachers; it will be like the cockpit of an airplane. Some pilots arm themselves.

We have to teach our children that if something seems out of place, that they shouldn't ignore it. They should report it immediately to school personnel. At the first "inkling" of a problem, school personnel should call 9-1-1.

For a long time schools have had fire and disaster drills. It is time to hold anti-terrorism drills, too. Safety needs to be reinforced. If only someone had known that they should have fought off the shooters.

The principal at the school near Madison Wisconsin was a hero. He fought off the shooter. He took him to the ground. I am deeply saddened that the principal's life was taken, but he saved dozens if not hundreds of other lives.

In the end, parents are the final line of defense against terrorism in our schools. If we suspect that a student is capable of inflicting harm, we should speak up. We should also be alert when we take our children to school. Perhaps we need parents in the classroom to combat the likelihood of an attack. Parents trained to spot trouble. It is a sobering thought.

In the past decade, we have learned that school isn't necessarily a safe haven for our children. It is time to prepare our children for life in this war zone. I am stunned that I wrote it. I am stunned that we need to do this, but we must find a way to protect our children when we aren't with them. They are their best defense-if we prepare them.

Heaven help us.