My son goes to San Antonio Madison High School. Today at about 10:30 a.m. I got an email from the school saying that they were on "lock down." This is an unfortunate term that has come into school lingo since Columbine. At about 11:30 a.m. I got another email telling me the "lock down" had been lifted. I was busy. I knew that schools are extremely cautious these days. Sometimes a burglary in an adjacent neighborhood can trigger a "lock down." But then my wife texted me and told me what really happened.
This is what happened. Another kid, even though he is being charged as an adult, brought some serious weaponry to school. And, it shouldn't, but it does hit a lot harder when your child is in the school. I can't imagine what it feels like to be a parent who has lost a child to this kind of violence. My gut was in knots the rest of the day. My son stayed on campus the rest of the day. He didn't want to come home though my wife offered. I thought the school administration handled everything as well as possible.
But really, how did this child get a hold of an AK47, a .45 caliber handgun, and a .22 caliber handgun with extra clips of ammunition? The parents evidently said he took SOME of their guns. [shudder]
It's time to have a serious conversation about what the 2nd Amendment actually says and what it means. It's time to ask gun owners (myself included) why not some gun control? Why not some regulation? Does the Constitution really guarantee the right to buy any weapon you want for personal use? Does gun control really guarantee the good guys will be weaponless because the bad guys will always get weapons? We need to ask NRA members to really examine what their organization is doing in their name. We need to examine closely the gun industry and how they make their money and how much they make.
I'm tired of it. Really am. Today was too close.
4:40 PM PT: Today, another lock down. A student received a text that another student had brought a gun to school. The students were confined to their classes for two periods while the school was searched for weapons. Like I said, this is getting old.
Wed Apr 30, 2014 at 9:47 PM PT: We continue to hear of threats. Tonight at nine thirty the school sent out a robo call and an email saying students could not bring backpacks, gym bags, or large purses unless they were clear or mesh. The local Wal-marts got huge business tonight. Nothing was left for most of the 3200 students. I'm sending mine tomorrow with one of those huge zip lock storage bags. The school is taking a huge attendance hit. Many in the community want more answers as to how the student who began this was able to get the family AK47. The student who sent the text yesterday was discovered and arrested today. She was from a neighboring high school.