“When you know better you do better.” - Maya Angelou
Unfortunately, now we know. What we never imagined could have happened is now a stark, horrific, painful, unwelcome reality for Newtown, CT and our nation. Words cannot express the avalanche of emotions all of us are feeling - grief, shock, sadness, anxiety, fear, and helplessness. Our thoughts and prayers are with the parents, families, loved ones, and friends of those taken at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday, December 14, 2012.
We must DO better!
What can we do? Some have said to avoid knee jerk reactions to this latest tragedy. Others have recommended a multi-layered approach that focuses on revisiting the care and treatment of those who are mentally ill while also taking a closer look at gun control. While both of these issues are being debated and strongly considered at the national level, what can we do NOW to help protect our children - all of them – from another Adam Lanza?
Here’s what we can do NOW!
All entry doors to ALL Howard County Public Schools should be locked. Doing so would make it harder for anyone with ill will to gain access to our children. Not impossible, but harder. It is impossible to turn schools into impenetrable fortresses, but we CAN make it harder for those who wish to do harm by locking all entry doors and requiring all school visitors be '"buzzed in" to gain entry. Should our worst nightmare happen again, a locked door could give school administrators and staff the precious seconds they need to help protect our children and themselves. Now that we are all on alert for the type of crime perpetrated in Newtown, CT, those precious seconds could mean the difference between life and death.
Think about it. We lock our doors each and every day and night to protect our families, our homes, and ourselves. Many of us who are home during the day keep our doors locked for an added sense of protection – a barrier if you will between those in our home and those on the outside who may wish to do us harm. We are taught to lock our car doors. Taught from a very young age to employ the means available to protect us. This same mindset must be applied to all Howard County Public Schools by locking all school entry doors and requiring that visitors be “buzzed in” to gain access.
Please sign the petition and help protect our children. Howard County Board of Education that
