An Accident Waiting to Happen

In the wake of the recent school shootings in Colorado and Pennsylvania, a school in Texas has brought in a British Army major to teach children how to defend themselves in the event of a gunman entering the classroom.



As much as i would like to agree with this particular school's response, this is simply an accident waiting to happen. You are talking about pre-teen children here. How are they to distinguish between an actual threat and someone they may not recognize doing something as mundane as pulling out a cell phone from his pocket? I predict that it wont be too terribly long before you see a headline that reads "janitor mistakingly stabbed to death by mob of crazed second graders wielding pens and pencils." Time to go back to the drawing board folks.

Yeah, I can see a bunch of six year olds rushing some lunatic with a machine gun...and about 2/3rds of them getting killed.

If I want my kids to defend themselves, then *I* will teach them to defend themselves, but I don't think an entire school district should be teaching this stuff to the kids.

Visit the Response Options website: www.responseoptions.com... take a look... "As Seen On TV" - OMG.

Victor K.

41'

[edit on 13-10-2006 by V Kaminski]

What are these people figgin nuts?

They think it is necessary to traumatize our children to try to keep them safe?

The odds of them actually finding them selves in a situation where this information might come in handy is about the same as winning Mega Millions Lottery. Meanwhile we have our authority figures scaring the crap out of them. This sounds like an episode of South Park.

Only in America.

Originally posted by elderban
Yeah, I can see a bunch of six year olds rushing some lunatic with a machine gun...and about 2/3rds of them getting killed.

as opposed to what ???

kids sit passively while machine gun wielding psycho kills all of them ??

IMHO - any defence stategy should focus more on escape / evasion training than attack by rug rat horde

Ok. Bear in mind here that these students are being trained to look for certain things. They're not going to just go indiscriminately attacking just any person for any reason. They are being taught to do these things in the event that they are ever being held hostage by someone that has a weapon. I'm sure that even children can be taught the difference between a gun and a cellphone; I know I knew the difference when I was 4.

The major, and yet unnoticed point here is that this is a paradigm shift in the way that Americans are being trained. We're being groomed for a new world, a world where fighting is going to be all the more important to our survival. What's more interesting to me though about this is the reasoning behind such a move. They, in effect, said it was to try and stop events like the school shootings and 9/11 from happening again. Yes, you heard that right, they mentioned 9/11 as if it was just some supportive reasoning for this new plan.

While I totally agree with empowering the people to fight oppression, especially from a young age, I have to admit that I don't see the motive for The Powers That Be. I find it, at best, counterproductive to what it appears that they are striving for.

It's been mentioned many times on here that TPTB are trying to turn the people into willing slaves, designed for no other purpose than to serve them. If it's not been mentioned in so many terms, it's been at least suggested. What I'm amazed by by this story is what could this act possibly do to further that goal, when it's doing just the opposite? Has the goal changed, and if so, what is it now?

I look forward to all of your comments. Thanks for reading this.

TheBorg

Originally posted by Hal9000
This sounds like an episode of South Park

As long as the kids remember to shout 'he's coming right for us' before stabbing a gun-toting loony to death with pencils

I'm sure that even children can be taught the difference between a gun and a cellphone; I know I knew the difference when I was 4.

how many times have highly trained police officers made this mistake?

this type of training in schools is just fear mongering. now we have to watch out for terrorists and the average joe... sounds like someone just wants you to fear thy neighboor.

[edit on 10/14/2006 by bokinsmowl]

sounds like someone's trying to shift the responsibility
or at least to alter the dialogue,

its my view that some Perp. should not have gained entry in the first place!

Aren't there flight marshalls in passenger aircraft- -?
so where's the guardians for defenseless kids?

the school authorities are worried about headscarves or mistaken gang-colors of the jackets or hoodies the kids innocently wear.

lets get real about accountability, it shouldn't be about the kids having to protect themselves...they are required by law to receive schooling or be subject to the Dept. of Social Services infringements on the families freedoms & social standing

Originally posted by snafu7700
I predict that it wont be too terribly long before you see a headline that reads "janitor mistakingly stabbed to death by mob of crazed second graders wielding pens and pencils."

Oh man, that had me rolling on the floor

I think the only thing they can do is have the security to stop anyone from getting in in the first place. I know people could still get in though. I think the only thing the kids could do if someone has a gun is get out of the school as fast as they can.

I don't know what to say. I mean, I agree with Ape. Better two thirds than all of them. They're talking about giving teachers guns and stuff...and I suppose that's better yet. I mean it's a one in a million thing...better prepared than dead.

And it's not like crazed shooters are the only problem, there's also gangs.

Anyways, I think it's better they do SOMETHING than nothing. I mean, they're doing drills up here where the students lock the door, shutter the windows, and curl up in a corner. Of course, any potential shooters can now PLAN for that, as well as being un-brilliant as far as strategy goes. Hooray! Less ammunition expended to kill more people!

DE

Originally posted by TheBorg
While I totally agree with empowering the people to fight oppression, especially from a young age, I have to admit that I don't see the motive for The Powers That Be. I find it, at best, counterproductive to what it appears that they are striving for.

It's been mentioned many times on here that TPTB are trying to turn the people into willing slaves, designed for no other purpose than to serve them. If it's not been mentioned in so many terms, it's been at least suggested. What I'm amazed by by this story is what could this act possibly do to further that goal, when it's doing just the opposite? Has the goal changed, and if so, what is it now?

I look forward to all of your comments. Thanks for reading this.

TheBorg

The Powers That Be move in ways more mysterious than we give them credit for?

The school system is already percieved by many (rightly or wrongly) as failing in its mission to educate the young.

If schools now begin to take on the aura of being so potentially dangerous, that we must begin teaching our children to risk their lives by attacking armed assailants, as a "reasonable hope of survival", just how long will the school system last?

And let us not forget; Perception is often 9/10ths of Reality. If schools begin to be percieved as dangerously "soft" targets, ripe for exploitation through violent attack, how many more such attacks will we be encouraging? And so begins a truly vicious circle.

The end result could be that the current education system fails, in total, to be replaced with...What?

Perhaps, some form of on-air/on-line based "home schooling" program? Almost every home has at least one TV. Many have cable access. Computers are cheaper than classrooms, especially if you have to staff and maintain those classrooms with highly paid professionals.

And who controls the airwaves over which these brave new educational efforts are broadcast? Yes, The Powers That Be.

And who will the develop the curriculi that is to be aired? Right again! TPTB.

And who will be able to control access to any information alternate to what is officially presented? The same Powers, of course, through their monitoring and control of the world's communications systems.

We will all be Networked, we will all be on the Grid and part of the Collective. Those who refuse to partake, who refuse to assimilate, will be considered "defective".

And they, too, Will Be Dealt With.

Umm sorry but unless those of you who oppose this are actually teaching your child to defend themselves with extreme, if not lethal force you got no place to say a damned thnig. Personally children need to be exposed to and educated about firearms as soon as heavenly possible in the school system. The self defense is another thing that needs to be taught throughout the years.

We must become like the Spartans, if our children are not taught to be warriors, how do we expect to effectivley defend our society from a global attack of pissed off invaders? Let alone local gangbangers, nut jobs, child molestors, and the list goes on and on.

A baby lion is not dropped out of the mother and taught to have fun, play with toys, video games and watch movies and worry about adult stuff later in life. they are taught how to survive from the moment they drop. That is how human society needs to begin teaching their children as well.

[edit on 10/14/2006 by DYepes]

Just let the teachers and employees conceal carry and no one will be stupid enough to attack a school...

Problem solved.

And maybe they should talk with troubled teens a little bit more thorough and make sure that anyone picking on these youths are punished harshly.

Originally posted by Bhadhidar
The Powers That Be move in ways more mysterious than we give them credit for?

The school system is already percieved by many (rightly or wrongly) as failing in its mission to educate the young.

There's many reasons why it's failing. Outsourcing is a perfect byproduct of that uneducation. The only reasons that we do that are because it's cheaper to hire foreign labor, and it's... well, because the people we're hiring are frankly better at it. That's because they have a much better education system over in India, Japan, and any other modern nation.

Notice that in those countries, it's mandatory to serve in the military. Isn't it strange that in most countries that it's mandatory to at least serve one term in the Armed Forces, and yet here it's left up to the individual to decide? In those countries, they have a higher sense of nationalism, simply because they've been involved in the defense of their natiion before, or are at least trained for it.

So, yes, we're failing miserably in that endeavor. Or are we succeeding as planned?

If schools now begin to take on the aura of being so potentially dangerous, that we must begin teaching our children to risk their lives by attacking armed assailants, as a "reasonable hope of survival", just how long will the school system last?

That depends on the individual, now doesn't it? That's a very open-ended question you just asked; one that no matter how I answer it, I could be wrong. Everyone should be trained to fight back against oppression. That, I think, was the main crux of my point in my previous post.

And let us not forget; Perception is often 9/10ths of Reality. If schools begin to be percieved as dangerously "soft" targets, ripe for exploitation through violent attack, how many more such attacks will we be encouraging? And so begins a truly vicious circle.

First off, I thought it was "possession was 9/10ths of the Law", and not that.

Secondly, by training people to fight back against armed assailants, how is that making the schools appear as a "soft target"? The logic behind that statement is flawed I think.

The end result could be that the current education system fails, in total, to be replaced with...What?

How'd you come to THAT conclusion? Empowering the people from an early age could do nothing but GOOD for the people, right?

Perhaps, some form of on-air/on-line based "home schooling" program? Almost every home has at least one TV. Many have cable access. Computers are cheaper than classrooms, especially if you have to staff and maintain those classrooms with highly paid professionals.

And who controls the airwaves over which these brave new educational efforts are broadcast? Yes, The Powers That Be.

And who will the develop the curriculi that is to be aired? Right again! TPTB.

And who will be able to control access to any information alternate to what is officially presented? The same Powers, of course, through their monitoring and control of the world's communications systems.

Now here you get into a subject that merits a little explanation, and touches on the core topic at hand. How is the system you just described any different from what we have currently? Aside from the being at home part, what's really different about it? HMM??

The main difference is the fact that the internet is an infinite source of knowledge for anyone willing to look for it. However, you have to be WANTING to look for it, and have to know where to begin looking. Those that are educated as teachers will have the best chances of doing this, plus they'd be able to free themselves up more to the students, as well as to make more one-on-one time for them, which is always a good thing. Not to mention the peer pressure problem being eliminated. Plenty of bonuses.

As for TPTB's involvement in the ebb and flow of the education system, home schooling has been going on forever. I would venture to say that home-schooled children are better off than publicly-schooled ones, simply because they have focused on their studies, and are better able to handle the challenges that present themselves to them. I don't really see how TPTB could control ALL of the media that we ingest; at least not without our spotting it.

Besides, why encourage the People to fight an oppressive assailant if you just want to stifle them by making them stupid?

We will all be Networked, we will all be on the Grid and part of the Collective. Those who refuse to partake, who refuse to assimilate, will be considered "defective".

And they, too, Will Be Dealt With.

We're already networked, and to assume otherwise would be folly. As for the collective, I again ask you the question I've been asking all post. Why would they encourage us to fight back, when their main objective is to force us into a passive state? You can't have both at the same time, and have it work. It's just not socially possible.

Think on this a while, and get back with me. I await your response anxiously.

TheBorg

First off it is unforchant that there is even a possibility that this instruction to students any where even has the possibility of being necessary. Although be it because of what has happened there is an argument that it possibily is.

What the Major was saying, he's right. In the event of a shooting you dont want to sit there. Your best chance is to get the weapon away from the shooter. To escape and evade is also a possibility if there are enough places to exit.

I like the comparason to Sparta. Yes with this lectuer we are starting to train the children to be fighters. Again unforchant but it may be hapening.