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Chipmunk
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Chipmunk
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,462 |
I don't think we can point a finger and say "there--that happened because schools are dangerous." Nowhere is 100% safe, even home (domestic abuse, home invasions, drive bys, etc.). Whether homeschooling or otherwise, all we can do is teach our children to be responsible, be aware, to look out for themselves and others and to be self-reliant.
Nowhere is 100% safe, you're right, I'm not arguing that at all. I tend to think schools ARE more dangerous than your local convenience store for several reasons...shootings are only one of those reasons. In a school you have 2000 kids and what, maybe 60 adults,all spread about and not able to effectively monitor most of those kids. That's just asking for trouble.
The reality is that there will be times I am not with my child, and as my child grows older he will demand greater independence from me. If I'm too protective, I do him a great disservice.
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Joined: Jun 2002
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Chipmunk
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Chipmunk
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,462 |
"It's a tribute to teachers and exceptional staff that so many children do learn a variety of subjects adequately at school. I think most parents do homeschool their children, after school. It's all that other stuff that goes on during the school day that gets in the way of most children."
yes, but it's sad the children have to stop at adequate.
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Koala
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Koala
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,172 |
"Schools are dangerous places, I agree. But, I'll reiterate. Schools have control over their employees and students (theoretically) and can (if they wanted to) control bullying, gang activity on campus, drug access/use on campus, hiring of employees with criminal histories, etc. "
Theoretically, but in real life, they just can't. School will never be what it should be or needs to be for every child. School wasn't designed to be that anyhow. School was designed to make good workers, identical cogs. We can say the environment is changing, but it's really not.
Meg
Last edited by Meg_Homeschooling; 10/03/06 10:42 AM.
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Koala
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Koala
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Posts: 2,172 |
Again, not to belittle the horrific nature of this crime, but to shift the focus back to a more reality based state--
U.S. Department of Justice stats also indicate that school related deaths of students/faculty/staff continue to be rare--despite the media's attempt to indicate this is a "trend."
You are in more danger of dying walking down a city street.
Yes, schools are still dangerous.
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Chipmunk
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Chipmunk
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....How many more innocent people have to die like this before America does something about its Gun Laws? The situation is abhorrent and execrable. I am not pro-gun, that needs to be said. Ok, that said...I live in a city where, honest to pete, it is written into city law that all heads of household MUST own a gun. It was a reaction to anti-gun laws of the 1980s. No one has ever been prosecuted for not owning a gun, but the law is there. ya know what...the crime rate went down 80% after the law and the city continues to have the lowest crime rate in the state and one of the lowest in the country. Gun laws aren't the answer, I wish they were. The movie "Bowling for Columbine" explains it better than I could. it's worth a view. Meg
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Zebra
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Zebra
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Posts: 3,313 |
Seen it. That's why the likes of Charleton Heston make me wish you'd ban the damned things....
Seen 'Lord of War' With Nic Cage....? Scary.
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Koala
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Koala
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Posts: 2,172 |
The World Almanac cites there are 192 countries (of course, with civil wars, etc., the number changes). The UK ranks #46 on the list (as of 2005) for the number of murders--so murder goes on despite gun control.
Yes, the U.S. ranks #24; but if you take a look at the USDOJ stats, only slightly more than half of U.S. violent crimes in 2005 were conducted with a weapon (undefined type).
So taking away the gun isn't going to stop the violence... change it maybe... stop it, no.
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Parakeet
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Parakeet
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 977 |
I don't have stats in front of me, but did you look at violence in general or murder stats?
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Koala
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Koala
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Posts: 2,172 |
The rankings by country cited above are strictly for murder. (See NationMaster.Com for Murders (per capit) by Country.
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Koala
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Koala
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,172 |
I apologize, Meg, if I'm hogging your forum today; but, I really feel that its important we distinguish between reality and media hype on this topic. MSNBC today cited some very specific statistics related to homicides in schools (of course, the info was buried at the END of the article). In today's article, "10 Myths About School Shootings" Bill Dedman wrote "Even including the more common violence that is gang-related or dispute-related, only 12 to 20 homicides a year occur in the 100,000 schools in the U.S." (See article, page 2, at the very end.)
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