A press release to this effect moved at 1:28 p.m. today from the Rex campaign:
(COLUMBIA) Today, as Karen Floyd continues to hide behind
news releases and refuses to debate Jim Rex, campaign manager Zeke Stokes called
on Floyd to explain how she plans to pay for her outlandish plan to put a camera
in every classroom."There are more than 43,000 classrooms in South Carolina," said Stokes. "It
would cost tens of millions of dollars to place a camera in every one of them
and hire the additional personnel needed to monitor every classroom for
disruptive behavior. This over-the-top ‘big brother’ approach would require
another one of Karen’s favorite things – a massive tax increase. Isn’t her
half-a-billion-dollar Voucher Tax enough?
At about the same time, the nation was learning about this:
Milk Man Storms Amish School, Killing 3
NICKEL
MINES, Pa. (AP) — A milk-truck driver carrying two guns and a grudge
stormed a one-room Amish schoolhouse Monday, sent the boys and adults
outside, barricaded the doors with two-by-fours, and then opened fire
on a dozen girls, killing three of them before committing suicide. It
was the nation’s third deadly school shooting in less than a week, and
it sent shock waves through Lancaster County’s bucolic Amish country, a
picturesque landscape of horse-drawn buggies, green pastures and
neat-as-a-pin farms, where violent crime is virtually nonexistent.
A member of my immediate family is teaching pre-school up in Pennsylvania, probably less than an hour’s drive from where this happened. I spoke to her just before she was going into a 6 p.m. staff meeting, at which security is likely to be discussed. I expect at this particular point in time she wouldn’t mind a camera in the classroom one bit, whatever the cost.
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Sadly, a camera in that classroom with have done nothing but provide sensationalist video. This is a whole other issue not related to the cameras and deserves a thread of its own.
Looks like Zeke Stokes is doing all the talking for Jim Rex. Going negative by proxy is the true sign of a politician, not an educator.
Just like the “now you see it, now you don’t” blog entry, this is pure by the book politics 101. I hope Mr. Rex is getting his money’s worth for his political consultant fees.
C’mon, Zeke… your desperation is showing.
Or, wait, maybe I failed to read between the lines. I think Jim Rex has just announced that educational spending in the state of South Carolina will be cut if he wins. Hooray!!!!! Right???
And isn’t Rex the candidate who doesn’t think discipline is a big issue?
Let me se if I can get this straight…
On the official Jim Rex website, negative, inflammatory and questionable information about his opponent is posted, then disappears…and the Rex campaign claims it is blameless…
Now the Drew Theodore internet postings (derogatory post about women and marriage and about his inability to manage his personal stock account) disappear from the web…
Am I sensing a pattern?
So what’s up? Are these guys held to any standard by the press?
Here’s a better idea. Every teacher is required to wear either a pistol or Taser. When are we going to wise up and do what is right to protect children in this nation? If that teacher had been armed, number one, the killer likely would not have planned to shoot in a school. Contrary to popular opinion, killers dont like their plans disrupted by someone actually shooting at them. Number two, if he did back a truck up to the front door, the teacher could have had the weapon drawn when he came through the front door armed and ready. Is anyplace more vulnerable and unprotected than gun-free zones at schools? And this is where our kids are sent every day.
I hardly think an Amish teacher would have been “armed”. Further 43,000 in room cameras wouldn’t cost tens of millions… all those porn sites didn’t spend billions for camera equipment. But maybe a emergency button like the alarm system in the banks might be a consideration. Silent of course. I recall in school back in the 1800’s when I went that the office could listen in on specific classrooms on the PA system. Surely things have progressed to the point where this can still be done more efficiently.
Richland 2 has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars putting fences/gates around the perimeters of schools but the reality is that anyone can enter any school at any time of the school day and go pretty much wherever they please. The only reason we have not had a Columbine-style incident is because it hasn’t been attempted.
Video cameras on the perimeter and in the hallways would probably be sufficient. I would think teachers would be opposed to cameras in the classroom. It would open up a whole new level of parental/legal issues. Parents would be running to the principal to review the tapes any time little Johnny got reprimanded in class.
“And isn’t Rex the candidate who doesn’t think discipline is a big issue?”
Steve or others:
I’m curious…how would a school discipline plan stopped this truck driver?
Well “truck driver” yes but more specifically a milkman. I suggest leaving a note on the door, no delivery during school hours, thank you (facetiously)
The R2 fences help channel students and visitors through main points, but it’s not a terrorist deterrent. From what I understand, the Secret Service admits that a suicidal terrorist can hardly be stopped.
Maybe cameras in the classrooms can be run like NFL video review. Parents get two red flags to throw and every disputed referral is automatically reviewed the last two weeks of school…
“Here’s a better idea. Every teacher is required to wear either a pistol or Taser.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA.
Sorry, when I read that I assumed it was a joke, and then laughed. Then I realized it wasn’t, and laughed harder.
Have the government distribute weapons to thousands of poorly-trained teachers and see how “fun” school gets.
And by poorly trained… I mean in the use of said weapons.
Frank, Teachers armed in classrooms is the law in Israel. You can laugh all you want but as long as we as a society allow the mentally ill to roam the streets while being “counseled”, we are going to have public slaughters. I wonder if the Amish could set the clock back and arm that teacher would they be sitting like you and laughing about it.
Dave, you and your ilk have a very uninformed idea of the Amish. Also, this isn’t a Rambo/Jean-Claude VanDumb movie. There is no “turning back the clock “. This is real life, happening to real people. You are the ultimate purveyor of silly cliches on this blog.
Preston, do you climb out from under your rock about once a week to criticize, condemn, and complain on this blog? How about posing an intellectual idea for a change instead of telling people we are living real life. I need to write that one down. LIving real life, living real life…..
You write that down buddy. These people died in PA. That is fact. Your fantasy time travelling Amish Ninja/Teacher with a gun is just silly BS. Is that really what you consider an intellectual discussion?
Preston, there are several approaches that can be taken to secure schools. Here are some of the possible actions.
1. Place armed security at every entrance.
2. Cameras in every classroom.
3. A panic button that locks every class door.
4. Arm every teacher/admin with either pistol, taser, etc.
5. Do nothing
OK, let the debate begin, which of the above would be most cost effective, feasible, and actually work to stop inschool massacres?
Dave, you leave out removing guns from the ownership of people that have no place owning them. I realize that there have been some disturbing actione recently by adults, but I belive in the past that the guns were obtained by underage kids who took their parents’/family members’ guns. How about we hold the people that allow these weapons to fall into the hands of children responsible?
There are better solutions than throwing more money or guns at a problem. The more guns/weapons that are put in a school, the higher the probability that something bad will happen.
Wondering how today’s frontpage news in The State (headline: “Schools backslide on yearly progress”) can be spun as positive. No Child Left Behind is an utter failure – failed objectives, failed measurement, and failed accountability.
It’s interesting how the bad news has all started coming out after Inez decided not to run again. Must be a coincidence.
Preston, we have hundreds of laws on the books making it illegal for people with criminal history or mental illness to own guns. But when the police try to enforce those laws, the ACLU and liberals stand in the way. So the laws are there, but we as a society are too politically correct to enforce them. We wont even deport an illegal alien who breaks the law. So the best solution is to arm the teachers.
Dave, the statement about ACLU is a blatant lie. Saying the ACLU is responsible for keeping guns in the hands of the mental ill is ludicrous. If you are going to make that claim, please back it up with a specific case sighting.
By mandating that teachers are forced to carry guns, you would alienate a majority of teachers. I would bet that most teachers nationwide are completely against arming themselves. Stopping violence with violence is not the best answer in this case.
Preston, I said teachers could carry a gun, or a taser. They could also opt to load the guns with pepper spray bullets that are non lethal. People thought air pilots were against arming themselves until the Pilots Assoc. finally spoke up and said, Arm us. The teacher’s union leadership will be against it, all liberals all the time, what do you expect. When I have time, I will look up the ACLU scenario. But I do know the ACLU fights to keep mentally ill walking the streets in mainstream society.
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