LHS What Is Going On.

sharon kinsella · Post by **sharon kinsella** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 11:30 am

Justine -

I'm going to disagree with you. There is nothing wrong with a mother, reaching out in fear for her children and other children in the community.

While I think that a lot of good things can come out of this tragedy, I also think it would be a tragedy to make someone on this board feel guilty for expressing her emotions at a time when there was little verifiable information to be had.

I have noticed that a lot of people around here express very strong emotions on subjects where the facts, that are verifiable, are ignored.

You did nothing wrong.

Ivor Karabatkovic · Post by **Ivor Karabatkovic** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 11:42 am

Would students be safer if TRAINED teachers had hand guns in school?

I don't know about the high school level, but at the college level I believe so.

After the VT shooting I believe that if a teacher was armed and trained to hit a target from across the room countless of lives would've been saved.

I talked over this subject with my friends who graduated with me last year. I brought up that at LHS there is not one teacher that I wouldn't trust with a gun in a situation like that.

Maybe it's too big of a burden to put on our teachers, to be our mentors, teachers, role models and now are in charge of our safety.

Stemming off of this thought, that I would trust any teacher at LHS with a gun if they were trained to protect, I think that a lot of students would feel the same way. That's my assumption.

there's a lot of gray area.. especially with high school teachers being armed. College professors I would understand a bit more.

What do you think?

Sean Wheeler · Post by **Sean Wheeler** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 2:51 pm

Ivor, you know I respect you but...

I think that putting guns in teachers' hands would be a HUGE mistake. And as a teacher, I would refuse. That isn't my job and I hate guns. You might also want to think about what would happen if the guns was wrestled from a teacher. The concept of arming people is contrary to just about everything I believe in and I'm hard-pressed to find ANY situation in which arming people would help the situation. I heard about this on the news and laughed aloud.

I will not be responding for the rest of the thread. Not because I'm not into conversation, but because my mind is on dealing with the current situation.
Thanks to all who have expressed a willingness to help. Now follow through. I'll pop back on here when I get any information about how the community can help.

Jim O'Bryan · Post by **Jim O'Bryan** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 3:04 pm

Sean, Justine, Sharon, Whoever

My point in asking the question was to get the answer you gave. You are a good man, I hear a really good teacher and have talked with you often and know how smart you are and engaged. Everything you said was perfect, exactly what I would hope you would do.

Now compare those actions to those of a parent. A parent would do the same thing I would hope.

What would you do as a parent if the waning came from your child. Call? some said it was busy and/or a recorded message. Where do you turn then? What if your child borrowed a cell phone, to call you and you were on the high level bridge late to work? All they had was rumor, which is all you had. No place to turn, panic and frutration?

I recieved many calls from administers and teacher about my post. I still stand by all I said. Could I have handled it better. Maybe, but I had my facts correct, and still this the debate for long lines, in school, out of school, parents warened or not warned is still on the table.

Everyone posting rumors plainly labeled them as that. So we had RUMORS on the table from people with real names. This was wrong how?

I do side with some that asked me to make something clear. I think Bill Wagner is a straight up guy and good principle. I cannot think of a single teacher that handled this poorly.

.

Ivor Karabatkovic · Post by **Ivor Karabatkovic** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 4:04 pm

Mr.Wheeler,

thanks for taking the time out of your schedule and weekend to post. I'm STILL kicking myself over not taking world literature with you last year.

Your post made me realize that I had stated my thoughts wrongly. I would not want to arm teachers that do not want to be armed, but rather give teachers a choice to be or not to be armed.

I think having that choice is key. Logically it might make sense, but legally and financially, it's probably impossible to install.

Jim,
hope you're reading this since you are the first to hear about my complaints about rules in the school.

I have now realized how important a dress code is and just how important stricter rules are in school. You cannot let people monkey around in school or in the community, and I have found that the Principals at LHS limit monkeying around quite well.

If you let things get out of hand, any city will become a zoo and our tax dollars will become the admission price.

Start with the young ones.

I wonder if LHS has a 3 strike law within itself. I can't seem to remember!

Ivor Karabatkovic · Post by **Ivor Karabatkovic** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 4:10 pm

and just to add,

ever since I saw Mr.Wagner chop through five cinder blocks with his bare hand at freshmen orientation as he was introduced as our new principal, I've done three things.

1: invested in a few belts
2: felt like my school was in good hands
3: prayed that I wouldn't get caught sleeping in every other day.

he has done a lot to help me out and a lot to help other students out as well. I will always have respect for him since he always took the time out of his busy day to hear what I was concerned about when it comes to school or life.

Grace O'Malley · Post by **Grace O'Malley** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:56 am

FWIW, Dr Estrop himself was stationed outside the main entrance today, welcoming students back to school and talking to parents in cars.

I think that was a smart move.

I also received a recorded message last night from Dr Estrop, explaining the situation at the school and informing parents that counseling was available.

Beajay Michaud · Post by **Beajay Michaud** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:36 pm

Sorry I'm getting into to this a little late. I think that the school could have handled it a little better. Having hundreds of kids standing out side in the rain was bad, but having them stand outside as targets could have been a whole lot worse. Thank God nothing happened. I do think that the school handled it well in the inside. If they know there was a problem on Thursday, I would have liked a call before I sent my child to school Friday morning.

We did pick up our child because the boy that passed away was a friend of hers and she was very upset and we felt that home was the best place for her that day. (She had lost two other friends in the last few weeks).

I went to school in the South, every boy that drove a pick-up truck had a gun rack in it and I'm sure their guns were always loaded. I didn't know anyone that ever got shoot. It was a different time back then...

Suzie Dean · Post by **Suzie Dean** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 5:19 pm

just thought I would let you guys know I saw this on the news this evening.

A fund has been set up for expenses.

http://www.myfoxcleveland.com/myfox/pag ... geId=3.1.1

sharon kinsella · Post by **sharon kinsella** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 5:52 pm

Is US Bank the one that is in Daves Supermarket?

Grace O'Malley · Post by **Grace O'Malley** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 5:59 pm

Don't know about Dave's, but there is a US Bank in Rocky River on Detroit just past Heinen's in the plaza where the Dollar Tree and Linden Tavern are located.

sharon kinsella · Post by **sharon kinsella** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 6:07 pm

Thank you.

I'm over there all the time and never noticed (Tuesday Morning is over there ya know!)

Suzie Dean · Post by **Suzie Dean** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:32 pm

There is also one in the Giant Eagle in Rocky River.

Justine Cooper · Post by **Justine Cooper** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 6:12 am

Suzie,
Thank you for the link!!! How heartwarming to see the students pull together to help the family! That is the real news! Even $5 I would think times a lot of people could pay for this funeral. And a great reminder for organ donation!!! Putting a face to the name also hits the heart. I am glad the news focused on the fact that he would have wanted peace. That says it all.

Justine Cooper · Post by **Justine Cooper** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:00 pm

As of yesterday there was no money in the fund. This was just put up so hopefully this will change. I know how easy it is to think it will get filled or that a little won't make a difference, but even $5 from 100 families could pay for a good deal of the funeral. Mom has been bedside with her son for the last three weeks so I am sure anything could help right now.

I didn't realize there was an article about a Brown's player dedicating the game to Denzel! It says he is being buried in the jersey the player gave him. Sorry don't know the link.