Michelle B
Yes, there are many issues we face, some less important, some more important. It's a personal decision. However, I don't say we live in fear or teach that to our children, but I say that we have to react, have a voice, to make a difference when our children's safety could be compromised. A nutritional lunch at school might not be on the top of your list or others, but people are making a differnece, or trying too. You say we should not live in fear; why did security in schools become in issue in the first place? Remember Columbine? That's why school security tightened up in the first place...I guess parents were wrong to make school security an issue then? Were the changes made because parents and children live in fear? Come on!!....we need to look at our children's safety seriously. Let's be proactive. There are hundreds, probably thousands of issues out there that people can list, but, the one that I am focused on now, is polling places in schools. It's not just about terrorism, it's asking the question, "is the security level at the school, the same that day, or is it lessened because of the lack of security procedures that one day? On election day, voters have to walk into our main foyer and pass two classrooms and a main hallway to dozens of classrooms before they EVEN GET to the registration table. Sorry, but I feel that is unsafe for the kids...yes, there are other issues and believe me there are a bunch of us in the fight, but to make change, someone has to start somewhere. Why put children in possible harms way, during the school day (which is supposed to be safe, secure), when there are dozens of other handicap accessible locations for voters. Public schools are utlized in many ways, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, community basketball, meetings, events, etc...but, they all occur after the school day! Just my thoughts...

honestly I have read about 1/2 of the responses so far, but for my two cents-

Give me a break! I'm 32 years old and have been living in this community my entire life and we have always had voting places in our schools. I understand that "things have changed" since 9-11, they changed after Pearl Harbor.
Terrorists will get into, wherever they want to get into regardless of the "security" we put into place. We can be as cautious as we want to but criminals do not follow rules and even a parent can turn out to be a terrorist. Do we stop parents from entering the schools? A Teacher can be a terrorist. Do we get rid of the teachers?
At some point, it stops being cautious, and becomes hysteria.
Voters must bring ID to the voting place. There is one door where they enter and one door where they leave. One of our voting places is a Fire Department, a library, no place is a safe place if you are afraid of terrorism.
I refuse to live in fear and I refuse to teach my child to do the same.
I will learn to be more cautious and aware of my surroundings. I will teach my child to do the same but I refuse to stop living my life because of terrorism.

I suppose if you want a real answer to your question, ask the people of Beslin. They lived in a tightly run country for years before they became a free country and I doubt they are willing to go back to that place. I watched a special on them last night and despite this horrible tragedy, they are going on with their lives. Terrorism is powerful because of fear. They feed off it and they do win if we give in to that fear. They hate us because of our freedom and they win when we give it up.

And by the way, if you are so concerned about the children and terrorism, why not put your energy into the issue of Yucca Mountain, a nuclear waste dump built on earthquake faults and this waste will travel through 44 states, past hundreds of schools, homes and churches. I am more concerned about that with terrorism....
So keep this hysteria in your community, we have a real threat to deal with.

[ 10-23-2004, 07:21 PM: Message edited by: Michelle B ]

We have had voting in my childs k-3 school since it was built long long ago. We have been lucky in the fact that it was an addressed item when our building was redone 2 years ago. Now our gym where the voting is held has its own entrance and has doors in the hallway that lock off the rest of the building so you cannot enter that way. We have lived with this issue and it was a concern to have people wondering in the building while your child was in school but the issue is no longer there for us if anyone is in a position it is a great thing to ask for if you are thinking ahead in a new or redone school.

Our school beagn locking its doors long before the thought of terrorism. It was done just to keep the kids safe and control and be aware of who is in the building. I can tell you that just recently a Girl Scout troop who met at the school 2 evenings a month had quite a scare when the front doors were left open. A man came in and while his intent was not to harm them, he did intend on stealing whatever he could including some of the computers. Fortunately no one was harmed and the man was caught and arrested. We live in the suburbs in a community that has next to no crime. The thief in question was not from our town.

The girls were quite upset and now will no longer meet there and have found a new location for meetings. But they still face girls who are now affraid that they may not be safe in their own school.

Of course this did not happen during school hours, but I think it is an indication that open doors can create unwanted problems that have nothing to do with terrorism.

By the way, when I was a kid, I lived overseas for two years. My school was a compound surrounded by high walls topped with barbed wire. The only way in or out was through a huge metal gate manned by guards.

Returning to the US, I remember being astonished that the schools were just sitting there in the neighborhood. They were so pretty and people simply went in and out. It seemed pretty and strange. And I was shocked when I heard other kids jokingly referring their wonderful, open school as a "prison".

I want my kids to be safe - but I don't want society to overreact and turn public school campuses into secured prison compounds. The schools should be an integrated part of the community.

[ 10-23-2004, 01:02 PM: Message edited by: JHB ]

In our school i have to say that safety is not a real concern when it comes to polling. the voting machines are right inside the doorway with the security desk right there, there is no way that anyone could get around them without being noticed. i guess my view is that if a sicko is going to come in then it could be any day. I am more concerned that something could happen on halloween parade day, I mean there are hundreds coming in and they are only allowed to go to the gym but with that many at one time how do you know? our gym is right inside the door as well and we require big orange passes to go anywhere else (prearranged by teacher). If you want to think of something happening how about at a family night,how do you know they are just your families? I guess it's alot to think about but it could happen anytime so I really dont have a issue with voting taking place in my child's school.Think about all of the possibilities we can't stop living and doing in fear...