HAVE WE LEARNED ANYTHING FROM COLUMBINE?

It’s been a year since the murder and assassination at Columbine. It’s interesting yet sad to witness how little has been done to reduce the likelihood of another such tragedy. The little girl who was assassinated when she answered that she believed in God, is in my mind, a Saint. Even Jesus’ disciples lacked that kind of faith and courage.

In the aftermath, some people have spent their time trying to convince others that she did not express her love of or faith in God before she was executed, that it was some other girl, or wasn’t said at all.

Some people have spent their time covering up the fact that the killers were administered psychotropic drugs by the school, the same drugs being administered to students here in capitol district schools.

Others have focused on the guns. I recently noticed a “GUN FREE ZONE” sign in front of Bell Top elementary school. This assures me that if the same scenario were to take place here that there would be no one to stop the murderers. Not long ago a school administrator in Niskayuna publicly chastised a local Judge, the Honorable Bruce Trachtenberg, for carrying his concealed weapon when dropping his child off at school. Today I find myself relegated to saying: “What if…”

The armed guard in Columbine did not perform according to plan. The heavily armed police who were called in were then ordered to wait outside while students were being murdered in a room just fifteen feet down the hall. I thought we were supposed to be safer now with a hundred thousand new cops courtesy of President Clinton.

I don’t want to be made a criminal for exercising my right to protect my family, especially while convicted felons are permitted to work in our schools. I know that many of the parents and teachers in New York’s public schools feel they are protected by these zones. Lets get our heads out of the sand. Please realize that our lives and liberty have been secured and maintained by firearms. They are not the problem.

David R Crawmer