Guns in Schools: Virginia Educators Concerned about Governor's Interest in School Staff Carrying Weapons

Representatives of three state education agencies issued a rebuttal to Gov. McDonnell's comments about possibly allowing teachers and other school staff to carry weapons.

Virginia educators said they are concerned about the governor’s interest in allowing teachers and staff members to carry guns into schools, noting violence prevention isn’t an issue of more guns, but more funding. Officials with three education associations—the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals (VASSP), the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals (VAESP) and the Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS)—released a statement Friday. The statement came shortly after the National Rifle Association (NRA) called for "armed security" around schools but was in response to statements earlier this week by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. The education organizations said they appreciate Gov. McDonnell’s efforts…

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James

11:29 pm on Saturday, December 22, 2012

I guess we'll see as the evidence of the story becomes more publicly available. At the very least, we know that degenerate freak committed an act of pure evil.   more ›

After Newtown, NRA Ready to Make 'Meaningful Contributions'

Fairfax-headquartered group issues statement about preventing future tragedies after shooting that killed 28, including the gunman, in Connecticut.

After four days of silence, the National Rifle Association, headquartered in Fairfax, has released a statement on the tragic shooting in Newtown, Conn., saying it will make "meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again." In the release, the organization begins to explain its silence, saying: "Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting." Critics had called out the group in the days following the shooting: As citizens and legislators began to fall on either side of a debate about what, if at all, should be done about gun laws, many wondered why the group was absent from the conversation. Patch …

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Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: In Wake of Newtown We Need to Discuss Teen Suicide

Mental and emotional health needs to be taken seriously.

To the Editor, In the wake of the recent tragedy in Connecticut I want to take this opportunity to talk about Teen Suicide. As a former high school health teacher I am keenly aware of the significance of this problem in our society. In the United States, Suicide is the No. 2 cause of death for youth between the ages of 15 and 24. The Centers for Disease Control did a nationwide survey of high school students and found that 16 percent of the students had seriously considered suicide, 13 percent had reported creating a suicide plan, and 8 percent had reported attempting suicide in the 12 months preceding the survey. Most (81 percent) of the youth who commit suicide are male and the most prevalent (45 percent) method of committing suicide is …

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