We need armed security in our schools. everywhere. everything single school in the United States need armed security. whether that is police officers parent volunteers that are trained in gun safety or a private security firm. gun free zones make children sitting ducks.

I agree with you Deb. In addition, we need national legislation ensuring the right to concealed carry in all public places be it a school, movie theatre, mall etc. We also need a national right to self defense law so that victims of attacks who use a weapon to defend themselves are not liable for lawsuits or arrest. We also need national legislation to fix the problem of mental health specialists, parents or others who refuse to law enforcement those individuals who have violent histories, or express violent intentions etc. In most mass shootings, these mentally defective individuals have expressed their intentions but no one took them seriously. In addition, there needs to be a privacy law to protect gun owners from the news media publishing their names and addresses out of spite. Remember do not vote for liberals in the next election, they are the problem not the solution for anything.

Totaly a mental health issue and further proof that it doesn't take much to fuel those who want to disarm america. Could start with some control of what's on TV. I cringed when the advertisement to the "Texas Chain Saw Massacre" aired during the Iowa State game and I didn't care for it airing while my young grandkids were watching the game. They could skip the Viagra commercials too. I read where our kids end up viewing thousands of murders on TV and video games before they are even 10 yrs. old. The problem is not hard to identify.

Sorry but planting an armed guard at every single school in America will not prevent these mass shootings from happening. These people are not stupid, they would figure out who is armed and go for them first. In my opinion, it is the state that needs to get a hand on the mentally ill and keep them in check.

Speaking of mentally ill here's Webster's definition of paranoia:
paranoia: n. a mental disorder which the sufferer believes that other people suspect, despise or persecute him or, less commonly, in which the sufferer has delusions of grandeur.

What scares me most are sufferers (who don't realize they are sufferers) of paranoia who turn around and think that the answer to their fear of gun violence is more guns, and this culture seems to be becoming more and more accepting of a shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later mentality.

I hear a lot of talk about the right to own guns, but not enough about the responsibilities and consequences of irreversible decisions by "responsible" gun owners.

Commenters from other Patches may be interested in this story from Iowa City Patch: http://iowacity.patch.com/articles/addendum-superintendent-murley-says-adding-armed-officers-to-iowa-city-schools-not-feasible

Take a look at this story from Ohio:
The local school boards determine carry standards in their schools......I would support not only armed security in schools, but trained/armed teachers.

http://eagnews.org/hundreds-of-ohio-educators-sign-up-for-firearms-training-course/

Our church has posted a "no concealed carry/firearms" sign. Getting ready to send them a letter stating that if that's the case I want all kitchen knives/dining knives which aren't plastic removed, all letter openers, all box cutters, all hammers, all baseball bats, all shovels, any and all items which could be used by any person to do any sort of violence to be completely removed! Eagerly anticipating the vestry response! Ha!

This was set up by the government (obama) to take away our guns. Aurora, colorado didn't get the convo sparked up enough so he decided to go after children, because that would really get america talking. The issue here is NOT gn control. It's the goverment. For those who don't believe it was a government setup... Gun control is still NOT the issue, it's mental health!!

I believe so, yes. And I'm not the only one. Read up on both sides. You'd be surprised the 'coincidences' that pop up.

Oh my...I bet you're a "truther," too.

If I remember correctly, spending and the deficit were the most important issues in the election on the right and are going to ruin our country, but when it comes to militarizing every school district in the country, you're all for it, no matter the cost! I guess as long as we spend our money on death and machines, the government is doing its' job. Wackos!

A lot of you people talk like the crazies doing these cowardly acts of violence. Not all of the people doing these things may not have mental health problems but most of you want to blame it on this. My wife and myself find it hard to believe, you wake up and decide to go out and kill people. Guns are still part of the problem. Let's place this on the table too. The NRA wants to arm all schools with people with guns. Where are we going to place this individual, at the east door or the west one? Will they have to wear depends as they will not be able to take potty breaks or meal breaks. There must be a better way. We need a safe way to protect all kids from K-12th grade but in doing so, will we be scaring the little ones? We have detectors in airports, federal buildings and we may have to look at this. Locking doors with cameras, the issuing of entry cards for every student is another probability. We have a security problem in our United States and if our legislators do not try to solve it immediately it could happen again and again so let's all jar their attention. We cannot wait like the fiscal cliff we just watched our congress go through. THIS CONCERNS CHILDREN!!!

"Mental illness" is a relative term that encompasses such a broad spectrum of conditions. It can be as mild as OCD, hydrophobia or the winter blues, or truly dangerous conditions with violent psychopathic and sociopathic tendencies.

Those with OCD or mild depression should not be lumped in with those who actually pose threats to themselves and/or others when determining who is sane enough to possess a firearm. I'd bet most of us have suffered some mild form of mental illness at some point in our lives.

There are actually some interesting studies out there on "protecting children." Back when people had many children - and, yes, many died from various illnesses and they were needed to work to help support the family - there was not this overriding concern to "protect them at all cost." Now, when families mostly only have 1 or 2 - they are incredibily precious.......yet we allow abortion on demand.....and must not "scare" them and have counseling for every issue at every turn - when the violence on TV is pervasive. Reminds me of the interesting times curse.

Ok, this might sound really bad but I think putting bars on the doors and windows would prevent someone from breaking the glass to get in like in Newtown. But its rediculous that in this day and time we have to even be so concerned about having to do something like this. I tell my grandkids about what it was like for me in the sixties as a kid, and they look at me like I have two heads! When I tell them I used to stay out till midnight playing hide and go seek in downtown Dayton, Ohio they just can't even believe it because of course you can't let your kids do that now. It is as sad, sad world our children and grand children are growing up in when we are scared to even let them out of our site.

If many of you have your way, Toenail will be carrying a gun to "protect" us all from the crazy people. Be very careful what you wish for.

Who will protect us from her?

I don't believe the crazy was mentally ill at all! He was an full-blown addict of voilent behavior brought on by watching violence in movies, violent video games, books, television, you name it! Just as any addict of any form of vice, be it drugs, gambling, drinking, etc. The addict pushes the limits of pleasure to the next 'high'. We'll never know the whole truth behind this kid, but I imagine his mother was fed up with his obsession and may have taken steps to 'withdraw' him, pull him out of it. She had those guns to protect herself from her own kid! Sadly, once she angered this violent animal, he took his rage out on innocents. We, as a society are to blame for this. We've promoted it, fed it to young people far too long in all media. It's not a mental health issue....It's pleasure seeking addiction toward violent acts, pure and simple!

Ah yes, Our lawmakers are not only incompetent but now they are downright evil. They are intentionally sabotaging our country with Obamacare as nothing more than an elaborate tax system that has little to nothing to do with healthcare. They enjoy deceiving us all and waiting for our country to fail. Muaahaahahah!! Your conspiracy theory is much worse than Marlene's theory.

Proud UNI Grad.......I know what you said is purely sarcastic, but if you can read it without the sarcasim, it is spot on true. Obamacare is going to tax us to death and DC IS incompetent and downright evil! I know we always seem to dissagree on most everything but Kurt is right. Why is it that Washington, DC is the most richet part of the country right now? It didn't used to be. Obama and all histightest cronies are nothing but tax magnets. They are going to tax the hell out of us and its going into thier pockets. Why do you think he can't get the debt under control? Because he spends alot but he never proves exactly where it all goes so he can pocket it.

Check this out!
http://cedarfalls.patch.com/blog_posts/a-well-regulated-militia