The Sandy Hook shootings made my school district respond: thorough reviews of emergency procedures, consultations with experts, new lockdown drills. We can't afford to keep our heads in the sand anymore. People with evil intentions are as much a threat as natural disasters. This is the right reflex. I attended a briefing for parents recently where officials demonstrated a proactive attitude and deep concern for the safety of my kids.
But they couldn't tell me the details of their plans. They have to assume one of the parents attending might be one of those people with evil intentions. I can't pick up my own child without showing my ID to the secretary who knows my family personally. I might be a danger to my own child. Who knows?
In fact, the administrators couldn't see how the Newtown hero who took five students in did anything heroic. After all, those five kids strayed from the group and school officials had no idea where they were.
Wait. Weren't they safe? Weren't they safer than in their school?
When did the legitimate function of a school to keep kids safe tip over into the illegitimate suspicion of all parents until proven innocent? They now think of their job as superseding mine, rather than complementing it.
They ask for our trust to mistrust us.
My community is losing cohesion over Newtown.
CARY CAMPBELL
Harmar
First Published: February 15, 2013, 5:00 a.m.