Was there a better way to handle the Russian school crisis?

[grinningghost]

Now that things have really fallen apart at the Russian school, there's alot of Monday morning quarterbacking going on about what was done and why it was a big mess.

The only thing I can think of that I would have done differently, is have the perimeter of the building secured better - which would have made it impossible for the terrorists to escape. Otherwise, I don't know what could have been done.

It's very sad and I feel for anyone who would be forced to make a decision in a crisis like this.

 

[zurgswife]

Originally posted by grinningghost
Now that things have really fallen apart at the Russian school, there's alot of Monday morning quarterbacking going on about what was done and why it was a big mess.

The only thing I can think of that I would have done differently, is have the perimeter of the building secured better - which would have made it impossible for the terrorists to escape. Otherwise, I don't know what could have been done.

It's very sad and I feel for anyone who would be forced to make a decision in a crisis like this.

I agree...I think their hand was forced with the terriorists started firing at those trying to escape.....Such a sad thing....

 

[Deb in IA]

I don't know either. Certainly better security in the first place may have prevented this, or at least decreased the number of casualties, but hindsight is 20/20 . . .

 

[100%Disney]

I read on CNN.com that the terriorists that were killed were Arabs. I wonder if it has anything to do with Osama?

 

[zurgswife]

Originally posted by Deb in IA
I don't know either. Certainly better security in the first place may have prevented this, or at least decreased the number of casualties, but hindsight is 20/20 . . .

Yeah but how many schools do you know that have security that is that strict while parents are in attendance....I'm sure public schools in the states would stop some unknown person from entering during a regular school day...but this was a school opening that was attended by lots of parents, relatives and friends...It seems these people just blended in...

 

[Dan Murphy]

Terrorists are animals. worse than actually. Not only do they not care about their own lives, not a normal human instinct, but they have total disregard for anybody elses and actually try to maximize casualties and mayhem. If you can kill them first, you are ahead of the game. Only bad thing, usually more trash in the wings waiting. Sad.

 

[poohandwendy]

Yeah but how many schools do you know that have security that is that strict while parents are in attendance....I'm sure public schools in the states would stop some unknown person from entering during a regular school day...but this was a school opening that was attended by lots of parents, relatives and friends...It seems these people just blended in...

I don't think I can agree with you on this, I think US public schools are completely unprepared for a terrorist attack, such as one like this one.

I know of NO schools that are equipped to stop a group of armed men from coming in, parents there or not. It is terrifying. It alarms me that schools are so vulnerable, and has ever since 9-11. I really don't know what could be done to prevent it other than armed guards and only one entrance. Obviously, that is unlikely to happen. Even if it did, when there is a will, there is usually a way.

I feel so bad for those poor people who suffered this horrible attack. I cannot imagine how sick you would have to be to target children/families like that. It is beyond my reasoning.

 

[snarfer1]

Originally posted by poohandwendy
I don't think I can agree with you on this, I think US public schools are completely unprepared for a terrorist attack, such as one like this one.

I know of NO schools that are equipped to stop a group of armed men from coming in, parents there or not. It is terrifying. It alarms me that schools are so vulnerable, and has ever since 9-11. I really don't know what could be done to prevent it other than armed guards and only one entrance. Obviously, that is unlikely to happen. Even if it did, when there is a will, there is usually a way.

I feel so bad for those poor people who suffered this horrible attack. I cannot imagine how sick you would have to be to target children/families like that. It is beyond my reasoning.

Absolutely correct.

If we truly wish to make ourselves safer, without resorting to razor wire, bunkers and armed guards at every school, church, stadium, bus/train/subway stop, we need to arm the civilians.

A national right-to-carry law is the only realistic and affordable solution to add protection. Speaking as a Father, I would die protecting my kids, and with a firearm, I could take out some of these terrorists, rather than being another victim. Also most elementary school teachers that I have known (3 kids worth) would also try and protect their students. The problem now (compared to terrorist attacks of the 70s and 80s) is that cooperating with the terrorist will not spare your life! They wish to cause the maximum possible economic, political and emotional damage that they can, like killing your children after torturing them! (Dear Senator Kennedy: If taking nude photos of a captured enemy is torture [who BTW were fed, given medical attention and allowed to sleep], what do you call the deeds done to these Russian children and families?)

Of course this will never happen, look how hard it was to arm our pilots. Hmmm a pilot who wants to kill us merely has to crash the plane, but a pilot with a gun could go nuts and shoot someone on the plane! That's bad! The logic escapes me, you already trust your pilot with your life, why not give him a chance to resist hijackers and maybe save/spare your life?

Read the news reports, they (the terrorists) are not civilized in the same manner as most of the world. They shot fleeing children in the back! They refused food, water, medication or the bathroom for three days! They released one Mother after making her choose only one of her children to go with her! (She took her 2 year old, left her 6 year old!)

The only thing these terrorists deserve is a bullet in the back of the head.

It proves they care nothing for any non-Muslim, child, infant or innocent bystander.

If we do not DESTROY terror it will DESTROY us! There sadly can be no middle ground or compromise. And as a side thought, what kind of children do you think these monsters are raising/training?

I hope we don't wait for homicide bus bombings to occur on our soil?

Finally, prayers and peace to all those in Russia!

 

[beattyfamily]

I for one have no desire to do Monday morning quarterbacking on this sad sad situation. The ONLY people to blame are the animals that took the hostages.

How can we as a world secure every single target to prevent stuff like this? It's just about impossible, IMHO.

 

[zurgswife]

Originally posted by poohandwendy
I don't think I can agree with you on this, I think US public schools are completely unprepared for a terrorist attack, such as one like this one.

I know of NO schools that are equipped to stop a group of armed men from coming in, parents there or not. It is terrifying. It alarms me that schools are so vulnerable, and has ever since 9-11. I really don't know what could be done to prevent it other than armed guards and only one entrance. Obviously, that is unlikely to happen. Even if it did, when there is a will, there is usually a way.

I feel so bad for those poor people who suffered this horrible attack. I cannot imagine how sick you would have to be to target children/families like that. It is beyond my reasoning.

You are very correct and I what I truly believe but since my kids go to a very small private school I was just guessing that public schools in america might have some sort of security that would be different then what I was used to...

 

[Mackey Mouse]

My husband and I were discussing this very thing this morning. I am beyond words here, shooting children in the back as they try to escape, no food or water in a gym where you have herded that many people together. I am continually horrified at terrorism.

I will never understand that behavior and nothing justifies hurting innocent children intentionally by taking them as hostages.

 

[janette]

Our public school does have everyone sign in and while they would probably know immediately if armed gun men were in the building I'm not sure it would help.

One of the news articles said that they started shooting outside the school and herding even people outside in. That is why there were so many parents and younger siblings there. I can't see that the school had a chance.

I don't want to imagine a world where we have to have armed guards at schools I hope it never comes to that.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Wow... great post Snarfer1!

I will refuse to do any Monday Morning Quarterbacking. There is aways a coulda, shoulda, wouda.....

I can remember one of the worst things that I read after 9/11 was a scathing editorial by a Russian journalist in a Russian Paper. The whole thing was a complete lambast on just how ill-equipped and unprepared he thought our emergency-resue personal were They had lost their lives, and responded admirably to the unthinkable evil... Sorry, but you do not simply use a fire-extinqisher or a pumper fire-truck to put out a towering inferno caused by an airborne bomb carrying tons of jet-fuel!!! This was like adding insult to injury and it deeply upset me.

The only thing that upsets me here is what these evil animals have done to innocent children! That is where the whole thing begins and ends with me.

I prefer to look forward. I agree with any earlier posters who say we MUST go to the ends of the earth to destroy this evil scourge. I am not putting my hand in the sand.... I know that this type of situation, actually much much worse, could happen here again on any given day.