School Terror Drills -- Real or Hype?

1. 73

   Mighty Momposted 12 years ago

   This is all over YouTube and the blogosphere and The Daily Paul.com (Ron Paul).
   
   Anyone have kids who have been forced to endure these terror drills or loaded onto buses like this?
   Couldn't confirm or deny on snopes.com but am truly questioning the veracity of these claims.
   Anyone?
   
   
   Kids All Over America Are Being Put On Buses And Sent To Alternate Locations During School Terror Drills
   Submitted by Bob-45 on Tue, 03/27/2012 - 23:36
   in Politics & Law
   
   
   All over the United States, school children are being taken out of their classrooms, put on buses and sent to "alternate locations" during terror drills. These exercises are often called "evacuation drills" or "relocation drills" and they are more than a little disturbing. Sometimes parents are notified in advance where the kids are being taken and sometimes they are only told that the children are being taken to an "undisclosed location". In the years since 9/11 and the Columbine school shootings, there has been a concerted effort to make school emergency drills much more "realistic" and much more intense. Unfortunately, the fact that many of these drills are deeply traumatizing many children does not seem to bother too many people. Do we really need to have "active shooter" drills where men point guns at our kids and fire blanks at them? Do we really need to have "relocation drills" where kids are rapidly herded on to buses and told that they must surrender their cell phones because they will not be allowed to call anyone? Our schools more closely resemble prison camps every single day, and it is our children that are suffering because of it. (Read More.....)http://endoftheamericandream.com/

   replyreport
2. 61

   American Viewposted 12 years ago

   MM,
   
   You are going to stir a hornets nest with this one. I have read about 6 or so different blogs that make these claims of terror drills. Of course non of them would I consider reliable. But one did mention a school district in Florida by name citing a parent they talked too that was upset over it. To try and find answers I called the district and honestly was given an major run around. In the end with all the people I talked to, no one would confirm or deny it happened, which of course only adds to the speculation.
   
   On one hand as a former NY firefighter, I can understand the reasoning behind such a drill. Oh I know there will be those that think it is a plot to take over the country, but they also need to look at it from another view. When a Colombine type incident occurs, we need to clear the school and get the kids as far away as possible as quickly as possible. Now some schools have large perimeters that can allow that to happen, others are locked in tight with no room around them. That school needs help evacuating the area to get the kids safely clear. What if there was a school very close to where 911 occurred, would it not be wise to bus the kids to safety?
   
   Of course the flip side is going to be those who have been blogging all over this theory that the US is about to become a dictatorship. That all the kids and people are going to be scurried into theses camps throughout the country. That would take one hell of an undertaking and I do not see it possible to be accomplished.
   
   Another thought provoking thread MM.

   replyreport
3. 60

   Teylinaposted 12 years ago

   AmericanView's points are well-made, and yes, you are stirring a hornet's nest. For example, I know my son (whose daughter is now grown) readily admits that he expects to be arrested for something somewhere before his death. He didn't feel that way until about 4-5 years ago. Now, as more and more problems develop, and he feels the constraints of governmental control, he's even more convinced. He doesn't consider it a terrorist threat as much as that the government does want more control of our lives.  Personally, as only a substitute teacher, whom many don't consider 'real' teachers, I'm sure many teachers and school authorities are simply concerned and doing the best they can. We used to have cold-war nuclear, hide under the desk drills. We had tornado drills. We began having gun and attack drills with different responses to whether the attack was outside or inside the school. Teachers often put themselves in harm's way to protect their students, and principals and other personnel have their own agenda to protect the entire school population. I wouldn't want any of there jobs. Trying to protect when you can literally see a tornado is frightening. Haven't faced a gunman, but been through the 'considered normal' lockdowns, and frankly think they are enough--especially in those city schools where police are on premises. We have to stop control somewhere. AmView's point about a 'close-by school' seems a good point, but I think it should be made a clear standard at the beginning of the school year.

   replyreport
4. 77

   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   An evacuation drill is only sensible in case of fire, tornado or whatever. Ditto having a lock down drill in case of sightings of a person with a gun. Calling it a "terror drill" is silly.

   replyreport