Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Once You Accept That He Isn't On Our Side, Then Everything He Does Makes Sense...
Security Works at Disney — But Can't Work at a Public School?
The general argument is that any effort at meaningful security is unacceptable because it turns schools into "fortresses." Numerous examples of this line of reasoning can be found on Twitter. They are often remarkably similar in message which is "forget school security, just ban guns!" Ah yes, the "ban guns" solution. It certainly worked in Latin America. And, of course, as soon as they're banned, everyone will immediately turn theirs in to the authorities and no one will have them anymore. Security of any sort will immediately and forever be rendered unnecessary. At least, this is how the thinking goes.
Others are filled with reasons why security is useless. They point out that Columbine High School had security cameras, and this therefore proves that all security measures have no effect.
Gun control advocates in social media have also begun passing around this article (by Bryan Warnick, Benjamin Johnson, and Sam Rocha) titled "Why security measures won't stop school shootings." The article, however, only briefly asserts (without argumentation) that that security won't work and barely touches on the tactics of so-called "target hardening." Most of the article is actually devoted to a sociological discussion of how a kinder, gentler, school environment will make school shootings less likely. It looks more at the effects of security on student attitudes. Not even the article's sources much support the theory that greater security makes a school more "scary." A prominently cited-study within the article, called "Predicting Perceptions of Fear at School and Going to and From School for African American and White Students" does not support the idea. Indeed, the study found that when security is applied "aggressively," within the school, students report feeling less fearful.1
But, the overall strategy here is startling. Gun control advocates are in a way holding school children hostage to their message by shooting down calls for better school security. Their essential position is "no security for children until we get the gun control legislation we want!"
Security at Theme Parks
Most of the talk about schools being turned into dreary "fortresses" is pure sentimentalism, of course. But, it's the sort of thing we should expect from panic-prone Americans, many of whom routinely overestimate the threats to their safety.
Meanwhile, many responsible owners of private facilities — i.e., not public schools — have already implemented just the sort of security measures that anti-security advocates now denounce as measures that turn schools into "prisons."
Disney theme parks in California, for example, implemented metal detectors in 2015. Orlando theme parks, including Sea World, and the Universal Parks have implemented metal detectors and other security measures as well.
The theme parks have implemented just the sort of security that we're told turns the place into a "fortress" and will make everyone feel as if he is in inside "a prison." But, the park owners want greater security lest they are subject to lawsuits that might result from a mass-shooter situation. Theme parks — especially Disney — are famous for keeping security unobtrusive, but it is most certainly present. At the same time, theme park owners are motivated to make security as pleasant an experience as possible. This is why security personnel is trained to be friendly and professional.
Meanwhile, Disney reported a 13% increase in theme park revenue in 2017. It seems that the "fortress" isn't keeping all that many visitors away.
Security at a State Legislature
Theme parks aren't the only places where security is done better than at public schools.
Early in my career, I was a lobbyist at the Colorado state capitol in Denver. Prior to 2007 — except for a short period following the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington — the building had unrestricted access, with on-site, armed security.
In 2007, a man armed with a handgun entered the building and threatened personnel in and around the governor's office. He was shot dead by on-site security. Building access was heavily restricted after that.
Nowadays, all visitors must go through a basic security screening unless they are members of the legislature, or are pre-approved personnel subjected to background checks. Hundreds of people pass through the building each day.
But, even those of us who had go through the screening would enter and exit the building multiple times per day. This meant going back through the screening. It was marginally inconvenient, and we questioned the need given the presence of on-site security personnel. But in general, it wasn't a big deal.
Moreover, school kids regularly visited the building for field trips. They moved freely and exuberantly through the building. They sat in the gallery. They noisily ate their lunches in the rotunda.
And yet, the "experts" would have us believe that by merely being in a building with armed security the children were in fact being tormented psychologically, having been given the message that the building was, to use the words of Warnick, et al, a "scary, dangerous and violent place." In reality, none of us who worked in the building daily cared anything at all about the presence of the guards. I certainly never hesitated to invite family members there.
Early in my career, I was a lobbyist at the Colorado state capitol in Denver. Prior to 2007 — except for a short period following the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington — the building had unrestricted access, with on-site, armed security.
In 2007, a man armed with a handgun entered the building and threatened personnel in and around the governor's office. He was shot dead by on-site security. Building access was heavily restricted after that.
Nowadays, all visitors must go through a basic security screening unless they are members of the legislature, or are pre-approved personnel subjected to background checks. Hundreds of people pass through the building each day.
But, even those of us who had go through the screening would enter and exit the building multiple times per day. This meant going back through the screening. It was marginally inconvenient, and we questioned the need given the presence of on-site security personnel. But in general, it wasn't a big deal.
Moreover, school kids regularly visited the building for field trips. They moved freely and exuberantly through the building. They sat in the gallery. They noisily ate their lunches in the rotunda.
And yet, the "experts" would have us believe that by merely being in a building with armed security the children were in fact being tormented psychologically, having been given the message that the building was, to use the words of Warnick, et al, a "scary, dangerous and violent place." In reality, none of us who worked in the building daily cared anything at all about the presence of the guards. I certainly never hesitated to invite family members there.
It's a Matter of Priorities
For places like amusement parks, concert venues, city halls, county courthouses, state legislatures — and of course — the US capitol, security measures have already been implemented. Is there evidence that everyone working in these building regards them as "prisons"? After all, the private owners — people who are potentially liable for violence on their premises — want security, and you hear few of them resort to a knee-jerk declaration of "it won't work!" when their lawyers and stockholders advise them to implement security solutions.
Indeed, what we often hear as a objections to "security" are really just objections to the incompetence and unpleasantness of public schools. We're told that greater security at schools will encourage more abuse of student rights via random searches, drug tests, and aggressively unpleasant encounters with security personnel.
In other words, we're being warned that public-school security reflects the quality of public schools in general. If greater security automatically leads to abusive behavior by security, then why do we not see this behavior at the Magic Kingdom or at baseball stadium? The answer lies in how public schools function.
Those places that actually value the safety and quality-of-experience for the people present have a much different attitude about security than public schools do. And, no doubt, part of the reason that public schools and their supporters can continue to get away with their dismissive attitude toward real security is because no matter how many shooting take place on school property, the schools are never held legally accountable. It's much easier for the counties and the school boards to...
For places like amusement parks, concert venues, city halls, county courthouses, state legislatures — and of course — the US capitol, security measures have already been implemented. Is there evidence that everyone working in these building regards them as "prisons"? After all, the private owners — people who are potentially liable for violence on their premises — want security, and you hear few of them resort to a knee-jerk declaration of "it won't work!" when their lawyers and stockholders advise them to implement security solutions.
Indeed, what we often hear as a objections to "security" are really just objections to the incompetence and unpleasantness of public schools. We're told that greater security at schools will encourage more abuse of student rights via random searches, drug tests, and aggressively unpleasant encounters with security personnel.
In other words, we're being warned that public-school security reflects the quality of public schools in general. If greater security automatically leads to abusive behavior by security, then why do we not see this behavior at the Magic Kingdom or at baseball stadium? The answer lies in how public schools function.
Those places that actually value the safety and quality-of-experience for the people present have a much different attitude about security than public schools do. And, no doubt, part of the reason that public schools and their supporters can continue to get away with their dismissive attitude toward real security is because no matter how many shooting take place on school property, the schools are never held legally accountable. It's much easier for the counties and the school boards to...
Socialism Is An Alternative To Capitalism As...
John Kasich still thinks he’s a 2020 thing, demands more gun control - ban the ‘god-darned Ar-15’
Last week we heard the rumblings. John Kasich, the Governor who won’t go away, the man whose father was a mailman, was thinking about the many ways in which he could easily become President in 2020. Last year, he was ruling it out but now, thanks to what he calls dysfunction in the Trump White House, Kasich’s language has softened. It’s possible, however ridiculous, that he might be planning to primary Trump as a Republican, or abandon the party and run as an independent.
As Buzzfeed reported:
Sources close to Kasich’s political team have told BuzzFeed News in recent weeks that both options are in play. Deliberate or not, Kasich’s moves as the 2018 midterms approach reflect that. In Massachusetts, his still-active Kasich for America committee and Doug Preisse, one of his longtime advisers, have donated to Rick Green, who is seeking an open House seat as a Republican. In California, Kasich has encouraged Steve Poizner, who this week launched a campaign for state insurance commissioner as an independent.
“Sure,” you might say, “Kasich is probably deluded enough to think this could actually work. But he’ll never do it, will he?”
Normally, I’d agree, and at some point, I suspect the money-men will pull him into a room and tell him this is all a crazed fever-dream. Until then, however, he’s doing what he can to sound exactly like a candidate.
OK, fine…. That should read “he’s doing what he can to sound exactly like a candidate who’s working to alienate his base and ensure a quick defeat.”
Check out his recent gun control diatribe on CNN, via the smitten lefties at Mother Jones:
“I think the Congress is totally dysfunctional. I’ve never seen anything like it. They just can’t seem to get anything done.” Kasich also faulted Congress for inaction on immigration and for blowing “a hole in the deficit,” saying lawmakers only come together to “take money out of our kids’ piggy banks.” But Kasich, a former Fox News host and member of Congress, saved his strongest rhetoric for the gun issue. He suggested he would favor expanding background check laws to cover private gun sales; banning so-called...
US Army to drop hand grenade proficiency from basic training
WASHINGTON
Changes to the Army’s Basic Combat Training (BTC) are in the pipeline to scrap current hand grenade proficiency standards as a requirement for graduation starting next summer.
Military.com reported that the new BCT has not only eliminated the hand grenade requirement but also the land navigation course as a graduation requirement.
Maj. Gen. Frost said that training recruits were taking too much time: “What we have found is it is taking far, far too much time. It’s taking three to four times as much time … just to qualify folks on the hand grenade course than we had designated so what is happening is it is taking away from other aspects of training.”
Women are not strong enough to throw the grenade far enough “if they haven’t thrown growing up” Frost explained. More than 200 000 women are serving in active duty today, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“We are finding that there are a large number of trainees that come in that quite frankly just physically don’t have the capacity to throw a hand grenade 20 to 25 to 30 meters. In 10 weeks, we are on a 48-hour period; you are just not going to be able to teach someone how to throw if they haven’t thrown growing up.”
According to Army Times, hand grenade training will be blended into other exercises in future. “Rather than spend time getting soldiers through the hand grenade and land navigation qualification courses in order to graduate basic, those skills will be incorporated into three new field training exercises, dubbed Hammer, Anvil and Forge.”
On Facebook, John Clayton wrote: “Army to lower hand grenade requirements because women do not have the strength to throw it far enough to...
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