But I'm just going to come out and say it: The reaction to the bomb scare at Mankato East High School was an overreaction.
Here's what I know: Never, not once, in the history of American education, has a bomb threat ever amounted to anything, ever blown up in a school, ever blown anyone to bits.
So why do we take any of these seriously?
I understand the hue and cry. I'm a parent, too. If I thought there was any real evidence of an actual threat, I'd be the first guy to want my loved ones the heck out of a building about to blow up.
But let me reiterate: Never once has it ever actually happened. Go ahead, Google it. Look real hard. Please, try and prove me wrong. I'm not worried. You won't find one. Because it's never happened!
And yet, AND YET, we react as though it's possible.
I know what you're thinking: "Hey Robb, if there's even a slight chance that it could be a legitimate threat, we have a responsibility to keep our kids safe."
I get it. Really I do. But then again, I don't.
Part of that rationale, I think, is an inherent need in every parent's mind to make sure it appears we're doing the right thing. But is this really the right thing to do?
If we know the threat -- like the one today, scrawled on a Mankato East High School bathroom wall with a Sharpie -- is ridiculous, wouldn't it make more sense to treat it like the asinine piece of high school high jinks that it is?
"But what if it's real? What if it's actually a bomb?"
Really?
A real bomber would NEVER telegraph his move. A real bomber -- who is likely a piece of crap -- would never make sure people had a chance to get out. A real bomber would not let us all know of his or her intentions by using a marker on a bathroom wall. The only thing real about this was the fear the adults in the room felt.
I know I'm in the minority on this one. After I posted a poll on our Facebook site, our readers had plenty of comments, all of which pretty much took me to task for even asking the question. Of course we have to get the kids out of there, they said.
I say: Of course we need to treat this act like kindergarten mind that created it. Make it sit in the corner while the rest of us continue on as adults and young adults.
Agreed ... but I think you meant a real bomber would make sure people DIDN'T have a chance to get out and WOULDN'T let us all know of his intentions. But I know what you're saying, and I agree.
ReplyDeleteright you are ... i shall fix this.
DeleteI don't know where you get your information, but while attending school in Hawaii, we had MANY bomb threats. During a two year period we had property damage two or three times, as a result of explosive devices.
ReplyDeleteYou are apparently willing to risk your loved ones lives on
a very flimsy rationalization. That is something I refuse to do!!!
Do you remember Colombine High School? The assailants had a bomb, but it didn't explode. Nevertheless, they still carried out their plans to kill that day!
Hmmm? "Those kind of things don't happen HERE...?!", you say? "Terriorists don't fly planes into buildings, either, do they?!!!" "Man will never land on the moon..." "I have some prime seaside property to sell you...it's located in Mankato, MN....."
My argument is this: When the threat is clearly ridiculous, our actions should reflect that. I never said there have never been explosions or violence in school. I've covered articles about violence in schools. I'm well aware it happens. What I meant -- and I guess I should have made this more clear -- is that never has a silly note written on a bathroom wall, or written on paper and left out where someone could find it, ever amounted to loss of life. And never will.
DeleteI think it's a little melodramatic to bring in the moon landing and the 9/11 terror attacks, but go ahead. Do that.
Oh, and Columbine wasn't a bomb threat, and it wasn't preceded by a note written with a marker on the bathroom wall. It was a pair of psychotic teens who wanted to kill people. That's not what we're talking about here. School shootings are a far cry from practical jokes, and I'm not really sure what Columbine has to do with this.
New Ulm, Mankato East, Maple River, now Dakota middle school REALLY parents should start paying attention to these kids they wouldnt have so much time on their hands to think up stupid crap like this i think that when they find out what kids did this they should make examples of them all maybe then this will stop.
ReplyDeleteOMG...PERHAPS NO ONE SHOULD HAVE CAR OR HOUSE INSURANCE BECAUSE WE KNOW WE WILL NEVER HAVE AN ACCIDENT OR A HOUSE FIRE....
ReplyDeleteNOW...JUST HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF THESE THREATS WERE TO GO UNINVESTIGATED AND YOUR CHILD/CHILDREN WERE IN THAT FACILITY AND THE BOMB BECAME REAL? I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW ANYONE COULD BE IN THIS "DON'T MAKE NO NEVER MIND" WARPED THINKING. WHAT IF SOMEONE THREATENED YOUR LIFE...PERHAPS LET IT GO? I THINK NOT. UNINVESTIGATED? THE KIDS IN SCHOOL NOW KNOW ABOUT A THREAT AND FEEL THEY ARE NOT WORTH INVESTAGATING A BOMB THREAT. A THREAT IS A THREAT...THREATS ARE MADE WHEN VIOLENCE COULD BE THE RESULT OF LIVES TAKEN. OMG THREATS, ANY KIND, ARE AGAINST THE LAW...CHECK THAT ONE OUT!..ANYONE EVER KILLED? SCHOOL IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE SAFEST PLACE FOR OUR CHILDREN..NEED A CHECK-UP FROM THE NECK-UP???????????
A bit freakish, aren't you?
DeleteSORRY FOR THE "SCREAMING," HOWEVER I HAVE A VERY SERIOUS CONDITION WHICH MY EYES DON'T FUNCTION WELL' THERE ARE TIMES MY VISION IS SO BLURRED I CANNOT SEE WORDS AT ALL. THUS, THE REASON FOR ME TO WRITE IN CAPS. NN LUCKLY I HAVE HAD GREAT TYPING SKILLS AND IT IS EASY TO TYPE. I OFTEN HAVE A PROOF READER WHEN ONE IS AVAILABLE. I RELY ON PEPOLE AROUND ME TO READ TO ME, BUT AT TIMES I AM ABLE TO GET THRU AM ARTICLE OK. BLESS YOU
DeleteI agree wholeheartedly I think the news should ignore them too as you can clearly see what the result of the coverage is. Please ignore all the people ranting and raving. For the record my child was in DMMS during the bomb threat and was not evacuated so please don't throw the argument at me about what if it happened to my kid.
ReplyDeleteGeez, Robb. I guess you don't love your kids enough to overreact to every perceived threat. Good for you for not backing down against these "I think we should euthanize all dogs because some of them have rabies" thinkers who write anonymously and sometimes in all caps, as if they're whole paragraph is screaming at you. Can we please roll in a wave of level-headed, cool thinking, please.
ReplyDeleteFor me personally, I would take a threat seriously. How can one predict if the person behind the bomb threat is serious or not? NO one can predict the actions behind a threat. Safety is the number one importance in this. I was at school in 7th grade when a bomb threat was called in at my school and they took it serious. I was scared and was glad to go home. It was a false alarm, but the person behind the bomb threat got some serious trouble. I rather take a threat serious than not. Like I said, safety is the number one factor in a bomb threat. I rather be cautious about it and do everything you can do to keep people safe.
ReplyDeleteI hear what you're saying,Robb, & partially agree. I also think that with terrorism stuck in peoples minds and the substantial refugee population in this area, people are, & probably should be, vigilent about taking threats seriously.
ReplyDeleteYou want to see the definition of over reaction? Look at a story about a school bomb threat on lohud.com. It was phoned in AFTER SCHOOL WAS DISMISSED. 4:30 in the afternoon. Look at the photo's. It's almost embarrassing to see the cops in total riot gear, staging out front, crouching with assault rifles. This department hit the mother load with anti-terrorism money that was handed out to every community post 9-11. I'd bet the person phoning it in was across the street laughing. I agree with your article!
ReplyDeleteI peed in a horse once.
ReplyDelete