School Violence Summit Update

After the recent school shootings, President Bush called for a school violence summit, and it appears the summit is on the right track.

From the BFP:

The Conference on School Safety, moderated by top White House advisers, featured more than a dozen education and law enforcement experts trading ideas: encouraging students to come forward with tips, controlling the movement of visitors, running drills so students and staff know what to do when an emergency arises...

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales dismissed one questioner’s call for increased gun control, saying weapons prosecutions had increased dramatically since Bush took office in 2001. Following the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., then-President Bill Clinton pushed for restricting access to guns.

Panelists also didn’t give metal detectors much of a thumbs-up. Not only do they give schools the kind of foreboding climate that feeds into student rebellion, they don’t work very well.

And after a more recent shooting in a Missouri middle school, fortunately no one was hurt, Governor Matt Blunt considers the idea of arming teachers:

Gov. Matt Blunt, who was in Joplin on Monday for a meeting, said because of the recent spate of school violence it would be worth considering proposals from lawmakers to allow teachers to carry firearms in schools.

"It's an interesting idea worth discussing," Blunt said.