The recent shooting of a couple of students at Harwell Middle School has given me one of those severe, "WTF were they thinking?" moments. The new school, which opened this year, is in close proximity to a couple of hunting leases. School district Superintendent Rene Guiterrez says they were not aware there were hunting leases on the west side of the school. How can a Superintendent of the school NOT be aware of something like that? Whose bright idea was it to build the school there? Are the people responsible for having the school built there really so dumb they have no freaking idea just how far a bullet fired from a high powered hunting rifle can travel? Didn't anyone, at any point look at the plans for where the school was going to be built and say, "Hey, do you really think it's a good idea to put our new school next to those two hunting leases?"
The gun control people are already trying to use this as yet another reason to screw with our right to bear arms. But, as far as I'm concerned this isn't about gun control. It's about common sense. Or rather the lack of it shown by those who are responsible for having a school built that close to two hunting leases. Yes, hunters should be careful where they shoot. However, I don't care how careful they are, a school built that close to hunting leases is a tragedy waiting to happen.
School officials are now considering putting up a cinder-block wall to protect the kids. My neighbor, Eric Kennedy, (yes, he's related to those Kennedy's), is an avid hunter, and knows just how far a bullet can travel. He has suggested what I consider a better plan for solving this whole dilemma. To quote him "If we are going to start fixing America let's do it right. Screw the cinder-block wall. Just move the politicians in City Hall and the County Courthouse to the new school. They would have a brand new buildings, plenty of desks, wonderful views, wildlife all around them, and a great big parking lot they could play basketball in. The kids could be moved to City Hall and the Courthouse where they would be safe." Kudos, Eric for what I consider a completely brilliant idea on how to solve that problem!
This incident is disturbing in many ways. Not only have two children been shot, but according to what I have read, one land owner will not be leasing his land out after this year. Is it because of the school now being there? Had the land been leased for hunting before the school was built there? If so, why should a land owner have to give up leasing his land out? Shouldn't the people who are responsible for building the school where it is have thought about those hunting leases, and the revenue they bring in to the land owner and the community, before they built the school there?
Speaking of money. Did money exchange hands under the table for that school to actually be built where it was? If so, what price did those receiving that now bloodstained money put on the lives of the children in their community?
