WP: Bush discusses school shootings for an hour without saying word "guns"

[DeepModem Mom]

Guns Are in Schools but Not in the President's Vocabulary
By Dana Milbank
Wednesday, October 11, 2006; Page A02


President Bush participates in a panel discussion on school safety at National 4-H Conference Center. (By Susan Biddle -- The Washington Post)

President Bush has always been a disciplined man, but yesterday he set a new standard for self-control: He moderated an hour-long discussion about the rash of school shootings in the past week without once mentioning the word "guns."

First lady Laura Bush was nearly as good, giving a seven-minute speech at yesterday's White House Conference on School Safety without mentioning guns. Two longtime aides, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, deftly led hours of panels at the National 4-H building in Chevy Chase with only a few glancing references to weapons.

This was no misfire. The White House, hastily arranging yesterday's forum to react to shootings over the past fortnight at schools in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Wisconsin and Missouri, neglected to invite any gun-control advocates. In fact, how the killers had carried out their deeds might have remained a mystery if 19-year-old twin brothers Theo and Niko Milonopoulos hadn't infiltrated the gathering.

Managing to get in front of a microphone during question time, Theo pointed out to Gonzales that "the common denominator in the rash of school shootings" has been access to high-powered guns. He asked what could be done to reduce the spread of such weapons "in light of the expiration of the federal assault weapons ban?"..."Obviously, kids shouldn't have access," (Gonzales) granted, before quickly adding that there is no need for new laws. "We need to make sure those who break the laws are prosecuted," he said....

***

Bush and his fellow participants stood in front of a faux blackboard inscribed with the words "Conference on School Safety" 42 times. With gun control off the table, the questions and comments became a bit repetitious, too, as a long line of participants echoed the belief that school violence would be reduced by values education and religious belief....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/10/AR2006101001390.html

[NMMNG]

I can see by the picture he was talking about his teenie weenie again

What does that have to do with school shootings?


And I don't see how religion is going to help matters, particularly when the "religion" they're talking about is divisive, prejudicial fundamentalist religion that teaches nothing but hatred for people who are different.

[Binka]

1. Just A Charade

Every fucking thing they do is smoke and mirrors? Theses fucking narcissists are WORTHLESS.

[Skittles]

2. he approves of illegal wars and torture

why the F*** is he talking about unnecessary violence?

[rodeodance]

3. "neglected to invite any gun-control advocates."

[Richard Steele]

4. This would be the George Bush who _CUT_ $160 mil from school safety?

Rhetorical question.

[AJ9000]

5. The real problem is not gun ownership by

honest citizens, but rather a culture of violence. The guy that attacked the Amish school coud have done what he did with any knife. And if you have any knowledge of arms, you'd know it would be better to get shot 3 times with an "asault rifle" than once with an ordinary shotgun (and I'm not kidding.) Banning semi-auto AK's really wouldn't help much - people would just turn to other arms.

The founders (like Jefferson) actually wanted citizens to be armed precicely so that they could fend off an out-of-control government. That day may be coming.

And I do think there is a connection with this rash of violence, and Americas' violent foreign policy.

[rodeodance]

6. "Dems. & gun-control advocstes shut out of the invitation-only event"

Democrats and gun-control advocates shut out of the invitation-only event had to do their sniping from a distance. They pointed out the COPS in Schools program, given $160 million in 2000, has been cut to zero. "The Bush administration is in denial," protested the Violence Policy Center.

At the conference, Bush's thoughts leaned in the opposite direction; he mused at one point about whether schools were becoming too locked down.

Gonzales advised Bush that one panelist said metal detectors send "the wrong message about what we think of our kids."

[rodeodance]

7. the solutuon is to bring back God and prayer in schools:

Bush and his fellow participants stood in front of a faux blackboard inscribed with the words "Conference on School Safety" 42 times. With gun control off the table, the questions and comments became a bit repetitious, too, as a long line of participants echoed the belief that school violence would be reduced by values education and religious belief.

"It's illegal to say 'God' in the public schools these days," complained one questioner. He was followed by a representative of the American Association of Christian Schools. Craig Scott, brother of a girl killed in the Columbine massacre, said she was "killed for her faith."

"Lots of folks find answers in their faith," Spellings observed.

They certainly did yesterday. Another panelist spoke about the need for churches to "adopt" schools. An organization started by the Scotts, Rachel's Challenge, distributed brochures comparing the slain girl and her father to Anne Frank and her father.

[rodeodance]

8. "spoke about the need for churches to "adopt" schools."

[rodeodance]

9. YOU just have to read the last paragraphs!

......Until that point, Bush had been having trouble finding his voice on school shootings, which one of his own panelists asserted could number as high as 600 over the past six years. He labeled the violence "inexplissible," apparently merging "inexplicable" and "inexpressible." And he had to guide the discussion away from one panelist's remark about "computer predators" -- a dangerous topic during the Mark Foley scandal.

But on hearing Scott's "unbelievably eloquent testimony," Bush brightened considerably.

"That was great, Craig," the president said, after the audience finished its standing ovation. "Could I have that?"

[Ian David]

17. Religion in schools DIVIDES PEOPLE. That's why there's a WALL...

between Church and State.

I fucking HATE FUNDIES more than I hate Republickers!

[rodeodance]

10. Rec.

[TheGriz]

11. It doesn't bother me that the VPC was left out in the slightest

But I find the religious streak to the conference stomach turning.

Sometimes I think the people pushing for prayer in schools are on crack. This was an AMISH schoolhouse that was recently shot up, not a secular school.

[POAS]

13. And the shooter

apparently wasn't a law breaker before he took all those lives. It isn't just about enforcing the laws that exist and prosecuting the law breakers. If the laws are ineffective then the law needs to be changed. With effective laws to enforce change can happen.

[fooj]

12. Values education and religious belief?

Nice try, Jr.

[Skidmore]

14. This was broadcast on CSPAN2 early this morning.

The "conference" consisted of 3 tables set up in a U shape on a stage. Gonzalez was leading discussion in the portion I saw, and it was pretty stilted, quite unlike any give and take you usually find at a working session among government agencies. It was an event set up for the creation of soundbytes and camera angles. I watched for about 10 minutes and switched to another channel after watching Gonzalez encouraging cheerleading for the positive news.

I would hope someone with some clout in the field would condemn this event for the blatant PR session it was.

[Oeditpus Rex]

15. Yes, God needs to be in our schools

Because, of course, no one has ever killed in the name of God.

:eyes:

[Ian David]

16. Guns in schools are good. Haven't you seen the movie, "Red Dawn?" n/t

[DeepModem Mom]

18. a.m. kick

[benEzra]

19. Not sure what the "assault weapon" issue has to do with this...

The recent fatal school shootings all involved traditionally styled firearms, not "assault weapons." Hunting shotguns, ordinary-looking handguns, and the like.

I think this conference was a joke, personally. But I would point out that there hasn't exactly been a rash of school bayonettings since the 1994 bayonet-and-adjustable-stock ban expired.