Bush Hosts School Safety Summit

President Urges Aggressive Action To Keep Kids Safe After Recent Shootings

(CBS/AP)  President Bush, lamenting an "incredibly sad" wave of deadly school shootings, challenged the United States on Tuesday to turn its remorse into action to keep school children safe.

At the final session of a conference on preventing and responding to school violence, Mr. Bush said that he's sorry there was a need to hold such a conference, CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports.

"In many ways, I'm sorry we're having this meeting," Mr. Bush said. "In other ways, I know how important it is that we're having this meeting."

Mr. Bush called experts together for a meeting in the Maryland suburbs after shootings at schools in Wisconsin, Colorado and Pennsylvania. In panel discussions led by members of his Cabinet, speakers said the best response is basic: Get parents, school leaders, students and police to work together.

"All of us in this country want our classrooms to be gentle places of learning — places where people not only learn the basics — basic skills necessary to become productive citizens — but learn to relate to one another," Mr. Bush said. "Our parents, I know, want to be able to send their child or children to schools that are safe places."

He said the recent wave of violence "troubles a lot of folks."

Safety specialists at the gathering said that more than metal detectors or security cameras, the key to halting school violence is communication.

"Our first line of prevention is really having good intelligence," Delbert Elliott, director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence in Boulder, Colo., told participants.

Because kids who plot violence often boast about it, said Elliott, schools must create a culture that encourages students to come forward with tips.

In fact, a recent government study of deadly school violence found in the vast majority of the cases at least one other student not involved in the plot knew about it ahead of time, CBS News correspondent Cynthia Bowers reports. In most cases, at least two knew.

Last month, for example, an attack was thwarted at Green Bay's East High School after a student walked into the associate principal's office and told him some classmates were planning a Columbine style massacre, Bowers reports.

"I did not do it for fame. I did it because I feared for the lives of my fellow students and the staff at East High school," the student, Matt Atkinson, said.

Later that day, police were seen carrying boxes from one of the suspect's homes, boxes they say contained homemade bombs, guns, and ammunition.

Meanwhile, opening the conference, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said it is crucial that school systems have a crisis response plan.

Four weeks before the midterm elections, the event allows Mr. Bush to return to the politically safe issue of education and child safety. But the federal role in making schools safer is limited because education remains mainly a local matter.

William Lassiter, manager of the Center for the Prevention of School Violence, questioned the Bush's administration attempt to cut $347 million in school-safety grants for states this year. Bush's budget says the program is ineffective.

The White House says that beyond those state grants, the government spends larger amounts on successful school safety programs through its education, justice and health agencies.

Some Democrats, Rep. Anthony Weiner among them, said the situation requires more than talk, Knoller reports. "Having a White House conference is fine, but eliminating programs that work is going to create more problems," said Weiner, D-N.Y.

Nevertheless, there is no pattern to deadly shootings at schools.

In the 2005-06 school year, 15 people were killed in school-related shootings, said Kenneth Trump, a national school safety expert who tracks violence data. That number of school-shooting deaths has ranged from three to 24 in recent years, Trump's records show.

In the last two weeks, a gunman killed himself and five girls at a one-room Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania, and a 15-year-old Wisconsin student shot and killed his principal.

Fred Wegener, a Park County, Colo., sheriff, described responding two weeks ago when a man held several girls hostage in a school before killing one and himself.

"I still think we had a safe school," Wegener said. "I think it is just one of those times when an individual was able to get in."

His story drew the room silent. "We're not supposed to lose our kids at school," he said.

[mh4cbs1]

George,

It is so nice of you to be telling our kids that we "need to learn to relate to one another". But I think you know that it is a lot easier to relate to people when you have a real big army, bigger than all the other armies in the world combined!

Think about it. After 9-11 the whole world was in sympathy and support of the US. But what good did that do us? We were the number one nation, the sole superpower. We didn't need to relate to anyone we didn't like.

When you made up stuff about WMDs, so you could invade Iraq, you let everyone know not to mess with the US of A (we'll invade whoever we want to!) You made sure that North Korea knew they were in the "Axis of Evil". That scared them so much they went out and built a nuclear bomb! Nice!

Really, who needs to relate to other people when we know we are always right, when we have the biggest army, and when God is on our side. But I understand that you were talking to kids that don't know about how the real world works yet (like the lies, fear, hate and war kind of stuff you are so good at). So you had to pretend that you try to relate to other people. You are real good at pretending stuff.

[cantshutup]

gov. matt blunt of missouri said today that teachers and administrators should possibly be allowed to carry weapons, i'm assuming to shoot children and adults who show up at schools with guns...as scary as this comment is i did have to laugh...matt blunt is looney toones to even suggest this, i demand a psychological evaluation for him immediately!...teachers are barely able to teach core subjects thoroughly because the "decider" wants them constantly testing the little ginea pigs...look, teachers must be left to be guides, nurturers and educators...the trust that children have in teachers would surely be destroyed if they were carrying weapons...and frankly, arming them just seems soooo wrong

[cantshutup]

nikosk1 ...i think it's pointless to ask the DECIDER what he's going to do about AK-47's at school...he should be considered an interloping lame duck...his worthless opinion doesn't really matter...parents, and local school administrators need to fix this problem...we no longer need his disastrous intrusions

[kevboom]

The seventh sign of the apocalypse... Bush concerned about public school safety. Maybe he should invite Charlton Heston of NRA fame to the summit so he can raise his rifle and shout "over my dead body" again. I guess that would be over our school childrens' dead bodies. Thanks Charl. But seriously, there's no easy solution to this problem, but one thing's for certain, it doesn't start with Bush and Republicans who suck up to the gun lobby in America. Give me a break. They should be ashamed to even show up at this "summit." At least Clinton didn't have the nerve to throw a sexual harrasment clinic. Support law enforcement at http://www.bradycampaign.org/action/trafficking/

[ender18-2009]

vipaka

People are entitled to their own peace, that is until they kill people. That is something they are not entitled to.

People do have issues with alcohol and drugs and perhaps they should not be in posession of firearms. How would you feel if you neighbor was a schizophrenic, psychotic, not taking his medications and armed with an AK-47? Or perhaps your child's depressed teacher or your son's angry classmate?

I may not have walked in everyone's shoes, but there needs to be some *reasonable* limit to their access to guns.

I suppose you feel that all teachers, janitors, school principles should carry tazers - (which can also result in deaths), or automatic weapons.

Wouldn't it be ironic if a member of the NRA went to a meeting fully armed and opened fire, perhaps then there would be some gun reform.

[vipaka]

COPS should teach teachers how to use taser guns. Can't blame Bush for cutting substance abuse programs. They don't work anyway. More counselors in school per ratio of students who need a listening ear and a helping hand.

[j-whitman]

The topic is School Safety,,, Bush cut funds for school violence & substance abuse programs,, GOP makes no secret they want it to stop alltogether,, Bush speaking on school safety is nothing but *** for November election.

[vipaka]

To ENDER 18: Everyone is entitled to defend themselves for their own peace. No one knows anyone's whole story, and cannot even assess another on what they don't know. No one else has ever walked in another person's shoes. They may think the see another person's failings and inadequacies, but may fail to see their own. No one has the right to trigger feelings of shame for those that have lost their way and have made their mistakes. Now I don't campaign for either democrats or republicans. There are good ones on both sides. Just like there are good Medical doctors and not so good medical doctors. Some people need help with their alcoholism and their drugs. People just need peace. Nelson Rockerfellow said he would trade all of his wealth for a minute of peace.

[ender18-2009]

vipaka

You imply that guns don't kill people, people kill people. But unfortunately, people with guns most often kill people.

I understand your concerns about maintaining the ability to defend yourself, however there needs to be some regulation. Through your argument every country in the nation is entitled to a nuclear bomb to defend itself....

The department of motor vehicles has a stricter licensing process than gun licensing. There needs to be a limit on the availability and ease with which the general public has access to automatic and semiautomatic weapons. Perhaps a restriction not just for criminals but also those with mental illness.

Though, I do agree with you that there is too much anger and intolerance in this world.

[vipaka]

Man-made words and man-made lies could also stop a lot of violence in our schools and this world.

[aesop2-2009]

If Bush wants to stop the violence in schools he should advocate the distruction of man made weapons, i.e. guns.

[vipaka]

to ENDER 18: The NRA is just an organization. It doesn't kill children. Anger kills children. I personally favor the option of bearing arms. Afterall, if terrorists invade our soil, I'd like to have a gun to defend my family. I think we need to go back and rediscover the true career building of love. The career building of egos and hate is only advertisement for "evil-lution" and not evolution of this country. The cure for anger is love.

[mwe3wm]

It scares me that Bush thinks he can solve this problem. His "No Child Left Behind" policy has made teachers only teach the test and not the subject.

Whatever he "decides" now (Remember he is The Decider) will probably involve teachers going to paramilitary training.

This is not a simple problem and a "Simpleton" like King George can't create a solution.

Solutions must come from local police, school administrators and involved parents. The federal government can't put global fix on local problems. But King George thinks he is our government.

Michael Edwards
Texas

[cantshutup]

first of all it scares me to think anyone is looking to bush for some sort of answer to all these acts of violence at schools...i would rather see him do a "fly over"...our children could point to the sky and claim they've seen a flying a ss ... or monkey...with a gun...with WMD's...and nooklur bombs...

[ender18-2009]

It is a sad day in this country when things that were previously self-evident such as children bringing guns to school to shoot people, now need special initiatives and summit meetings.

I cannot believe that because of the NRA, we are willing to provide semi-automatic and automatic weapons to emotionally and hormonally charged teenagers. You would think a small sacrifice in our rights to own an AK-47 "hunting weapon" would be a reasonable exchange for the safety and lives of our children. The insecurty and intolerance of high school coupled with the availability of firearms will inevitably lead to more deaths and shootings.

[huskerarmy]

"Hey all you liberals....... who are you going to hate after Bush leaves office??"

Well, I don't see any reason we have to stop hating him?

[getcentered]

ozilot.....nice one.

LOL!

Funny, but kind of real/sad.

[getcentered]

I don't hate BUSH. I just think he is ignorant and out of place.

After he's gone I will still have a problem with the type of blind allegiances that Republicans have had with BUSH over the last 6 years.

That's why we need to VOTE these mindless talking point passing Republicans out of power, and replace them with folks who can think freely and listen. If we don't we'll be high on money and low on cash for the rest of our lives.

Get SMART. GET A CENTERED VIEW OF THE WORLD.

[j-whitman]

This is beyond funney,,,, Bush cut funding for school violence & substance abuse programs,,, the GOP has said they want it ended alltogether.

[tejasdemo]

percept...Why dont you stop trying to put a square peg in a round hole and try voting for a Democrat this time ? Your life might actually be alittle more optimistic.