Sandy Hook Demolition

[Chief Gump]

So apparently the Sandy Hook task force recommended that they demolish the school and rebuild. I just don't see how that helps the kids involved and would be a huge waste of taxpayer money. What do you guys and gals think?

Poll forthcoming...

[Discuss Thrower]

Maybe times of changed, but when I was in elementary school if they weren't in my class, let alone the same grade, I had no idea who other kids were.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Donger

Seems somewhat over-the-top. Should they have demolished Columbine too?

Well, I guess I should have looked this up before spouting off...

The school went through a major renovation in 1995, just four years before the massacre, adding a new library and cafeteria. After the shootings, Columbine completely demolished its library, located above the cafeteria, since it was the site where thirteen of the deaths occurred. The site was then turned into a memorial ceiling and atrium; a new, larger library was built on the hill where the shooting began and dedicated to the memory of the victims.[4][5]

[Fish]

Originally Posted by J Diddy

and it's painfully obvious that you have your mind made up and with every answer you will give an over the top example. I'm sure there will be trauma associated with any school by virtually every student there and I agree that at some point there has to be some movement forward. However, making a child sit in a building 40 hours a week to remind them of their pain is not how to do that. That's the old slap some dirt on it boy mentality and that isn't going to work. Regardless, my opinion on the mental health of the students the real question should always be:

Is being in that building conducive to learning?


That answer is no.
No.

I get that to a point. But on the flip side I don't think we need to teach our kids that anytime something tragic happens, we try to just erase all traces of it and completely remove everything related so the poor kids aren't exposed to any bad feelings. Part of life is experiencing and dealing with tragedy. We can't simply shield everyone from it at all times. It's not possible.

[ModSocks]

I agree with the idea.

Children were slaughtered there. There is going to be a sickley feeling in that room that Bleach and Pine-sol simply can't wash away.

And we don't live in that community, so it's not fair to judge them on what they choose to do with their school w/o knowing what it feels like to be there and see it everyday.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

I agree with the idea.

Children were slaughtered there. There is going to be a sickley feeling in that room that Bleach and Pine-sol simply can't wash away.

And we don't live in that community, so it's not fair to judge them on what they choose to do with their school w/o knowing what it feels like to be there and see it everyday.

Then deal with the emotions of it. Teach the kids to deal with the emotions involved. You can't wash away the sickly feeling, because the feeling resides in the kids, not the atmosphere. The kids will need psychological adjustment with or without a new school. Providing a new school isn't going to take those feelings away. The kids need love and healing. Building a new school just for the sake of trying to erase painful memories is terribly expensive, and I question how much it would accomplish in helping the actual children deal with the tragedy. Seems to me to just be a way of trying to put it out of mind instead of really dealing with it. Rebuilding seems to be just a way of making others outside the situation feel better...

[kepp]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

They'll probably guilt trip Congress to making it a Federal project. And the GOP will be too scared to upset soccer moms by voting against it. If they didn't go along, it'd be just another shot fired in their "War against women"

I would not doubt that scenario at all.

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

Or they could do like they did with the McDonalds in San Ysidro. They tore the building down and rebuilt it a couple of blocks away.

Which was private dollars. IIRC

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Agreed. I'm talking about Federal dollars. Not a dollar of my tax money should go to that, but yes absolutely: if they want to tax themselves (which was my point), go for it!

Perhaps you should reread your post, because that is NOT what you said. You said parents and teachers and NOT tax dollars. How do you think communities typically build their schools?

[ModSocks]

Originally Posted by Fish

Seems to me to just be a way of trying to put it out of mind instead of really dealing with it. Rebuilding seems to be just a way of making others outside the situation feel better...

That's likely what it is. But if the funds are there, and it's what the community wants, then what harm is it to rebuild?

I don't have a problem with it and i certainly wouldn't want to tell people in that community how they should feel or how they should cope with it. Everyone is going to handle it in a different way.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by -King-

I wouldn't be against it. It would be kind of hard sittitng in a classroom where 20 6yr olds were murdered.
Posted via Mobile Device

Every kid will know about it and at the very least be distracted at school wondering if a kid was sitting right here when he got a bullett in his head.

It's for the community to decide and no one else.

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by Fish

I get that to a point. But on the flip side I don't think we need to teach our kids that anytime something tragic happens, we try to just erase all traces of it and completely remove everything related so the poor kids aren't exposed to any bad feelings. Part of life is experiencing and dealing with tragedy. We can't simply shield everyone from it at all times. It's not possible.

While I see your flip side I would like to remind you that these are children aged 5 to 11. This isn't like your kitty cat dying, this is much deeper and to ask them at that stage to just deal with it is to ask the impossible because I doubt they could. Hell I don't many adults who could.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by Fish

I get that to a point. But on the flip side I don't think we need to teach our kids that anytime something tragic happens, we try to just erase all traces of it and completely remove everything related so the poor kids aren't exposed to any bad feelings. Part of life is experiencing and dealing with tragedy. We can't simply shield everyone from it at all times. It's not possible.

Can't agree with ya here, Fish.

This is a special case. How many kids will be directly exposed to a tragedy of this magnitude? A very small portion.

Build the damn thing. We have no idea what these kids are going through, so I would do everything we can to ease the burden of their traumatic experience.

[Bwana]

If the locals want to pay for it with their money, knock yourselves out. If it's going to be funded with fed money (my tax money) and this is some knee jerk reaction, get bent.

[Cephalic Trauma]

People actually think it makes sense to tell small children who experienced a mass murder of their classmates to deal with it?

So much for empathy. That's ridiculous.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

Perhaps you should reread your post, because that is NOT what you said. You said parents and teachers and NOT tax dollars. How do you think communities typically build their schools?

I was referring to the locals. If I gave off the impression I advocated passing around a large coffee tin amongst the 25 employees of the school and 200 parents in the hopes of collecting a couple million dollars for a sizeable construction project, I apologize to you.


I don't care what Sandy Hook folks do with their tax dollars. Whether they passed the hat or passed the bond issue, I care not. Just keep me out of it.