We were driving back to our motel after the day's shopping excesses, and we happened to pass an elementary school.
There was one glaringly obvious thing that underscored the tremendous differences between Grand Forks, ND and Las Vegas, NV.
There was NO FENCE OR WALL around the elementary school grounds. Just lots of lovely green grass. I repeat, because I still can barely believe it: NO FENCE around the elementary school.
Anybody and his uncle could walk right up to the school building. The kids could wander right off the campus and across the street.
Amazing.
14 comments:
It's a sad state of affairs when that seems unusual.
Wow. I thought it was a safety thing that all schools had fences.
B.R., that is very sad, and that's why I blogged about it.
Blondie, I guess they don't need it in Grand Forks!
The sad thing is that the entire country used to be that safe. Or, at least, seemed that safe. Even just back in the 60's, my elementary school in Boston was easily accessible by just about anyone.
heh. There WILL be a fence... or rather a WALL... come about January. Assuming the school is bounded on all sides with streets that get plowed regularly. :D
But, yeah: point taken, as the others have noted.
Suldog, I know! I remember going to elementary school in Florida in the mid-to-late Seventies...no fence.
Buck, I bet the kids build snow forts, too!
That's unusual?!
Fences? What for? I live in the heart of Dallas/Fort Worth (think 7.5 million people) and we don't have fences around schools.
Tally, you know very well that EVERY school in Las Vegas has a fence around it, at least the elementary schools, anyway.
Dick, really?! That's amazing.
I take that back. Schools usually have 4' chain link fences around the playground, but nothing's blocked off.
I remember being in school in Belfast and a sniper running through the school grounds. We'd a stone wall around us, but it didn't keep the sniper from finding a gate! Soldiers were then crawling all over the place. Nice distraction from the lessons.
Dick, I'm used to seeing at least 6' fences around school grounds, if not block walls. It's a sign of our times.
Roismhaire, you do have a unique perspective on this topic! And your story is sad and scary. Typical kids, though..."Will we be dismissed early? Do we still have to take the geography test?"
The elementary school in NE didn't have fences - I don't think any of them did. So yeah, it's pretty normal for a school without fences.
The whole "possible shooter" thing, I heard a story in one of my old elementary schools. My last one. They said the year before, there was a possible shooter nearby, so they had to stay in the school an extra thirty minutes. They said it was awesome they got to watch part of a movie.
Typical kid behavior, yep! Only if it doesn't end up actually hurting people. I'd be like, "OOOOOOOOooooo SO exciting!" unless if something actually terrible happens... THEN I'd be frightened...
I think we've been desensitized to violence because of its prevalence on TV and in movies.
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