Reading about these horrifying school shootings I wonder why kids can walk into schools carrying backpacks loaded with weapons? I know we are moving in many places to locked doors, metal detectors, security guards, etc., but I have to wonder if the backpacks will eventually be banned.

We didn't carry them--and I am not associating school violence with the onset of backpacks in schools--but it certainly would have been difficult to pack grenades and assault rifles in our pockets and walk into school without notice.

Would schools be a little safer without these things? I keep thinking of the stores where employees have to carry everything in and out in a clear bag to prevent theft. Transparency for safety?

I don't have an answer. Just wondering what opinions are.

There was a shot fired at a local school here this morning. A fight broke out in the parking lot before school, and some kid pulled a handgun out of his backpack, fired a shot in the air, and then ran.

It's a scary world we're living in.

I don't think banning backpacks will help much. No matter what a person with intent to kill will found a way to try.
The main problem seems to be (in hindsight) that most of these shooters show warning signs that are miss by others around them. I would like to see a person in the mental health field be employed in every school. So that teachers could refer a student to them for mental health counseling.

You don't need a backpack to smuggle a weapon. Have you seen the baggy clothes kids wear now??

Sad life we live in but we can't blame backpacks.

I think instead of banning everything, we need to get to the root of the problem. Taking away backbacks isn't going to solve the real problem here. Granted, I do not know what will but we can't just take away from everyone because someone put a gun in a backpack. We used to have lockers in school and then, oops...to many kids hiding drugs in their locker so out they came and in came the HUGE backbacks sans wheels (they weren't that innovative yet). Kids didn't used to do this sort of thing (shooting). We need to find out exactly what has changed and change it back! The problem needs fixed...not a bandaid. Not a flame...just my opinion

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I agree with all of you. I don't blame backpacks, or think banning them will solve the problem. I just wonder if it makes it more difficult for the adults at the schools to monitor what's coming in and out, particularly when we're talking large numbers of weapons.

And sexysmurf, I absolutely agree that there is a much bigger problem to be fixed. The violence proliferating our childrens' lives should have us all taking a hard look at the kind of society we've created.

(Oh, and I love the avatar! Many moons ago, when smurfs were the latest & greatest, I worked in a store that sold them. Loved them then, too, but hated standing all those tiny little things back up after the kids were finished demolishing them!)

Thanks for the compliment on the avatar

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I know when I went to high school, waaay back in the 70's, there were guns being brought to school then in military fatigue jackets (which were very popular in our area, Army jackets). Our school does not have any backpack regulations (except no rolling ones), but the next town over requires everyone to have see through backpacks.

My DS, who is in 6th grade, isn't allowed to carry a backpack from class to class. He can take one to school but it has to stay in his locker all day long. He finally got tired of having to leave it in his locker and just carries his books in his hands. Glad I paid over $30 for something he never uses...

I don't know what the answer is. I know that I'm tired of my kids having to pay the price for a lot of other people's bad judgment.

He came home from school a couple of weeks ago only to inform me that the school had been locked down for nearly two hours while drug-sniffing dogs were brought classroom to classroom. This is a middle school! Sixth through eighth grades! WTH?!

I asked him how he was supposed to smuggle drugs into the classroom when he couldn't even carry his backpack. I'm sure, however, that the dogs made a stop by the lockers as well.

I guess I appreciate the effort to make schools safer but holy crap, it's not making me feel very good about it in the process!

here you cant wear baggy pants or cargo pants to school, in order to ban backpacks they'll have to cut out some of the darn homework cause kids have to carry a ton of thick books home. Here they also keep schools locked during the day no one can just walk in the middle school looks to see who you are and buzzes you in, the elementary school principal will come to the door and get whatever you need to drop off and stuff and close the door again you dont even step inside.

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