Alan Simpson: “tragic events often imprint on our minds vivid memories. Most Americans remember exactly where they were when President…”

“tragic events often imprint on our minds vivid memories. Most Americans remember exactly where they were when President John F. Kennedy was killed or when the Challenger spaceship exploded. I believe Americans will remember where they were when two high school students in Littleton, Colorado, killed 13 innocent people. As the Representative for Idaho's Second Congressional District, I clearly remember when I learned of the Columbine massacre. I was voting on a series of bills when a member of my staff pulled me to the television. I watched as students ran out of the school accompanied by SWAT teams. I witnessed a young man breaking a second store library window and falling into a fireman's arms in order to escape the rampage. These images will haunt America forever. Unfortunately, school violence is too common today. In 1940, public school teachers ranked the top seven disciplinary problems in public schools. They were talking out of turn, chewing gum, making noise, running in the hall, cutting in line, dress code violations and littering. In 1990, the problems had changed to drug and alcohol abuse, pregnancy, suicide, rape, robbery and assault. In the last 12 months alone the number of children bringing weapons to schools in Idaho is up more than 25 percent. Our problems have changed significantly and so must our solutions.”