'Nothing Will Ever Be The Same'

Hartford Courant ^ | 12/15/12 | MATTHEW KAUFFMAN

[jimbo123]

-snip-

One of those killed, first-grade teacher Victoria Soto, died after hiding her students, a source told The Courant.

Soto was a teacher in room 10, the classroom next to where the shooting began, the source said. She hid her students — 15 or 16 of them, some possibly in a bathroom — before the gunman entered the room.

He wanted to shoot more people, the source said, but, seeing no one but Soto, he shot her, then left the room, the source sad.

[jimbo123]

[MtnMan101]

[SueRae]

I have friends that are teachers. They prepare, they drill, they are taught how to handle emergencies, hoping that day never comes. But for those who do...and those that did yesterday, their preparedness and quick-thinking saved many others in their care. A special prayer for this young hero..and for my teacher friends who are no doubt shaken to the core.

[Gasshog]

Stupid reporters.

What happened to the word HEROINE?

guess that sounds too much like a drug.

[Gasshog]

No one knows where the next Adam Lanza will strike.

Better to be armed and able to fight back than hide in a bathroom hoping the death angel will pass you by.

[freedumb2003]

>>She’s no hero.

She is a pawn of the liberal machine.

A hero would have been armed and taken the shooter out before he could have done more harm.<<

She was not armed. Most Conservatives don’t go to work armed (I don’t).

Your post is snide and wrong.

She did the right thing, way beyond the requirements of her job (she is not a cop), and died protecting her charges.

She fits almost the true definition of heroine.

[jimbo123]

You are a very sad person.

[freedumb2003]

Correction: the true definition of heroine. No “almost” about it.

[ex-snook]

"A special prayer for this young hero..and for my teacher friends who are no doubt shaken to the core."

Well said. But to some she is a government taker and a union member who is being paid too much and spending too much time not teaching reading, writing and arithmetic and the reason schools are failing.

[Perseverando]

Some resources on school threats for consideration. (There’s some old news here, but evil, terrorism and massacres never go out of style.)

Terrorists – coming to a school near you
Police ill-equipped to defend against an American Beslan
WND
Published: 04/02/2007 at 1:00 AM

Note: Killology Research Group website does not seem to still be actively updated.

Mass Slaughter In Our Schools: The Terrorists' Chilling Plan?
By Chuck Remsberg
Senior PoliceOne Contributor

School Safety Notes and Articles About School Safety by Col. Grossman
Preventing School Violence
School Shooting Contingency Plans & Considerations
”Preparing for School Attacks" published in The Police Marksman

School Safety Notes, Articles, And Links About School Safety by Other Authors
Rise in 'shool terror attacks' - New Important Article
A School Lockdown/Emergency Drill Success Story
Rapid Response/Active Shooter Lesson Plan
Safe 2 Tell

[Last Dakotan]

Wow, nice house for a divorced school teacher and all...

[jimbo123]

She was receiving $250k+ a year in alimony from her ex-husband who works for GE.

[jimbo123]

Thanks so much for the links.

[MEG33]

Amen.

[Last Dakotan]

Although we should doubt she was a school teacher - almost nothing has been reported yet that was correct the first time.

[DoughtyOne]

Victoria Soto died.

Her students lived.

You left the rails on this one.

[sgtyork]

Quite a valuable contribution, thanks!

[sgtyork]

Prayers for teachers and all who work to keep us safe in these grim times.

[A_perfect_lady]

Amazing how many Freepers hate teachers so much that even one who saved her students and died in the process doesn’t meet their oh-so-perfect standards. I’d venture to say this woman was worth more than the self-righteous creeps who use conservatism as an excuse to hate rather than as a set of principles to live by.

[RaceBannon]

The answer to all this, is not what we need to remove from the hands of men, but what we need to fill the hearts of men with.

The answer is to live, teach and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

We do not need a tea party revival, we need a Bible based revival.

[DoughtyOne]

Amazing how many Freepers hate teachers so much that even one who saved her students and died in the process doesn’t meet their oh-so-perfect standards. I’d venture to say this woman was worth more than the self-righteous creeps who use conservatism as an excuse to hate rather than as a set of principles to live by.

I think that people make comments at times, without thinking of all the factors involved.  When they do this, they expose themselves to ridicule.  I understand your comments, and agree with them to a point.

A bit off topic, some folks think action must be taken to earn the credit of being a hero.  Anotherwords, you can't passively be a hero.  IMO, this woman took action to protect her kids, and most definately was a hero.

I don't think we should use our principles to simply hate, but I do find myself quite upset at some things people do/don't do when they should.  So at times, I find myself quite upset.  Is this a time when we should focus on that aspect of what people are?  No.  This is an event so big that people can be judged separately from our normal areas of concern.  We must dismiss those other areas of concern for the moment, unless they are related to this incident (gun control), and even then we should address them in the abstract.  Whatever people's positions were on some topics, this is a terrible event and compassion should trump.  This loss of life was tragic.

In the real world separate from this, we have a situation where our children are being collectively separated from God, from ultimate respect for parents, from respect for traditional values, and indoctrinated to be accepting of things that have been considered to be taboo for thousands of years.  On top of this, you have children being graduated without being able to read, do simply everyday math, and the like.

Is this ultimately all teacher's fault?  No.  On the other hand I listen for the outrage I feel about all this, to be echoed by teachers.  All I hear is crickets!

We have not had teachers armed before this.  I am not going to be outraged that these teachers weren't armed.  I'm not going to blame them for what took place.

This was a tragic event, and I couldn't be more sorry for what happened to these teachers and support staff, as well as the children.

It's a day when we all hang our heads and lament what took place, regardless of our political or specific moral beliefs.  Nobody deserved this.  Each of them deserves our collective sorrow.    

[Hieronymus]

I am largely in agreement, though I would add two things.

A more refined definition of hero: to be a hero, one must take action to aid another that is at least in someway effective at great risk to one’s self. This lady qualifies.

I also doubt that teachers have always been defanged. There is a great chapter in Farmer Boy (one of the books in Laura Ingals Wilder’s Little House series) relating an incident in a one-room school house in upstate New York in the mid-19th century. The bigger boys in the class had beaten the previous teacher so that he had to leave and eventually died as a result of the beating. A friend of his took the position and practiced privately with a bull-whip, which he kept in his desk and used when the day for its use came. From what I have read of 19th century schooling I am sure that this was not unique.

[DoughtyOne]

I like your two things.

[jch10]

Thanks for posting that. As a retired teacher, I can proudly say that I knew many teachers who would have done all they could to protect their students.

Many are just sick because of this evil act.....me too.

[Hieronymus]

Thanks.

[niteowl77]

I am no fan of today's public schools (and many of the people who staff them), but it seems like this young woman protected the children in her care the best way she could and lost her life after doing so. She qualified for the title.

Mr. niteowl77

[CharlesWayneCT]

I’m glad she was a “hero”. But it is too bad she had to be a martyr to the cause of “gun free zones”.

Think about how much better this story would be, if when the gunman walked in and found no students, he instead was facing this teacher with a gun in her hand, shooting him dead.

She had plenty of time to prepare. She knew there was a gunman. She was able to get the kids out. It would have been easy for her to get a gun out of a locked drawer, load it, and sit behind the desk pointing at the door, waiting for him to come in.

But instead, she could do nothing to save herself.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

She died protecting her charges—She did what a teacher should do. Over and over we have seen teachers and college professors come forward and give their lives to protect their students. This woman should have a statue put up for her—The school should change its name to honor her “gift of life” she purchased for her students with her own blood.

[RobbyS]

Easy to say, but almost impossible to accomplish. I am sure that the parents know that this young woman did all she could. Greater love than this no man has but that he lay down his life for his friends. A truly Christlike act.

[Moonlighter]

And what, exactly, is “too much” for her life which she sacrificed for her students’ chances at survival?

[jwalsh07]

God bless her but the public schools have to train their people to evacuate, not huddle in corners waiting for the evil bastards. Teach your children to act. Escape , evade, run like hell to the nearest help. But do not encourage them to hide under beds or run upstairs and lock doors that can be broken open with one swift kick.

[Duchess47]

This video was posted on another board but I think everyone would benefit from watching it. Run, Hide, Fight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VcSwejU2D0