Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, September 7, 1993                   TAG: 9309070052
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

TODAY'S TOPIC:

- Jane S. Newton, Roanoke.

Mary Sue Terry:

"That's an excellent question. There were 2,000 reported cases of weapons in schools last year in Virginia. Our children can't learn, our teachers can't teach, if we've got a weapons problem in our schools. I would take a three-pronged approach.

"First, we need to increase the penalty of individuals who sell guns to minors, from a Class 6 felony to a Class 5 felony. . . . We're talking about adults selling handguns to minors.

"No. 2, we need to send a clear message in our schools that anyone who brings a weapon to a school is going to be out of that school - and not on the streets, but in an alternative educational setting, either in another school or a boot-camp type setting, so that person can learn the value of abiding by the rules.

"Thirdly, we're going to have mandatory reporting of all gun and drug offenses on school property to the police so that these situations are brought to the attention of local law enforcement officers so they can be treated as crimes, which is what they are."

\ George Allen:

"One, minors should not even be possessing firearms, except for sporting purposes. That law should be enforced. They shouldn't even have them on school property. If they do possess a firearm on school property, they ought to, at a minimum, be suspended.

"But where this is going to be solved is getting parents and the community involved in this matter. We ought to require the schools to give written notice to [all] the parents every time there's someone caught on school grounds with a firearm. That way, the parents are going to know what's going on. It's their right to know what's going on in the school . . . so each school can use their own approach to dealing with it. Some may want to have metal detectors. Some say that's not going to be very effective. But I think the parents ought to know, in writing. That applies to drugs, as well. If there are some drug violations on school grounds, or firearms violations on school grounds, they ought to know about it. I think that heightened awareness will help involve parents and the community in stopping this. There's no reason to have guns in school."

Keywords:
POLITICS