If I were charged with developing the best safety plan for school children in Maine, I would ask the National Rifle Association and the National Association of Social Workers to work together to devise a plan.

The NASW would be asked to prepare a plan for early identification and treatment of students who were showing signs of being isolated and unsuccessful at school. The NRA would be asked to prepare a plan that would harden the school if such a student would ultimately decide to attack.

Since both of these organizations have access to information and expertise in their areas, their combined wisdom would be helpful, not only in Maine, but, across the nation.

Knee-jerk solutions such as asking teachers to arm themselves and to be ready to kill mentally ill children would not be an option.

Utilize the best of this country’s expertise to solve this difficult problem and share the results with other states. There is an optimal solution here that needs to be found for the children of Maine.

Enough is sometimes too much and other times not enough at all. The right mix is needed here.

Robert Hamm, Mexico


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