LETTER: Longer pool hours could prevent school shooters

Letter to the Editor:

One of the ways to prevent school shooting is to make available hard, physical recreation with plenty of adult supervision to teach respect for authority. Expanding the hours of operation, for the Palmer High School Pool will help to vent anger from hostile teenagers, who can become potential shooters. Most shooters are bitter students who have been "bullied" and don't ever want to go back to any school or even a library. But they will attend hard physical exercise for fun.

On April 16, 2018, the Wasilla High School will close for a year long renovation, which will make the Palmer Pool overcrowded. I have surveyed and asked the Borough Assembly to start opening of the Palmer Pool now, at 4:30 AM till 10: 00 PM on weekdays and 7:00 AM till 10: PM on weekends. This is only one small step to prevent shootings but every little bit can have huge benefits and the sooner the better.

SFC Ron Edwards, my friend in the Alaska National Guard was the Principle at Bethel High School that was shot and killed in school by an violent student in 1997. At the time, Bethel didn't have a pool to calm down resentment from irate teenagers but they sure have one now. However, it's far too late for the two innocent people that were killed in their high school. If they had a swimming pool for inside recreation, to help students blow off steam, two souls might have been spared.

There are 17 lap swimmers who are willing to start earlier at 4:30 AM and some mothers who are willing to lap swim from 9:00 PM to 10: 00 PM. There are physical therapy patients who could expedite healing by more availability of the pool. The hot tub can helped paying patrons relax while recovering. The extra hours can be used to teach swimming to the elderly, handicap and homeschool students. Admission to the pool is the cheapest health and life insurance policy anybody can buy. Pools by themselves are not a panacea for everything but the sure help cool down friction from overheated students.

It's imperative that we immediately take every precautionary measures possible, to prevent the next potential shooting before it's too late. Expanding the pool hours now, is one such "tool" that will greatly help curb school violence and shootings. Besides, we owe it to the students, teachers and staff to make them as safe as possible. It's the least we can do to help save lives!

Please contact me for more information. palmerbreadman@gci.net or 775-7325.

— Tom Roberson

Palmer