Dear Editor:
I am writing this letter in response to your publication of a letter by Angel Jiminez on May 6, 2001. In his letter Mr. Jiminez questions, “Will Columbine rule our schools forever?” He then goes on to discuss a particular case at North Bergen High School which involved a student who brought a “stolen” BB gun into the high school. Not only was this student arrested, but so was the owner of the BB gun: the writer’s own son. Mr. Jiminez believes that this action was unwarranted and deserved only a detention and parental notification.
As principal of NBHS, I would like to outline some of the facts which Mr. Jiminez failed to mention: in the state of New Jersey, a BB gun is considered a firearm. The BB gun in question was an illegal weapon since it was purchased at Walmart in Pennsylvania. According to N.J. state law, simple possession is a crime. Possession of this type of gun in a school is an even more serious crime.
Therefore, state law requires that the police (not the North Bergen Board of Education) take action against such a serious violation. In addition, I would also like to point out that this BB gun was such an excellent replica of a 9 millimeter gun that it could easily have been mistaken for the real thing perhaps resulting in a tragedy that has happened far too frequently to be taken lightly.
Under these circumstances, it seems incredible to me that any parent could ignore the lessons, not only of the scars left behind at Columbine but Conyers, Georgia, where a student wounded six of his classmates; or Lake Worth, Florida when a 13-year-old shot his English teacher dead after he had sent the student home for throwing water balloons and most recently, Santee, California, where another 15-year-old killed two students and wounded 13. The list is long and tragic, and proves this frightening fact of reality can happen anywhere. Even the F.B.I. has instituted guidelines for schools to implement regarding lockdowns and drills designed to encourage students and staff to respond to any threat, “practice or real” seriously.
NBHS students, parents, faculty and staff have clearly expressed their desire for administration to take aggressive action against any individual who threatens the security of our school in any way.
Therefore, we do not apologize for any action taken to protect our students and staff. In fact, the North Bergen Board of Education and the administration remains committed to our “zero tolerance” policy regarding threats of violence of any kind which undermine the feeling of safety and security which we have tried so hard to ensure.
Paschal H. Tennaro
Principal