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Parents React to NRA Proposal

SCRANTON — The NRA’s proposal to put armed guards in every school in America has a lot of parents talking. Some think it’s a great idea, other...

SCRANTON -- The NRA's proposal to put armed guards in every school in America has a lot of parents talking. Some think it's a great idea, others feel there are other ways to keep school kids safe.

We went to an elementary school in Scranton to talk to parents and found a whole range of opinions.

Kids got out of school for Christmas Vacation at William Prescott Elementary School in Scranton after a nerve wracking week for many of their parents.

Many moms and dads all over the country were nervous sending their kids to class after last Friday's school shooting in Connecticut. School safety has been on their minds.

“It's been very scary. I didn't want to send my kids to school all week. I knew they had to go. You can't keep them home forever,” said Joyce Hiza, a parent.

Now, a week after that deadly shooting, parents are hearing the proposal from the National Rifle Association to put an armed guard at every school in the country, and some think that's a good start.

“I completely agree with it. With the whole situation it makes me very nervous, and anybody can just come into any school,” said Hiza.

“And based on everything that's happened recently, it's not a bad idea to have someone there to protect the kids in the school,” said Chris Petrewski, a parent.

A big quote from the NRA news conference was that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. However, some parents said there are other ways to keep kids safe.

“I don't know about an armed guard. I think it would scare the kids,” said Jaclyn Harrington, a parent.

Harrington was picking up her two children. She thinks a focus on mental health issues would be a bigger help.

“Normal people that don't have mental problems probably wouldn't do this. They wouldn't act like that child acted,” said Harrington.

Jim Talarico came to get his niece. He thinks a ban on assault weapons should be considered.

“I don't see the point of them. People aren't hunting with assault weapons, they're not protecting their homes with assault weapons,” said Talarico.

Many parents said it’s good to see school safety is in such focus, and armed guards are now part of that conversation.

“It's not a solution to the entire problem. There's a whole lot of other things that would need to go along with that to solve it completely, but that's a good start,” said Petrewski.

Most people seem to be in favor of armed guards at schools, although some question who is going to pay for it.

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