SYRACUSE -- The Newtown School shooting struck a cord with the majority of Americans last Friday, and since then, conversations involving stances on gun control, mental health and school safety have emerged both locally and nationally.
While Congress debates about gun laws, parents have conversations about the same, saying they have the safety of their children on the front of their minds. CNY Central spoke to some parents attending a Bishop Grimes vs. Chittenango basketball game Friday night, and no matter where they stand, here in Central New York, many parents believe action is needed.
"There should be something done," Jennifer Gashi, a mother of four, says. "We need a lot of things done. I don't believe putting a police officer in every school is going to hurt...I don't believe it's going to eliminate all problems though. I believe the problems start at home."
Gashi referenced the NRA's statement calling for armed police officers in every American school, and while some say it is a ridiculous statement, some parents say nothing is too much when thinking of their child's safety.
"It's the way things are headed and it's for safety," Karen Delaney, another parent, says. "Safety first for the kids, and why not, maybe it'll intimidate some of the kids more."
What a majority of the parents agreed on was the fact that these types of conversations were happening, not only locally, but on the national level as well.
"Any change that's ever happened in our society has started with either a question or a conversation," James Belton, a parent, says. "So it's always good to talk about the problem, it's always good to try and work it out."
