by KYW's vice president and general manager David Yadgaroff

Long before Columbine, a name synonymous with violence in American schools, there was a growing awareness that the schoolhouse was no longer a sanctuary of safety.

We can empathize with some suburban students who are now concerned about privacy, as their schools begin mandating only mesh or see-through backpacks (see related news story).

That is only one of a series of measures intended to reduce the introduction of guns into places of learning. It follows last year’s bitter lesson at Springfield High School in Montgomery County, Pa. (see related story) and the Virginia Tech tragedy (see related story). The list of deadly gun incidents in schools continues to grow.

While privacy has been a cornerstone of our national culture, times have changed. Its loss, especially in a school setting, is beyond regrettable. 
 
But when privacy intersects with public safety and the consequences have a deadly finality, safety must rule.

Our region has seen too many tears, memorials, and funerals for young people gunned down before life even began. Stringent and uniform security measures countrywide are now, unfortunately, necessary. 
 
When grief counseling in our schools becomes a growth industry, that’s a tragedy. 
 
To submit a comment or reply to this editorial, send an e-mail to yadgaroff@KYW.com.