Malheur Occupation’s Heartbreaking Impact On County Schools

[phantom power]

Go read the rest. This is a fucking train wreck.

... since the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge began, the conversation on campus has turned towards concerns about future violence.

“I had a conversation with a high school student,” McBride told OPB, “and she wanted to know if someone entered the school with a gun, what was she to do. And I had a 5-year-old come up to me and say she couldn’t sleep at night, because someone was watching her in the trees.”

“This is not okay,” McBride added.

McBride tied the stress she hears from students directly to the occupation.

“We’re seeing a change in the children’s behavior, especially with middle school children,” McBride said. “More outbursts, more worrying, and our teachers are having to give them more patience and time, which takes away from lessons and planning.”

...

While militants hunker down and refuse to leave the refuge, the Harney County School District is losing money to pay for mental health counselors, security personnel and other administrative costs.

According to district financial records, staff costs at the district are about $35,900 per day. That does not include costs for extra security and counselors for students.

“We don’t have the final tallies, but I believe it will cost an extra $4,000 or so per day,” McBride said.

The school also has to pay more in rent, as the Harney County Joint Information Center is using district space as a staging area for law enforcement personnel.

http://www.opb.org/news/series/burns-oregon-standoff-bundy-militia-news-updates/teachers-guns-harney-county-schools/

[KT2000]

1. Add the costs to their bills,

though the emotional toll is something else again.

[enough]

4. Those bills will never be paid. (nt)

[phantom power]

6. Agreed. I'm a bit bemused by the category of argument where...

people say "they're just digging themselves in deeper with paperwork and fines."

No they aren't. They don't give a shit how much paperwork, or sternly worded letters, or bills we send them. Their whole point is that they don't accept any of that authority. They will wipe their asses with it, and then laugh about it on twitter.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. It's splitting the town, and the kids are in the middle...

It is most definitely not OK.

[Megahurtz]

3. I live in a neighboring County

and I can tell you I feel terrorized and severely violated by this occupation. There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not worried about it. They've been there so long how many others will join them and start bullying and trying to steal other land? I don't feel safe, they are dangerous, and I want them all gone, yesterday.

[Vinca]

5. Do you get any sense on a local level why nothing is being done?

Watching from afar, I'm totally puzzled. You see black teenagers shot for holding a cell phone, but these characters are armed for the "End Times" and they're treated like a Boy Scout troop on an outing for a merit badge.