General Discussion

JPZenger

(6,819 posts) Tue May 21, 2013, 09:14 AM May 2013

Moore Schools Have One of "Biggest and Best Stadiums in the State," but no storm shelter for kids [View all]

When I was watching the coverage of the horrible events in Moore, Oklahoma, I kept thinking: why didn't this public school system build a storm shelter for their elementary school kids? The area is not only part of "Tornado Alley," but also the same town had been hit by a very bad tornado several years ago.

This is not a small poor district - it includes 23,000 students in the suburbs.

Maybe the answer lies in their priorities.

http://www.mooremonthly.com/index.php?news&action=view_news&news_id=164&a=1

Moore brags that they have one of the "Biggest and Best Stadium in the State." In 2011, the School Board approved a bond issue that included $2.2 million "to build a new press box and improve the bleachers on the home side of the field." They also recently replaced their artificial turf. They also recently spent money for a new video scoreboard.

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Moore Schools Have One of "Biggest and Best Stadiums in the State," but no storm shelter for kids [View all] JPZenger May 2013 OP

Good point and interesting.Hope they and other schools will build storm shelters SummerSnow May 2013 #1

Football is a religion out there n2doc May 2013 #2

I hope we continue this discussion duhneece May 2013 #3

Me, too!!! hamsterjill May 2013 #24

at least as ironic donquijoterocket May 2013 #41

Well, we know what's important there.. ananda May 2013 #4

Thanks for this Horse with no Name May 2013 #5

This graphic should tell you why... liberal N proud May 2013 #6

A national disgrace. nm rhett o rick May 2013 #8

Shows an egregious bias against hockey - outrageous. hack89 May 2013 #19

I wish this graphic would have the capacity nadinbrzezinski May 2013 #44

F-ing KICK!! patrice May 2013 #54

maybe they could have mass funerals at the stadium dembotoz May 2013 #7

See, it practically pays for itself. LuvNewcastle May 2013 #65

Priorities, dontchaknow. blkmusclmachine May 2013 #9

6A football more important than storm shelters, even after the 1999 tornado. n/t winter is coming May 2013 #10

Shame on us.... texasmomof3 May 2013 #11

DU'er's mourn the loss of life also...we just feel that (at least) some of the deaths would not... BlueJazz May 2013 #15

Thank you. HappyMe May 2013 #18

Lame excuse. MsPithy May 2013 #25

You still need to blast to HappyMe May 2013 #27

Since when does America have a problem SCVDem May 2013 #31

lol! HappyMe May 2013 #32

explain this leftyohiolib May 2013 #59

Engineering and geological skills? MsPithy May 2013 #63

If the bedrock is so close to the surface, MsPithy May 2013 #96

Been designed since WWII zipplewrath May 2013 #38

They're wrong about shelters. jeff47 May 2013 #81

I think you are correct. MsPithy May 2013 #95

Typical head-in-the-sand response Stainless May 2013 #20

This is exactly the time to discuss this - would you have put off hedgehog May 2013 #22

Exactly kairos12 May 2013 #29

Bang on. IMO the best way to make these tragic deaths meaningful is to use this tragedy snagglepuss May 2013 #53

There is a time and a place for this discussion but today is NOT the day" isnt that what the leftyohiolib May 2013 #51

It costs nothing for this thread to exist WHILE you go create your 'how can I help' page. AtheistCrusader May 2013 #72

realistically... rdking647 May 2013 #12

The Technology Exists Stainless May 2013 #28

Tell it to New Orleans! SCVDem May 2013 #33

Are there NO underground parking garages in Oklahoma? Common Sense Party May 2013 #42

or buried storm sewers, waste sewers leftyohiolib May 2013 #57

This "water table" explanation isn't making sense. Common Sense Party May 2013 #61

Now that's an idea! SCVDem May 2013 #70

i was not suggesting that people go into them they are usually full of gases that would kill you leftyohiolib May 2013 #75

I live 11 miles from where that tornado struck Wednesdays May 2013 #79

B I N G O ....n/t SoCalDem May 2013 #13

Thats nineteen50 May 2013 #14

We have a difficult time understanding the values of those who are far different from us marshall May 2013 #16

A lot of the schools do if you did some research....lady being interviewed wasn't sure if the snooper2 May 2013 #17

and of course, it's impossible to retro fit a shelter into older buildings, hedgehog May 2013 #23

Painful, but necessary, observation. closeupready May 2013 #21

The bedrock issue sounds like an architectural/ engineering challenge coldmountain May 2013 #26

Flash to the Rachel commercial SCVDem May 2013 #35

It really isn't a challenge jeff47 May 2013 #83

To those of you who do not live here redstatebluegirl May 2013 #30

I will keep your community in my thoughts. HappyMe May 2013 #34

NO! NOT LATER! SCVDem May 2013 #37

+1 SunSeeker May 2013 #45

I'm so sorry for the tragedy you are experiencing. deurbano May 2013 #49

I know it must be absolutely awful and hearing it directly from you . . . siligut May 2013 #50

Thanks to those who understand redstatebluegirl May 2013 #60

That is the dumbest thing I have ever read. Zoeisright May 2013 #69

Sorry, but "time for that later" ran out for the dead SoCalDem May 2013 #98

Stadiums are an investment that brings in a lot more $$$ than they cost.... cbdo2007 May 2013 #36

While shelters merely save lives. LanternWaste May 2013 #67

You missed the point? cbdo2007 May 2013 #71

You did. n/t HangOnKids May 2013 #73

Not really, unless you think schools around the country are extremely financially prosperous cbdo2007 May 2013 #76

Huh, whoda thunk schools get fully funded via tax money Wednesdays May 2013 #84

Right...and there's PLENTY of tax money to go around. I heard all the cbdo2007 May 2013 #89

You are mistaken. School athletics do not support Oklahoma teachers' salaries. Heidi May 2013 #99

Where do you think the money goes??? cbdo2007 May 2013 #100

Residents had storm shelters JPZenger May 2013 #39

AP reporting 9 children dead WestStar May 2013 #40

Maybe they should have hunkered down on the "effin" 50 yard line... LanternWaste May 2013 #68

Wait a minute ... there's a basement? Travelman May 2013 #80

No, there isn't a basement. The kids were buried under a collapsed wall. jeff47 May 2013 #85

The basement story was a hoax Wednesdays May 2013 #86

This is heartbreaking! At this sad time I welcome you to DU! hrmjustin May 2013 #92

I Googled "Oklahoma Storm Shelters" riverwalker May 2013 #43

K & R SunSeeker May 2013 #46

That's the case with most schools in America. progressoid May 2013 #47

A fellow on the news from OK this morning said that the dead would number about 500 toby jo May 2013 #48

I believe that. laundry_queen May 2013 #97

A fellow on the news this morning from OK said the death toll would have toby jo May 2013 #52

States should pass laws that only 1/2 of all donations and gifts to any institution of public JDPriestly May 2013 #55

Of course, sports and oil reign supreme it seems. n/t Cleita May 2013 #56

I was wondering that as well. Chemisse May 2013 #58

I just read this: Chemisse May 2013 #77

The basement story is a hoax Wednesdays May 2013 #87

Interesting. I wondered how so much water could have poured in Chemisse May 2013 #90

If it were a hurricane......... nt SCVDem May 2013 #91

So they have money for a video scoreboard but no funds for something that would save lives. Initech May 2013 #62

Figures it's all about fucking money gopiscrap May 2013 #64

I am not a fan of this stuff, but for many of these schools this stuff is a net earner Demo_Chris May 2013 #66

Not enough money on Earth to bring one kid back to life. Ikonoklast May 2013 #82

100 Oklahoma Schools Have Applied for 75% Federal Grants to Install Safe Rooms for Students JPZenger May 2013 #74

Like most places in the United States, the emphasis seems to be on sports and not education AndyA May 2013 #78

American priorities. Dawson Leery May 2013 #88

Shelters at some OK schools but not all. moondust May 2013 #93

ABC Evening NEWS just now SHRED May 2013 #94