Gun Laws, School Safety, and Mental Health

The press release announcing a panel discussion to take place on Friday, June 1, in the Hudson High School auditorium begins: "The national gun debate has only increased in pitch since the February 14 Parkland Florida school shooting." Because there is no mention of the May 18 attack at Santa Fe High School in Texas, which according to news accounts was the seventeenth school shooting since Parkland, we can only imagine that the press release was drafted before the Santa Fe shooting, which took ten lives, entered the national conversion.

The event planned for Friday here in Hudson, organized by former Fourth Ward supervisor William Hughes and HCSD superintendent Maria Suttmeier, is described as a "wide-ranging panel discussion about gun safety, mental health, and school safety legislation." Panel members represent "the entire spectrum of positions--from NRA-aligned to community health organizations." Those members include:

Congressman John Faso, who has a lifetime "A" rating from the NRA  

Assemblymember Didi Barrett

Malcolm Nance, author and media commentator on terrorism and intelligence

David Bartlett, Columbia County sheriff

Michael Cole, director of community services, Columbia County Department of Human Services

Maria Suttmeier, superintendent, Hudson City School District

Mike Needham, safety engineer at Needham Risk Management

Edward Moore, chief of the Hudson Police Department

The press release assures us that all members of the community are welcome, the conversation will be civil and productive, and the event will be gun-free. Admission is free, but attendees are required to have tickets, which can be secured by clicking here. People are encouraged to submit questions for the panel in advance by emailing them to Hughes. 

The panel discussion takes place this Friday, June 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the auditorium at Hudson High School, 215 Harry Howard Avenue.
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