It is a sad fact that we live in a dangerous world. There was a time when small town life was largely insulated from random acts of horror and violence.
But that’s no longer the case. Thursday’s Picayune Item reported on a mentally ill man who called a local television station and made a vague warning about shooting people in a movie theater. Last month another man did just that in Louisiana.
We at the Picayune Item believe in that old cliché, hope for the best but prepare for the worst. We are happy our local law enforcement officers are doing exactly that with their active shooter drills. Thursday’s exercise at the movie theater might be seen as a sad reminder of the times we live in, but we choose to think of it as a reminder that our town is safe because our law enforcement agencies are prepared.
In addition, we would like to thank the good folks at the Acadiana Cinemas who agreed to open early and project a film for the deputies. The half-day training meant the theater had to open six hours earlier than usual, and the presence of a dozen or so sheriff’s departments cars might have attracted unwanted attention to the little theater, but nevertheless theater management wanted to make sure we are safe when we go to the movies in Picayune.
Of course we hope the deputies need never use the training they received today. But, on the other hand, if someone does something terrible here, we are thankful for the training.