What is wrong today.... Another School Shooting

[perry]

I am sure you have all seen the news. A Principal shot in high school in a small rural school in Wisconsin.

What many of you don''t know is that I grew up in Sauk County Wisconsin and attended another small school in the area (as if there are any large schools in Sauk County Wisconsin - not a one).

My memory of those years do involve problem students - and issues created by them. I think that is normal. There are always people who are alianated and have problems. What concerns me is how so many students these days seem to take things out with extreem violance. In my day it was not unusual for many of us High School students to have posesion of guns at home to use for target shooting or hunting. I lived in a small town and thougth nothing of riding on my bicycle to the local shooting range with a 22 rifle (anytime after age 14). The local cops just waved "hi" (I think now they would arrest any kid with a 22 rifle by themselves).

Yet, there was never any incidents like we see today.

I do not know the answeres - but I do know the area, the community, and the culture of the area.

This one hits home - and hurts.

What I struggle with is .... what is wrong that so many people are resorting to this kind of violance.

Perry

 

[monarch64]

Perry, so sorry to hear of your hometown community''s current state...my condolences.

I don''t have any answers to your questions. I often wonder myself why things are the way they are, as I think many human beings do...there are just no answers when it comes to this kind of thing. My life was touched by the Paducah, KY school shootings about 10 years ago, and every time I hear of these things I am bewildered. I don''t think you can blame it on one source, or one thing that went wrong, or find something "fixable" within a person who chooses to make these sorts of decisions, ya know?

I just think that sometimes in times like this all we can do is pray for a better tomorrow and for peace for the wrong-doer''s soul. It''s so unfortunate that people like that have come to a place in their lives where they are at a dead-end and see no other way out besides harming others, and ultimately, themselves. I don''t feel sorry for them, by any means, but the goodness in me totally recognizes that they have chosen the lesser path in life for some reason and I feel bad for them nonetheless.

I am not a religious person (don''t subscribe to one religion in particular), but I do believe in human spirituality and I think sometimes people just lose that sense of themselves. That''s definitely not an excuse for wrongdoing, but I think also that some people are just not equipped with a sense of right or wrong, or they lose it along the way somewhere. It''s most definitely unfair to those they hurt, or kill, in this case.


Perry, I hope your community will be able to mend itself in the coming months or years...it will be a tough road, and this shooting has already changed everything you and the community as a whole, knows. God willing, this will open some eyes and your people will pull together and comfort each other during this terrible time. Take care, of yourself and your family and neighbors.

 

[perry]

Thanks Monarch and San Diago Lady.

Perry

 

[MINE!!]

Perry,

I am sorry to hear that this cut so close to home for you. I have been hesitant to respond to this thread for a few reasons.
1) I have a real beef with my kids school system right now.
2) I know how "UNSAFE" these schools are...
3) These past shooting scared the pee out of me.

I am not a paranoid or conspiracy type of person. I do not get "scared" at the drop of dime, or go running at first hint of "danger". But I was a little un nerved about this last series of events. Maybe because I know that there is a chance that this could very easily happen in almost any school in the US. I have yet to see a "safe" school. All of this " buckling down on sercurity" either did not happen or it was not enough.

Don;t get me wrong, I HATE not being recognized. I hate walk into my kids school and have the secretary''s not know me. AND I HATE being stopped by someone when I go (but I never am.. I am just waiting for it) But as uppity and concending as I am ... I also know how easy it is and how, since people do recognize my face and the secretary''s and adm. DO know who I am, I am considered "safe" and that "scares" me ... Uknow? Who else is considered "safe"?

 

[jas]

As a teacher in a school that is prime for a violent incident (it''s a question of "WHEN" in my book)

All I can say is that we are not teaching our kids coping skills...we are not parenting as a community...there are so many reasons why this all goes on, and NONE of them are "good" reasons...

It breaks my heart...the level of anger, of entitlement, of sorrow, of overstimulation, of underparenting, of overfunctioning...it makes me weep. These are not the "good ol days" when people would always moan about yunguns...this is different. It''s insidious. It''s terrifying.

It''s preventable. Just don''t ask me how.

 

[perry]

Thanks Mine & jas:

I note one comment from jas that makes partial sense: We are not parenting as a community.

I did not have the greatest childhood and can be pointed to as one who overcame a lot of issues to be successfull. My father has been a lifelong alcoholic as well.

What I did as a kid was "adopt" several other older adults as 2nd father figures. People I could use as examples of how to lead a better life where my father could not. I am not saying these people were perfect - but they taught me some great examples.

They have a saying in portions of the third world: It takes a community to raise a child. To often here in the US we try to do things as individuals and exclude neighbors. Too often we tell the children not to trust anyone else - thinking that we protect them. Learning to trust others - haveing someone else to turn to is very important (this does not mean that we should not teach our children that certain things are not right and if someone approaches them on those things they should tell us).

The sad thing was that this occured in a small community (population about 300) where all the neighbors knew each other - where doors were not locked - and where people still helped each other (I grew up in a similar community of about 1900 about 35 miles away).

This actually was a place where people were involved with other kids - and kids could turn to their neighbors for help.


A few more details that I am privy to as I am reading the local news on this shooting.

The youth in question has had a troubled childhood and comes from a dysfuntional family (and has a father who abused him). The youth has claimed in the national press that he was always being picked on; yet the local stories now making the local press was that he was the school bully and the one who picked on people. He had been previously suspended from school, and was facing another suspension (again). He told a freind that the principal would not make it through homecomming weekend and that if things went right there would be no homecomming for the school (last Friday was homecoming). He broke into his fathers gun cabinet to get a shotgun (which is being reported as really sturdy and that it would take time to break in), and using a stolen key was able to access a handgun in his fathers bedroom. Note I am very glad to here that the guns were properely locked up; but, of course locks do not stop determined thieves.

He stated when he showed up at school that he was their to kill someone.

The custodian wrestled away the shotgun; but the youth was able to get away - pulled the handgun - and shot the principal 3 times as the principal wreslted the handgun away from him. While the principal died from the gunshot wounds - no one else was hurt.

As per his predictions: All homecomming activites were cancled. A spontanious vigile was held instead at the football stadium.

And if all that was not enough; the very same day another student in the school was killed in a traffic accident on the way to school just prior to the shooting event.

Perry

 

[~*Alexis*~]

I am from the Chippewa Valley area and I heard that on the radio the other day and I just about had a heart attack. Wisconsin is not known for violence in their schools, we have had a couple bomb scares over the years but never anything like this....thats sad it had to happen here though.

 

[Kaleigh]

Just this morning a gunman Charles Roberts 32 entered a one room school house for the Amish in Lancaster PA, I live an hour away. He let the boys go and a couple teachers, lined the girls up. He bound their feet with wire and shot them execution style and then killed himself. 4 girls are dead. 3 girls are at CHOP in Philadelphia all in critical condition, others are at Hershey Medical center. He chose this school because he knew he would have easy access, and all because of a 20 year grudge... He wasn't Amish was married and the father of 3. He walked his kids to the bus stop, and then went on a killing spree. My heart is with the Amish community tonight. And Perry I am sorry for your community as well. This has got to stop. Everyone said tonight Amish included, they can't believe it happened in their tranquil community. Just so very sad...

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 9/30/2006 2:24:34 AM
Author:perry

I am sure you have all seen the news. A Principal shot in high school in a small rural school in Wisconsin.

What many of you don''t know is that I grew up in Sauk County Wisconsin and attended another small school in the area (as if there are any large schools in Sauk County Wisconsin - not a one).
My memory of those years do involve problem students - and issues created by them. I think that is normal. There are always people who are alianated and have problems. What concerns me is how so many students these days seem to take things out with extreem violance.

Yet, there was never any incidents like we see today.

There is no excuse for any of the violence we are seeing lately. It''s shocking and appalling, and sickening. The story of the man in PA going to the Amish school...man, sometimes I hate people.

However, I will say that I have heard of SEVERAL children being teased and ridiculed by classmates in school in the past few years to the point of needing therapy and serious emotional help. And the teachers and school admin did NOTHING to stop it, even when the problems were directly pointed out to them multiple times. Not to be contrarian, but I CAN see how some kids feel there is no one there to protect them, and they get sick of it all to the point of taking extreme, violent action. That doesn''t condone it or rationalize it by any means, but I can imagine how this sort of thing might develop. Something needs to be done about this....that''s for sure.

 

[jas]

FG, you are 100% correct -- being bullied is one of the predictors...it IS a violent act to be bullied, and we educators do not do a great job of dealing with it. Add to that many parents (and educators) tend to think that it''s just "kids being kids" or part of growing up, that it''ll make you strong, and it''s hard to combat.

I''ve tried to talk to some parents about their kids'' bullying behaviors, usually to no avail. Unfortunately, some parents even find it "kinda funny."

Aggressiveness is all I see with a lot of my middle school kids. 13-14 years old is hard enough to be, and now we add aggressiveness to the mix...it''s too much.

My heart is breaking for everyone involved here.