School shootings

[Gray Mage]

I just heard something disturbing......In minnesota a five year old girl brought a gun to school....

[Charlie]

Oddly enough I saw this on TV and immediately thought of you Turbovee.
A f****ng shame is all I can say.

I don't know if it's the gun laws, parentage or what it is. All I know is that the bullet that kills the son also wounds the mother. A lot of people got hurt there today. Imho guns are far too prevalent and available in some societies. The majority of English people have never seen a gun and would far less know how to obtain one. (Not bragging or hyping, just using us as an example.)

Bullying etc. Yes valid points and strangely enough the reason that I had to move out from the lesbian girls I lived with. (The one mentioned to you and Cloudbringer.)

Jenny's daughter lived with her father and went on a school camping trip. The girl she was tent sharing with was constantly bullied for the week they were there and Alex looked after this poor little girl. Nearing the last night they went or were forced (through childish indiscretion rather than malevolence I believe) to a dark part of the woods. Well the next thing we hear is that there's been a multiple stabbing and Alex is involved.

The girl involved was terrified and had armed herself with a knife and lashed out through fear injuring some of her abusers. These kids were 11yrs old. One is now convicted of whatever crimes although she was the original victim, and some kids are hurt. It didn't turn out too bad for Alex other than being forced to leave that school and moving back this way to live with her mum.

Just think what a terrible scenario that could have been if guns were available.

Yes we could do an autopsy on the level of care given them by their guardians and we could dissect the psychological attitudes impressed or learnt by them from their parents/surroundings in their earlier years but it will do no good now.

It's impossible to bring all kids up "stable" and it's impossible to keep an eye on all kids at all times. It shouldn't (at least I don't think it should) be impossible to keep firearms away from them. I just can't help but feel that if guns weren't as prevalent in society as they are today then a lot of these things would never happen.

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One love, peace.

[Yorick]

Ban the Gun.

[Black Knight]

I don't understand why this happens. I could echo other's disbelief, but I won't. Just makes me sad, and makes me not want to teach even more, even thought I have a teaching degree.

BK

[Yorick]

Ban the f---ing Gun!

[Gray Mage]

How about enforce the laws for every one......

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Feel My Power

I was bullied loads at school, and have even been physically abused in the street by people I don't know and have never even seen before, and simply because I am over-weight. I can say for sure that on several occasions, if I had been armed, I would now be responsible for murder. Its a scary thought but I as much as I despised the bullies, I don't think I would have thought to highly of myself as a killer, IMHO life is too precious. I haven't seen the news today, so I haven't heard about the latest shooting, therefore please don't consider my comments as specific to this, only in the wider context.

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[Zenith]

As the mother of two young children, I worry about the world I'm supposed to set them free into. So, instead of sitting here and getting walked on by my kids, I'm known as a hard ass. I make sure my girls are nice, polite young children. They get punished for not only hitting but for rudeness. I expect my five yr old to clean her room. My grandmother would be proud, I'm her type of mother.
What does all this have to do with school shootings? I do believe that it is a reflection of todays lack of general parenting skills. Recently, here in RI, a 6 yr old was suspended for one day for kicking her teacher. The girl's father appealed the decision and took the case before the school board claiming the punishment was too harsh. He is quoted as saying "How could I look at my daughter when she was grown and have her ask 'Why didn't you do everything to protect me?'" His best bet for protecting her would be to teach her that it's wrong to harm anybody (especially authority figures) and to take responsibility for her actions. That's what so much of this is about- responsibility. Or rather a lack there of.
I could go on for quite a while as I feel rather strongly about this subject. I won't get into the public school aspect. I will finish by saying we all need to step up and be good examples for the next generations. They learn what we teach them.

[Father Bronze]

Just a bit of optimism. Statistics give your child a better chance of dying in a car accident than in a school shooting. I still plan on protecting my child as much as possible though.

I agree with Rikard in that playing games, especially D&D, allowed me to grow up with a sharper distinction between reality and fantasy. I don't credit D&D for all of this. My mother had a lot to do with it.

It is amazing how many parents don't take an active role in raising their children. You would be amazed (or maybe not) at how many parents respond to concerns over a student's behavior with by saying, "Well I don't know what to do either." It gets very frustrating. I guess I don't entirely understand that line. There is nothing I wouldn't do to make sure my kids grow up to be the best they can.

[Reeka]

My daughter is nine and has had problems in school with being teased. We even changed her school this year because it got so bad at her last school. My daugher is like my husband, sweet, kind, intellectual, unassertive, and reflective and nice to EVERYBODY. When someone is mean to them, they turn it inward and think they have done something. One thing I love about my husband and daughter are their sensitivity. But, I think my daughter is going to have to toughen up some because so many other kids see a sensitive child who won't fight back and "go for the throat." Bilqis: I've thought about pulling her out of school altogether and have my husband home-school her.

I guess what I'm trying to say is there is no excuse for what the kid in San Diego did, but I think I can understand how someone can be pushed to the limit and snap. Unfortunately, (I'm not saying always) boys seem to tend to take out their frustrations through violence. Girls do too, but with boys it seems they lash out at others (like this thing in San Diego), while girls turn more inward and it manifests itself more in suicide.

My daughter gets alot of support at home and I think that helps; I worry about the kids that don't get support at home.

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Reeka--The Hand of Death