School shootings

[Gabriel]

Being a suffer of buillying and prujuce(?) I and understand what they feel, I often though of taking such actions against the people who bullied me. If i had a gun I might of, but I didn't and so they lived. But the fact we have don't guns hasn't stoped school kids getting extreme revenge, at my old school a lead pipe or baseball bat, even a kitchen knife was taken from students. I don't connode their actions but I understand what they must of felt. I'm afaid to belevie that even if guns were baned, this would keep happening. It the dark side of the human soul.......Sometimes I think it would be better if we as a spieces never existed.

[Yorick]

Whoa, Gabe, don´t think that man. We are capable of such beauty too. I was at a lake yesterday and I saw some ducks. Some people eat duck (I have before now). A human can either eat it or feed it, which we often do.

The news always focuses on the negative because it´s so rare. How many more towns DIDN´T have a lunatic kid on a rampage.

Will we ever see the headline:
Amazing: Five billion people stayed alive today.

What about:
Miracle: Mother gives birth.

How about:
Human writes poem!

These are all to common, more so than a luny with a gun.
Remember that some destruction is inevitable and part of the cycle of life. How many microbes do you kill when you sit or lie down, or walk?

How many do you feed though when you throw a bun into a bush?

[Gray Mage]

Good point Yorick!! It is too bad that the human race seems to thrive on Negativity. We'll buy that paper that says 15 slain in Rampage rather than %00 billion people stayed alive today. Why is it this way I wonder???

[Cloudbringer]

Originally posted by Rikard: From what i know People my age are often drawn to violence for the "coolness" of it Me personaly i'm a very calm kinda guy I actualy think violent computer gamez can help people get less agressief as you can Shoot people with out killing them But it's not only schools you people are dying all over Landmine for excemple Now there's this treaty a non landmine production-placing-exporting treaty But The USA keeps on refusing top sign it You have any idea why? Coz i sure don't

But Rikard? Do you think that if that "cool" violence weren't everywhere you look -tv , games, music and videos, movies , books etc. that it would be cool to do violence for people your age? I mean if it weren't being made so "popular" by entertainers and such?

Cloudy

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Storm-Queen
StormCloud of the Black Knight

[Cloudbringer]

Originally posted by bilqis: That is the core of the issue right there, regarding school shootings anyway. In my opinion. We are homeschooling our 16-soon-to-be-17 year old because of that very issue. The harrassment he was receiving in school because he was shy, introverted, Intelligent & nerdy was horrendous. We tried going through many channels at school to get him help, but the prevailing attitude was that "kids will be kids & he just has to learn to deal with it". So we pulled him out of school for his own safety and mental health. But after going through that experience, I can see the point of view of the shooter too. He was very wrong in what he did, but the school system & society as a whole needs to come up with some EFFECTIVE way to deal with harrassment & abuse between peers.

Oh do I understand you, bilqis! One of my closest friends is going through problems with her 14 yr old son who is like your own, intelligent and not socially graceful, so he's teased mercilessly. She just put him into a Catholic school this year to try and cope with the problems.

My own priest and his wife (explanation for those who don't know, Episcopal priests marry/etc , the church is part of Anglican communion)anyway, they have fostered and adopted many children over the years (geez I think the current adopted count is 12 or more plus two biological children). They home school all of them until jr or sr high and sometimes longer. They do it to try and instil their moral and ethical beliefs as well as give good education. They fear the violence and the lack of respect for other human beings is just too pervasive and want their kids (many who come from abusive and neglectful situations to start with!) to learn to respect the dignity of each human being and to value life. It's not an easy thing to do!

Cloudy


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Storm-Queen
StormCloud of the Black Knight

[Yorick]

Gray Mage, this is my theory:

Our default setting seems to be set to viewing the negative.

It´s harder to look at a situation and see the positive because it´s all around. The negative is so rare that it hits us in the face. A 'lot' of it weighs us down.

It´s also harder to create than destroy. A CD can take months to create yet is snapped in a second. (I´ve had my own disc snapped by someone once.) Same with a painting or pieces of pottery.

Creating takes more energy. Feeding a duck takes sacrifice (bread for it - rather than me), childbirth an incredible amount of sacrifice, effort and pain.

Papers/The News etc. are about making money, we see something horrific and read, or watch. Do we feel better? Is our existance enhanced? That´s not the point to the media owner is it.

Pardon my cynical view if you´re a Media Mogul.

Anyhow being alive is good. Let´s enjoy the short time while we have it, acknowledge that shit will happen, our plans will get crapped on, and embrace the ride.


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FAIR DINKUM!

[This message has been edited by Yorick (edited 03-06-2001).]

[250]

Originally posted by Cloudbringer: But Rikard? Do you think that if that "cool" violence weren't everywhere you look -tv , games, music and videos, movies , books etc. that it would be cool to do violence for people your age? I mean if it weren't being made so "popular" by entertainers and such? Cloudy

this US culture thing is the cause of violence, i say. look into our, or i shouldnt say our, your society, what does it provide? spiritually. what does it praise? what do the TVs show? what do the people talk about? what do adults spend their time on? what are the new toys kid play with?

money, voilence, sex, drug.... those are the things I see. these are the fruits of morden society. it is not all about guns, guns are just a conveniant tool here. a tool to express those generation's anger and confusion. how sad it is. american gov, sorry i have to bring this up, is worrying more about their GDP and oil supply than their people's spiritual growth. it is time to have a change.

[Cloudbringer]

Originally posted by Yorick: Ban the f---ing Gun!

Oh dear Lord, Yorick ... please don't go there. sigh... that is such a hotly argued thing in this country I cringe anytime it's brought up. I don't have a gun, don't even know how to use one. A good friend does. She was assaulted twice and feels helpless without it. It's not a cut and dried situation, so arguments go in circles and I get dizzy. I approve wholeheartedly banning assault rifles etc and making background checks mandatory. For the rest, I'm not really in a position to argue other than, why the hell don't people have any common sense or decency anymore? Or respect for life? sigh

CB

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Storm-Queen
StormCloud of the Black Knight

[Draconia]

I do understand what everyone is trying to say about guns. I do not want to start an arguement so I am not going to comment on anything. But we do need to look at other factors in the story when it comes to those kids that were willing to kill.
Gray Mage- Thank you. You are right about what else I am was trying to say.
Yorick- Or should I say, Uncle Yorick, I think you are right about the gun ownership thing in the US. Take Care sweetie.
Everyone has a right to their own opinions, ideas and thoughts. That is what makes us unique. So I will not say anymore. I think it would be in my best interest to shut my mouth and just listen to what everyone else's opinions are. Take Care everyone.

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Draconia, Dragon Queen

[Charlie]

I just can't help but think that it's the accessability of guns that are the issue. True, LoA that anyone wanting a gun could obtain it. In this country (England/UK in general) that would be more difficult than you might think. You would pretty much need some some connections to villains to start with and for most people guns and villainy are not an everyday thing. Guns aren't sold "over the counter" per se and they are not directly available unless you use an illegal route or can prove their place in your posession is legal and acceptable to the police.

Guns CAN be obtained, don't get me wrong but they are not the kind of thing that is common here. The fact that guns are so commonplace in other countries makes their availability to others/minors more possible. The increased availability makes the gun crime figures speak for themselves. If guns aren't available so commonly then kids couldn't get hold of them in the first place.

I also feel sorry for the kids that accidently shoot people and even those youngsters that commit some of these atrocities (I obviously feel for the victims.) A lot of the time they don't have a clear understanding of what it really means to kill or maim someone and are too young to be FULLY responsible for their actions. There may be hundreds of kids rotting away learning the crafts of villainy in some prisons who may never have been in the position they're in now......save for the fact that a gun was accessible to them in the first place.

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One love, peace.