TheTrenchcoat Chronicles

What I’ve always feared is starting to happen. In the wake of Santee, California school shooting, copycat scenarios are popping up all over the country. Two different AP articles I read in the local rag today say as much. In Williamsport, PA a 14 year old girl shoots another female student that she had feuded with in the past. According to the article the girl held the gun to her own head saying that she didn’t want to live anymore. The article is unclear why but at some point she lowered the gun and a round was discharged. The bullet hit the floor and ricocheted striking the victim in the shoulder. Luckily she wasn’t killed. In Twenty Nine Palms, California two 17 year old were arrested under suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. A rifle and a 16 name “hit list” were found at one of the boys homes. 3 teenagers aged 12 and 13 from San Bernardino County, California were arrested for threatening to put a bomb on a teachers desk. And in my own backyard, In Weddington, North Carolina another “hit list” was found in an 8th grade classroom. And in my opinion we will see more. As long as the news media glorifies it, as long as parents of tormentors don’t teach their children tolerance, as long as parents of the tormented do not listen to or be involved in the lives of their children we will see more shootings. And that my friends is unfortunate.

As always it was your pleasure.

There was another school shooting this week in California in which two students were killed. Again, I’m amazed at the fact that high school kids are still tormenting students to the breaking point. I don’t condone the shooters actions but come on people. We live in a different age now. Kids see these shootings on the news and we end up having two different reactions. Kids who think that they can keep tormenting students who are different than them and think that “it would never happen in my school” and kids who see it as “Well I’m being harassed at school so I’m going to shoot the place up”. Again I Say parents need to take a more active role in their children’s lives. You have to teach your kids that even if someone is different than you that doesn’t give you the right to torment them, if not for anything just for the safety reasons alone. Teach your kids it could happen in their school. Few of us even knew where Columbine was until 2 years ago. And parents of the tormented, listen to your kids, talk to them. Don’t tell them that they’re just being babies. Don’t tell them that they should try to fit in with everyone else. And go to you child’s school to see what is being done to protect your child and to prevent another tragedy like this happen again. I hate having to say this again but my condolences go out to the friends and families of the victims involved. Oh, and as a side note, I read an article on the shooting at the San Francisco newspaper website that mentioned the suspect listened to the hate filled lyrics of Limp Bizkit. They never learn do they.

As always it was your pleasure.