You know, it has been 8 years since Columbine and we have not learned a damn thing. This country suffers from such a case of what I call "Doriism." (Named after the fish from finding Nemo!) We get all up in arms about a cause and someone flashes something shiny and we look away, only to forget what it is we were up in arms about.
Case in point...
How many of us were ready to go bomb the hell out of any country that dare look at us crossed-eyed on September 12th, 2001. We were all in it together. We were going to stand united against anyone who stood against us. We all yelled that we should've taken proactive steps to prevent that catastrophe. 6 years later...
More recently, we all got up in arms about Katrina victims. New Orleans would rise again. We would all do our part. We would address the problems of poverty and race in this nation. 2 years later...
One week ago..
Don Imus was the most vile human being to ever walk the earth. His racist and sexist comments would open up new dialogue about how to change the culture of our society.
I was a teacher for 15 years. I have seen kids who I KNEW would commit acts of violence towards others. We can call it profiling, labeling, whatever, (We called it "Clock Tower Tendencies")but it comes down to a gut feeling one has through being exposed to thousands of personalities in a variety of settings. Most efforts by me and fellow colleagues were thwarted by authorities.
"We can not go around pointing fingers at kids who may exhibit bad behavior before they actually act."
Well, 70% of the time, those kids would act. Not to the extent of what just happened, but they would hurt someone. How many children will have to go home to a motherless home before authorities start to realize that sometimes, we DO know what we are talking about. If just one local official had listened to the pleas of that professor, 32, maybe even all 33 lives, could have been spared.
I wish this country would stop worrying about the sensitivities of the few and start concerning itself with the safety of the masses. I am not calling for a police state, or a Machiavellian society. I am simply asking that we stop thinking that Johnny is just going through some growing pains and start worrying about the kids he is shoving to the ground.
1 comment:
I know what you're talking about. My dad would always come home ranting about how many of the frequent offenders were not eligible for the same kind of punishment as the rest of the population at Newark because they had IEPs.
If society wants kids to feel safe in school and help solve their behavioral problems, people who know the students the best (the teachers) should have a say in what and how the school disciplines students.
Post a Comment