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Shavonne, that's is so true.
It seems like a scarier, almost foreign, place.
posted by
Temple
on April 29, 2004 at 9:10 AM
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Wow. I almost forgot about Columbine. It brought back some memories.
I was in college at the time. I remember watching the tv and saying to my friends, "Thank God we're not highschool anymore."
High school was already bad enough with the peer pressure, SATs, and everything else that I know I went through, and to see what happened in Columbine, that just made school look so unsafe.
posted by
Shavonne
on April 29, 2004 at 6:15 AM
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my sweet boy, look at you...
You are such a rock star. It was exceptionally difficult to be there, indeed. For a long time. The only cool thing was the way everyone came together. I wish that feeling would stay forever. Thanks for the compliment, can I have a cookie? I know you got one. ;)
posted by
Temple
on April 28, 2004 at 8:17 PM
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sweet girl michael moore prooves once again that he's the man
but he is always proving this to the choir. last year i read the british version of his book stupid white men. after reading this i realized he has some good points but for the most part he is an entertainer, just like rush limbaugh and g. gordon liddy.
i bet those days immediately after the Columbine shooting were tough around Denver. Good job with a difficult subject.
posted by
FreeManWalking
on April 28, 2004 at 1:57 PM
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Bella, it's true that we need to look at each situation individually.
I agree with that. The thing here that upsets me, is the parents have never contacted anyone, not press nor victim nor team doing study. I hopefully will never understand their position, but I feel like I would want to see if what happened at least wasn't in vain by offering up what I knew to see if it helps. In private is fine, just hard for me to accept that they didn't do it all. I can never judge, I just feel that the only way to stop it is to figure out what we are collectively doing wrong, or missing.
posted by
Temple
on April 27, 2004 at 4:47 PM
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Benzinha -- my school had about 3000 students.
I wouldn't have been able to get into half the trouble I did if it had been smaller....well, and if my parents were ever home. I think your solution is brilliant, but unfortunately, we spend all the money in the wrong places and schools suffer for it. Thank you. :)
posted by
Temple
on April 27, 2004 at 4:44 PM
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beedle -- so many things about my country scare me right now.
We've become so polarized. I just hope for fresh perspective and open minds. I'm afraid that is too much to hope for. If Sept. 11 didn't shake things up enough to find our middle, I just don't know what will.
I don't know if I see more than most, but I really appreciate that compliment. I always hope to be fair and open minded, because I learn more that way and make more progress towards problems solving that way.
posted by
Temple
on April 27, 2004 at 4:20 PM
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Foxy -- I commented in your post on this matter.
posted by
Temple
on April 27, 2004 at 4:18 PM
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Bella, thank you very much.
I agree completely. I just wish for new perspective on some of these issues, because people stand so steadfastly to their individual positions that I think we lose, instead of gain, ground. Indeed, the price for being different is very high. I know this personally. But, if you can wade through it and learn, the pay off is high also.
posted by
Temple
on April 27, 2004 at 4:16 PM
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er sorry ..scrutiny
posted by
beachbelle
on April 25, 2004 at 11:06 PM
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Temple
Thinking on this again. I honestly don't know how I would handle it if a child of mine did something awful. Someone I went to school with was caught thieving from my father's car place - he went on to murder a family of six and commit suicide. I used to play tennis at a club where his mother played. I never expected nor sought an explanation from her - it was not for me to ask. I remained unchanged toward her but I always wondered how someone lived with having their child do that.
I can't speak for others. In this media-saturated world i think we often expect sound bites or analysis from people linked to a crime. Sometimes when people offer explanation they are taunted or villified because they have not shown the "right" emotions or explanations. If it were me - well yes it would be unlikely that I would condone or overlook a bomb-maker in the garage but if someone near me snapped and did something terrible - would I blame myself or step up for public scruting? I don't know. I would be more likely to contact the individuals concerned.
posted by
beachbelle
on April 25, 2004 at 11:05 PM
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Temple, those closest to the 'incident' feel it more deeply, I believe.
My solution, always and foremost in my mind, is to cut the huge schools into tiny schools, making students individuals again, giving them a sense of belonging to a group again, a sense of place and acceptance and understanding.
My highschool had 250 or so students. We all knew each other, the teachers knew all of us, spoke with us, read our moods and touched our lives individually, carefully guiding us and making personal suggestions on life directions. We were not scattered and fractured and isolated teens, could not be so, were not allowed to be so, but actually Existed and had a place somewhere in the group.
As everything scatters into the winds of "fast living going faster", families fracturing and kids spending hours alone and untouched by adults, we need to pull back into small strategic groups of caring people. Schools with 3,000 faces do not, cannot care for their people, let them care for each other nor teach them to do so.
What a post, what a post.......very moving and thought provoking.
posted by
benzinha
on April 25, 2004 at 1:52 PM
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Temple
At one time in my old neighborhood, I could tell the difference from an AK-47, an UZI, and a Tech-9, or nearly any other gun just from the sound of the shots. It was that much gunfire ringing out in the nights. I've seen first hand what automatic weapons do. I live in the south, where hunting is a big deal. I don't have a problem with that, but you don't hunt game with automatic weapons. You hunt people. Whenever I see Heston spewing that NRA crap, it makes me sick. I bet six months in a lousy neighborhood would change his tune.
posted by
Talion
on April 25, 2004 at 7:56 AM
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I fear your country in a big way, stay away from the States because of the ever fervent stress on a man's right to "bear arms", to defend a right that to me seems archaic and deadly. Guns everywhere, and when children start using them...I like what BB said, how having the right to take up arms does not mean you should automatically do so.
maybe in years to come, there will be more understanding of these two boys, of what happened. Doubt it. again, you have this ability to see more than most.
posted by
beedle
on April 25, 2004 at 6:47 AM
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Very thoughtful post. My entire comment is a post in itself!
posted by
FoxyBlue
on April 25, 2004 at 6:25 AM
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Temple
A most excellent and thoughtful post. I think that no matter whether it is the first amendment or the second amendment that people lose sight of the fact that just because they have the right to say something, or to to take up arms doesn't mean that they automatically should do so. It seems to be taken too literally. My parents both came from farms and had guns etc too so I know what you mean.
Sometimes the price for being different is very high.
posted by
beachbelle
on April 24, 2004 at 10:54 PM
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