Our Slow National Suicide Continues

Thanks Christine - great story and thoughts.

When I see shit like this I can't help but wonder how long we're going to last as a nation.

That we live in a society where people (lots) will defend - in the name of "safety" - what happened to that student, I really wonder if we're witnessing the end of the Great American Experiment.

brave.new.world

And on that note, have a nice day folks. ;)

A few months ago one of my fifth grade boys told a girl in class that he was going to "kill" her. The girl had been intentionally pushing his buttons all through class, the more it bugged him the more she persisted. Finally he said this to her.

She went to the principal. The principal asked her if she really felt threatened. Her response was, "no, but I know that he's not allowed to use the word "kill.""

The boy was suspended for two days, because my school system has a Zero Tolerance Policy for threatening or bullying language. Best case scenario- the boy chooses his words more carefully next time?

The girl, however just played my principal like a cheap fiddle- and knew it- and got away with it, with my principal's blessing.

We (teachers)need to start showing kids and young adults that we have the common sense to know when to listen to comments and writings such as these! It's about KNOWING the kid.

The V-Tech shooter's writing, taken into account with his extreme anti-social behaviour, and the time in a mental institution, and the fact that he stalked two women....should have added up to something. But this kid, an honors student, who was told not to censor himself and is writing about a dream he had? Did anyone look at the rest of this kids' personality before this decision was made? I don't think so. I think it's the result of another blanket policy being made.

Of course no one wants v-tech to happen anywhere, ever again. But personally I feel the best way to prevent it is to know your students and to let them know that you know and care about them each personally.

We need to start getting this right.