MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- Classes at a Mobile, Alabama, high school will go on Friday after a student shot and killed himself in front of about 150 classmates during a school assembly.
You may read more here: http://wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=7979821
After reading about this story, and then looking at the situation at Start High School, as well as the recent murder of another youth a few days ago here in Toledo...it brings up several concerns.
I think that ALL schools, it doesn't matter if it is public or private...ALL schools need to take a look at their security measures. Far too many weapons are getting into the schools.
In addition, there is a deeper issue that needs to be addressed. And that is that we need to address our youth. It really seems that our youth are the victims, and many of them may be crying out for help. However, we may not recognize that cry, because we are too busy arguiing over things that don't matter.
Our youth are suffering....they are lacking something. Every child is different, and each child may react to a situation differently. In this fast paced society often times we don't recognize the warning signs that the child is in danger of hurting themselves or someone else.
Children go through many things and if they lack coping skills, who knows what they may do. Does it start in the home, yes it does. However, it cannot stay in the home...what happens if the home is not right or suitable? It takes the home, the church, the community and the schools....and probably more than that.
I don't know, what are your thoughts? My spirit is low, and my heart is heavy after reading and hearing about all the children killing themselves and being killed etc.
I think you would see some missing links in his life - no strong connections to a dad or father -figure.
Bishop , that is exactly where this starts and stops, with that connection. Every kid longs for that , boys want to connect with a dad. Missing that , we can only try to shore it up.
So what do we do ? We try to pay attention to the young people in our neighborhood . But this is a big problem that is solved with one on one mentoring.
I don't think it's fair to say that the only thing that anyone could have done for this child was to have been a father figure for him. My family is a divorced one, and I have two brothers who lacked a father figure for most of their lives. Do either of my brothers hurt themselves or others? Nope. They're both upstanding men, and in fact the older one has a functional family (a beautiful wife and three boys). So I disagree with you there, Mailmanchuck.
I think that the school shouldn't have let the kid in with a gun on him. The teachers he spends all day with, and his classmates could have noticed that he was depressed. Most importantly, this child went home somewhere (be it to his mother or to a foster family) and someone there should have noticed his behavior. Mentally stable people don't just shoot themselves out of the blue- there are signals. A whole community failed this boy, and that is a tragedy.
The things that can be done are very related to what mailmanchuck said about mentoring. Parents can be involved in schools and in mentoring programs. School security can be tightened, and teachers and administrators can be made to be responsible for what goes on in their schools.
out of my own personal experiences, if someone really wants to kill them self they will do it. i tried everything with my mom, even called rescue crisis, but they told me unless i see her doing something there is nothing they can do. people are so afraid of getting sued, that they won't investigate. i realize minors are different, but the thought process is still the same.
I understand what both of you are saying.
mailmanchuck...
I don't know if that youth had his father involved in his life or not. But I do know that many youth are affected by fatherlessness....that in itself has become a national epidemic.
crusader09...
I understand what you are saying as well, and yes the school should take security measures, so that we don't have kids getting into the school with weapons.
In addition,, crusader09, it is only by God's grace that your two brothers are who they are today.
In fact, I personally am a living testimony. I grew up in a fatherless home, and early on in life I was headed down the wrong path, because of the lack of guidance etc. that a father offers to his son. But because of the love of God, and people, many people... intervening in my life and redirecting me, and getting me to realize that I had a purpose and destiny in life, I have accomplished many things. Love is a powerful thing....every child needs it. And when a father is not involved....the child becomes at risk of many things!
Trust me, I know. One day, I am going to right a book, or perhaps even a documentary of my life growing up in the inner city of Pittsburgh, PA without a father. It wasn't easy!
The stats speak for themselves..... here they are:
85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come fromfatherless homes.
71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.
75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes.
70% of juveniles in state operated institutions come from fatherless homes.
85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in fatherless homes.
80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes.
90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.
These statistics translate to mean that children from a fatherless home are:
20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders
9 times more likely to drop out of high school
10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances
9 times more likely to end up in state operated institutions
20 times more likely to end up in prison
10 times more likely to commit rape ... and
32 times more likely to run away from home
So again, fathers are important! Very important!
". But because of the love of God, and people, many people... intervening in my life and redirecting me, and getting me to realize that I had a purpose and destiny in life, I have accomplished many things. Love is a powerful thing....!"
nicely said bishop. :) if it wasn't for God's love and awesome friends from my church i would not be here either. God's love is a very powerful thing.
Bishop, these statistics are startling. I agree with you that fathers are important: VITALLY IMPORTANT! I was blessed enough to have some good father-type figures late in my teenage years who were able to help me understand what men should act like. And I am glad that you have been blessed to turn out in such a way as well.
I still think that some responsibility has to lie elsewhere.
'There but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford.' John Bradford, as he watched several criminals being led to the gallows.
The teachers he spends all day with, and his classmates could have noticed that he was depressed. Most importantly, this child went home somewhere (be it to his mother or to a foster family) and someone there should have noticed his behavior.
These are all good thoughts, however slightly impractical. The overwhelming majority of teenagers are still trying to sort through and identify their own feelings, let alone take any note of someone else's. Moreover, teenagers can be both horribly cruel and indifferent to the point of depravity. Try coping with that peer group when you're depressed.
I can hear the mothers howling bloody blue murder now. "Not mine! My little Johnny isn't like that! He isn't! He's honest, thrifty, polite, clean in both body and mind, helpful and well above average!" Somewhere out there in that cacophony is a silent mother whose son or daughter falls into that small fraction of one percent, and whose child really is kind, helpful, thrifty and darn near perfect in every way, and that mother is a little worried about the son's behavior. She's the one whose constant watchfulness and worry are paying off, and in fact will continue to pay off. Oh, well... irony, thy name be terrible and thirteen.
School teachers aren't trained to notice mental illness. If a teacher ever suspected a student to be mentally ill, the teacher wouldn't have a clue as to what to do about it. The vast majority of school teachers have the emotional maturity of a sixteen year old boy with a Mustang Cobra and a fifth of Jack Daniels. Where, exactly, do you go with that if you're a troubled teenager?
A few things I'd like to observe, One, that no one has ever gone to jail for singing too loud in the choir. Two, that a pastor, a real, honest, one hundred percent tried and true Christian pastor will answer the phone at three in the morning and not condemn the person on the other end of the line. A church elder will do the same thing. If the parents and the school are unable or unwilling to help any child who needs it, maybe it's time to try something else. Let the Church step up and take a place in the batting line up and see what happens.
"School teachers aren't trained to notice mental illness. If a teacher ever suspected a student to be mentally ill, the teacher wouldn't have a clue as to what to do about it."
This statement is unequivocally untrue. In Education programs (both Undergraduate and Graduate level programs), there are classes on things like "Classroom Methods" and "Student with Special Needs," or names like them. We are taught to recognize mental illness, especially things like depression and potential learning disabilities. There are people employed by schools and school systems who are professionally trained to deal with these kinds of situations, and teachers are trained to refer these students and their families to the professionals who are paid to handle them.
I do agree with you, MadJack, that the Church can have a hand in turning around some of these situations. God is a wonderful way out for these kids, and the Church can be a place where they can receive the love and support and approval they perhaps lack.
You are entitled to your opinion. However I have to say several things. In regard to you thinking the statements made are impractical...I can only speak for myself. Again, I was one of those fatherless children...and I went through many things growing up because of it. And yes, because of the love God and many people intervening at a crucial time in my life, I have accomplished many things, that otherwise I don't know...I could have been another one of those statistics. So, while some may think it is impractical....for others it is a reality. It is life...a life I have lived through...
In addition, Mad Jack your assessment to teachers was not fair at all. You said, "The vast majority of school teachers have the emotional maturity of a sixteen year old boy with a Mustang Cobra and a fifth of Jack Daniels. Where, exactly, do you go with that if you're a troubled teenager? "
I would have to say to that Mad Jack, if the vast majority of teachers are just how you stated they are, and we were once their students...then what is our current state of being? I say that to say, all teachers are not bad Mad Jack.
Lastly, I agree with what you said about a pastor. However, no pastor is 100% perfect. Nobody is perfect. Romans 3:11 , "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23-26, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
Yes Mad Jack, in regard to pastors stepping up...we do have a responsibility. And I personally do what God has called me to do by the grace that He gives me to do it. I am accessible to the people as a pastor is a servant, as Jesus Christ also came down to serve. I have gotten out of my bed many nights to help people, and I don't mind doing it.
Mad Jack, I find it interesting that society is very quick to put responsibilities on the church and pastors etc., and what we should be doing...but yet the same people in society are the one's who want to take pray out of schools, the Ten Commandments out of city hall, and don't want to be governed by God.
For example on September 11 when the Trade Center was hit, people ran to the church. The next day they left. Then when the levies broke in New Orleans, people again ran to seek God, then after it was over it was business as usual.
We cannot only come to God in an midnight hour, in a crisis. We cannot be double-minded. In other words, we cannot treat God like a booty-call. (You have to excuse me, I just like to keep it real.)
God is God, He is so awesome! He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Ephesians 3:20
I say all this to say Mad Jack, when it comes to God...there is no problem to big, no situation to large for Him. He has never lost a case.
Mad Jack, when it comes to God, He is anything but impractical. And His love, His unconditional love can change your life!
More people have been killed in the name of religion than anything else. Not everybody 'believes' - and it's not always the fault of the parents; people come to their own conclusions as they grow. Also, while I won't argue that it's great if a kid has both mom & dad in their life - it's not the whole answer. The Menendez brothers grew up with both parents..................There are all degrees of parental quality, just as there are all degrees of how kids may turn out, in spite of even the best parents. There are just too many kids that had both parents, good parents - all raised & loved the same - and they all turn out well except for that one that nobody could reach, or who just went in a different direction. The same can be said of single parents - both good & horrible parents - one kid may turn out wonderful, the other kid may end up in every kind of trouble. I don't know what this kid's life was - but if he was in trouble with the law, my guess is that he freaked out, thinking his life is over anyway & felt it was easier to do the job himself. My oldest son was the honor student who nobody ever expected to do anything wrong, but he got over his head financially at a very young age & really believed he'd go to prison for bouncing a few checks & chose robbery as a quick 'fix it now & forget I ever did it later". It cost him 10 years of his life in maximum security prison, over 4 hours from home (hard to get visits as it was). He was terrified, naive, ignorant of these things - coupled with adolescent pride, too much so to even ask for help. Even when I knew something was wrong & offered help, he'd paste a smile on his face & say everything was fine. There's only so much parents can do with teens - we aren't mind readers. And teens are famous for drama - everything is life or death with them, and they often shut out the people who care. This kid's dad could have been in his life & he still may have killed himself. For every good dad, I bet there's a whole lot more crappy dads. The same can be said for mothers.
I find it interesting that Crusader vehemently disagrees with my assessment of the mental health capabilities provided by school teachers, while the illustrious Mr. Bishop sees fit to chastise me for my unfair remarks about school teacher's emotional maturity. I wonder if this is a conspiracy of some sort, or that both have a different point they agree with. Let me take these one at a time, if I may.
This statement is unequivocally untrue. In Education programs (both Undergraduate and Graduate level programs), there are classes on things like "Classroom Methods" and "Student with Special Needs," or names like them. We are taught to recognize mental illness, especially things like depression and potential learning disabilities.
I would expect any school teacher to be able to recognize that a given student might have a learning disability. A few may even be able to provide an accurate diagnosis, but this is doubtful without testing the student. My point here is that these people are school teachers, and have gotten their degree in education. Out of all the credit hours required for a baccalaureate degree in education, how many are spent in psychology? Or should I ask, how few? Detecting and dealing with learning disabilities is a part of teaching. Discovering mental illness is not, nor would I expect it to be. The absolute best I would hope for is that the classroom instructor would notice that something might be wrong with one of the students, and that's as far as it goes. As a reality check, you might imagine what would happen if a TPS teacher accused one of the students of being mentally ill and news of this was leaked to the general population. The social stigma alone would be unbelievable, and if it turned out that little Johnny wasn't any crazier than I am (or you, or Mr. Bishop) the family attorney - the nice new family attorney - would have a field day.
I would have to say to that Mad Jack, if the vast majority of teachers are just how you stated they are, and we were once their students...then what is our current state of being? I say that to say, all teachers are not bad Mad Jack.
In my own defense I did not use the word 'all'. I'm too old and wise for that one. While it's true that my statements may be too sweeping and all-inclusive, and in fact I hope they are, my criticism stands firmly in place. I could provide anecdotal evidence, but I see little point in doing so. The fact that stands out is that parents are not allowed to observe class in session. You, Mr. Bishop, are not allowed to monitor classes in the Toledo Public School system, and that's just plain wrong.
Mad Jack, I find it interesting that society is very quick to put responsibilities on the church and pastors etc., and what we should be doing...but yet the same people in society are the one's who want to take pray out of schools, the Ten Commandments out of city hall, and don't want to be governed by God.
I don't agree with you, sir. Society is reluctant to involve the Christian Church, and therein lies a large part of the problem. Instead of getting your local pastor involved in whatever problems the community is facing, people misquote separation of Church and State before smugly retiring from the field. Naturally, people don't want to be governed by God. What else would you expect, given the nature of Man?
When I attended grade school, we began each day by reciting the pledge of allegiance followed by the Lord's prayer. No one was harmed or traumatized, and at the very least we learned the words. What should have happened is that the Lord's prayer should have been followed by an hour of instruction on morals and moral philosophy, covering such topics as why, exactly, it is wrong to murder people in their beds, ostracize others for their differences and a host of other things that are considered bad behavior. Included with this lesson on moral virtue should be a few practical examples of acceptable behavior, as it isn't enough to simply point out wrong doing without replacing it with something else. These are the lessons not taught in school, and that certainly should be.
For example on September 11 when the Trade Center was hit, people ran to the church. The next day they left. Then when the levies broke in New Orleans, people again ran to seek God, then after it was over it was business as usual.
Be thankful people came at all. Certainly we can come to God during times of crises and leave when the crises is finished. These are the people who possibly would never have come to the Church at all, if not for the crises. Out of all those people in need who came to the Church, I wonder how many returned later on, and of those, how many accepted the Lord as their Savior? If even one person returned and accepted the Lord, wouldn't that be worth all the effort expended by the Church during the crises?
We cannot only come to God in an midnight hour, in a crisis. We cannot be double-minded. In other words, we cannot treat God like a booty-call. (You have to excuse me, I just like to keep it real.)
This is an unfortunate choice of words, but I'll forgive you.
I was in several situations, in varying degrees of involvement, where students were "accused" of potentially being unstable, for whatever reason. No one just says it and makes it so... when a teacher believes that a child is at risk, they report it to the counselors at the school or the school board. Those trained professionals then speak with the student, their parents, and any other involved parties, and make some determinations: is this child stable? Are they in a safe home environment? Is the school situation they are in helpful or harmful to them? Can we, as school counselors, handle this or do we need further involvement (from law enforcement, or social services agencies, or from other mental health professionals)?
That is how these situations should be handled, both legally and morally...
when i was in school i got a social worker called for me because a teacher suspected abuse. they are required by law to report suspected abuse or suicidal behavior. they must have some training in this subject otherwise why would they be obligated to report it?
another aspect of this story that bothers me is the 150 kids who witnessed this, post traumatic stress is an awful disorder that stays with you for life.
Absolutely littlered, there are state AND federal laws in place that require teachers to report such behavior to school and/or law enforcement authorities.
MadJack: I would never suggest that a teacher declare someone to be mentally ill. But when one recognizes potential signals thereof, they should and are required to report it to school counselors. That is why the school system employs such professionals, as I said in my previous post.
And for the kids who witnessed this: I certainly expect the school system to provide some basic counselling for these children. Anything less is dismal and inconceivable.
in the state of Ohio anyone who is in a profession that deals with children are mandated reporters of abuse. Because I am a day care provider I am mandated by law to report suspected child abuse.
Depending on what side of the issue you stand on as far as discipling children goes, there are signs exhibited by children that may initiate a report.
Last school year we advocated for a parent whose child was late for school a lot. The school called child protective services on the parent without asking the parent to explain the tardies. What was happening was that the parent worked nights, got off work and had to take two children to two different schools and the child was late by two or three minutes, depending on the traffic. This child was on an out of district so transportation was not supplied. It was either quit the job or put the student in a study hall first period.
The solution seemed obvious to me but the school put the parent through drama because they did not contact the parent with the problem before doing their "No tolerance" thing.
bishop said: - "I say all this to say Mad Jack, when it comes to God...there is no problem to big, no situation to large for Him. He has never lost a case."
Really?
And how do you KNOW?
If what you say IS true, then why isn't your God helping all those starving, malnourished kids all over the world? Or those dying of aids all over the world? If 'no situation is too big' for him, then why can't he freaking make it RAIN so they can grow crops? Where is all this Godlike help for little kids being abused? Or being born with horrific birth defects? That family of five that was killed by the local drunk driver was a very religious family - I don't see where God helped them at all.. Instead, he left a few surviors of that family left to mourn. Do NOT give me a platitude about how God works in mysterious ways, or that God can't prevent acts of man - if no situation is too large, then I am sure God can handle man. I see people pray for silly things. People pray for our country - but do you think for one minute that IF there IS a God, he cares about one country more than another country? One child more than another? And to me, the one person most deserving of a little bit of help from God would have been Mother Teresa . I didn't think God helped her out very much, and even she had lapses in her belief about God. I can understand why. And why didn't God just make that drunk driver crash & kill himself instead of a nice family of five - if he was trying to make a point?
A few great quotes from George Carlin on religion & God (and a few from other sources below) -
1) In the Bullshit Department, a businessman can't hold a candle to a clergyman. 'Cause I gotta tell you the truth, folks. When it comes to bullshit, big-time, major league bullshit, you have to stand in awe of the all-time champion of false promises and exaggerated claims: religion. No contest. No contest. Religion. Religion easily has the greatest bullshit story ever told.
Think about it. Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man -- living in the sky -- who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time!
But He loves you.
He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money! Religion takes in billions of dollars, they pay no taxes, and they always need a little more. Now, you talk about a good bullshit story. Holy Shit!
2) Trillions and trillions of prayers every day asking and begging and pleading for favors. 'Do this' 'Gimme that' 'I want a new car' 'I want a better job'. And most of this praying takes place on Sunday. And I say fine, pray for anything you want. Pray for anything. But...what about the divine plan? Remember that? The divine plan. Long time ago god made a divine plan. Gave it a lot of thought. Decided it was a good plan. Put it into practice. And for billion and billions of years the divine plan has been doing just fine. Now you come along and pray for something. Well, suppose the thing you want isn't in god's divine plan. What do you want him to do? Change his plan? Just for you? Doesn't it seem a little arrogant? It's a divine plan. What's the use of being god if every run-down schmuck with a two dollar prayer book can come along and fuck up your plan? And here's something else, another problem you might have; suppose your prayers aren't answered. What do you say? 'Well it's god's will. God's will be done.' Fine, but if it gods will and he's going to do whatever he wants to anyway; why the fuck bother praying in the first place? Seems like a big waste of time to me. Couldn't you just skip the praying part and get right to his will?
3) Here's another question I've been pondering- What is all this shit about Angels? Have you herd this? 3 out of 4 people belive in Angels. Are you FUCKING STUPID? Has everybody lost their mind? You know what I think it is? I think it's a massive, collective, psychotic chemical flashback for all the drugs smoked, swallowed, shot, and obsorbed rectally by all Americans from 1960 to 1990. 30 years of street drugs will get you some fucking Angels my friend! [George Carlin, from "You Are All Diseased".] What about Goblins, huh? Doesn't anybody belive in Goblins? You never hear about this.. Except on Halloween and then it's all negative shit. And what about Zombies? You never hear from Zombies! That's the trouble with Zombies, they're unreliable! I say if you're going to go for the Angel bullshit you might as well go for the Zombie package as well..
4) You know who I pray to? Joe Pesci. Joe Pesci. Two reasons; first of all, I think he's a good actor. Ok. To me, that counts. Second; he looks like a guy who can get things done. Joe Pesci doesn't fuck around. Doesn't fuck around. In fact, Joe Pesci came through on a couple of things that god was having trouble with. For years I asked god to do something about my noisy neighbor with the barking dog. Joe Pesci straightened that cock-sucker out with one visit. I noticed that of all the prayers I used to offer to god, and all the prayers that I now offer to Joe Pesci, are being answer at about the same 50% rate. Half the time I get what I want. Half the time I don't. Same as god 50/50. Same as the four leaf clover, the horse shoe, the rabbit's foot, and the wishing well. Same as the mojo man. Same as the voodoo lady who tells your fortune by squeezing the goat's testicles. It's all the same; 50/50. So just pick your superstitions, sit back, make a wish and enjoy yourself.
ALSO - Man is a Religious Animal. He is the only Religious Animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion - several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat if his theology isn't straight. He has made a graveyard of the globe in trying his honest best to smooth his brother's path to happiness and heaven. ~Mark Twain
There are three religious truths: 1) Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. 2) Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian faith. 3) Baptists do not recognize each other in the liquor store or at Hooters. ~Author Unknown
Geology shows that fossils are of different ages. Paleontology shows a fossil sequence, the list of species represented changes through time. Taxonomy shows biological relationships among species. Evolution is the explanation that threads it all together. Creationism is the practice of squeezing one's eyes shut and wailing "Does not!" ~Author Unknown
On the sixth day God created man. On the seventh day, man returned the favor. ~Author Unknown
Rather than hi-jack this thread any further, I'll move on from here & post my rants on a separate thread.
I agree with bishop ALL schools everywhere need to look at what they can do to make sure their students have a safe learning place. Despite the fact that someone was stabbed at my school, I still feel like Start is a safe place. Yes, it is a little scary knowing that someone could bring a knife in that easily. College students still attend Virgina Tech & Northern Illinois and what happened there was much worse than what happened at Start. I guess what I'm trying to say is that bad things can happen everywhere and we can't run from the problems, we need to help fix them. I personally think it would be a better use of time to call the TPS school board and tell them some of your ideas on how they could improve the security and the schools. That would probably be much more affective than complaining about all the things they do wrong. Just a thought I suppose...
I don't think you should feel safe, spartancc1221. I think that it is expected for students at a school where a stabbing occurred to feel unsafe and be scared. If security is that lax, and no one is paying enough attention to stop a fight before it escalates to physical assault with a knife, then our students aren't safe enough. The students at the colleges you mentioned are terrified. They just aren't willing to let these acts of violence defeat and define them. That isn't a lack of fear, that is the presence of true bravery. Do I think you all should just drop out of school? Nope, not at all. But do I think you all, as students, should step up and make some noise about this so that the next kid who thinks about bringing a knife knows that not only will he have to deal with the administration, the students aren't going to have it either.
I have also seen what comes of talking to TPS BOE, which is nothing. Nothing comes of filing complaints, nothing comes from sending letters or calling or e-mail-ing. They ignore you. They have their own agendas in mind and don't give a thought to what others have to say, including the State of Ohio, the taxpayers, or anyone. So I've gotta say that it's probably exactly as effective to post here as it is to try to tell the TPS BOE what we want done.
who got stabbed started the fight. I'm a good kid and don't get into fights. I try to make friends with everyone. Yes, I want every school to pay more attention to whats happening. I stood there and SAW our CPO's deans and school police officer start to break up the fight right when it started. I watched. I saw it all. Adults act like people are running around school stabbing eachother. No. Not the case at all. Us students do say stuff, everyday. The teachers, principals and more do tell the board. Its not Start High so please everyone stop blaming it all on us. I was the one that saw everything, I was the one who had to walk over blood just to get my bottle of water from the pop machine. I was actually there. So if I'm not scared out of my wits I don't think everyone else should be. What I saw is going to be with me for the rest of my life. I'm not one to sit on my butt here and complain. I'm the one trying to be possitive and help change things.
I give the kids who posted on this thread a lot of credit for speaking out on all this - and they sound like kids who will make a difference in the world, or at least try - or care. They sound reaistic - they know no schools are perfect, not even TPS. But honestly, don't you all think it's got to be demoralizing for them to hear the never ending bashing of TPS here? I know for a fact that there are a lot of screwed up kids that came out of Catholic/private schools. And when these kids say straight out, that the trouble maker kids are only repeating what they learned at home, that the indifference came from what they picked up at home, the attitude - maybe they do know more than they're being given credit for - they do to these schools, they know these kids. When the kids who posted here say it's not the fault of the teachers that kids are out of control or violent - then I believe them. At any rate, the TPS bashing has got to be wearing thin on them by now. Imagine if people kept bashing where you worked - how would you feel having to drag yourself there every damned day? Demoralized & beaten down. These kids are trying to stay positive & motivated. I imagine they have to be feeling pretty discouraged if they read these posts.
discouraging when I hear people saying so many bad things about my school and my school system. I just keep reminding myself that I'm the one at school everyday and I'm the one thats doing just fine. You all might think Start High is this wild out of control place but its not. I go there everyday and things run just smoothly. I'm not sure if parents/adults realized but I'm very close with our school police officer and he says that there are by far more drugs at St. Johns then there are at Libbey or Waite. My 8th grade english teacher was telling us that her mother didn't want her going to Waite so she sent her to cardnal stritch. My teacher said that the only difference in the drugs at the two schools were that the drugs at Stritch were better because the kids there had more money.