MURDER IN OUR SCHOOLS

        April 20, 1999, before now I heard of a bad association with the date April 20.  That was Adolph 
Hitler's birthday.  One birth of a child that we all could have easily done without.  Now there is another bad 
association, several High school students dead in Littleton, Colorado.  This being the result of hours of 
terror.
        I do not know how many times this has happened before, but it is one too many times.  Arkansas, 
Oregon, and now Colorado is added to the list.  The world is stunned because, we are producing harsher 
criminals and we are not doing enough to prevent this.  
        We need to stop the insanity NOW!  Before we know it, this crime will be like robbery and rape.  
Serious enough to buy you a seat in Hell.  Yet they are all too commonplace crimes here in America.
        Close your eyes and imagine the following….. 
        You are a typical 6th grade student merrily making your way to school.  You are mentally 
reviewing the fifty states and their capitals for the big test today.  School starts, announcements are said and 
Math is taught.  Then time for Social Studies with the big test.  It is nine o'clock and Joe has to take his 
medication and ten minutes ago Pete had gone to the bathroom and hasn't returned.
        During these ten minutes Pete and Joe, from your class, Bobbi, from Mrs. Bishop's 6th grade class, 
Sally, from Mr.Grant's 5th grade class, George, from Mrs. Spencer's 4th grade class, and George's brother 
Steve from Miss Davie's 2nd grade class.  All of them come from good middle class families.  They are all 
well behaved, honor roll students.  They only misbehave when their parents are not home between three 
and seven in the afternoon while older siblings are watching them.  Except in Joe's case where he watches 
himself.  Situations like these are common and considered normal.
        You have wasted enough time dilly dollying, back to the test: 5 Annapolis,________________
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>BOOM!!!!!!!!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
        The next thing you know is your body is pinned under tons of concrete, you can barely breathe 
and are fighting for your life.  You hear sirens, yelling parents, and screaming as you go unconscious.  The 
next thing you see is a team of doctors yelling at your parents to get out of the room and wait.  Your mother 
yells “I love you honey,” as se leaves the room.  You are in indescribable pain and would do anything to 
get rid of it.  You recover from your wounds and your parents fill you in on what happened.
        Pete and Sally had died from getting shrapnel in their skin and face.  George is in a coma and Joe 
is in surgery.  While Bobbi and Steve are in police custody and questioning them.
        “Police custody! What happened?” you ask confused.  
        Your parents struggle to say “Pete, Sally, Bobbie, Joe, George, and Steve put twenty homemade 
bombs in the school and set them off with a radio-controlled device.  Your school is in shambles and will 
have to be rebuilt.”
        You are in shock.  Of all people to bomb a school.  How could these six kids do such a heinous 
crime?  You grew up with them and played with them.  Never did they show signs of being a bomber or a 
serial killer.  The police treat this situation a little too calmly.  They say this saddens them yet what they say 
and do is too scripted like in a robbery case or a one person homicide.  They take all the normal 
precautions and normal added security but it still has its holes and this same tragedy can happen again.  
There's no reason why it can not happen.  Ten years ago when hostages were held in the neighboring 
elementary school 50 out of 900 teachers and students were killed because of the finale bomb.  History has 
repeated itself.  This time claiming 50 out of 450 people: when you are a high school senior that cute little 
elementary school of yours has had another bomb taking 95 out of 500..
        …Sad, isn't it?  But this could be our future if nothing severe and dramatic is done.
        History has repeated itself, history repeating itself, and history will repeat itself.  How much more 
school violence will it take before we say enough is enough and take action?
                                                Article by Sharon Jones