jeniwren@compuserve.com
Well, it happened again. A disgruntled student in Oregon, expelled for bringing a gun to school opened fire, killing one student and injuring 30 others. How long does this have to keep happening before we wake up as a nation and say enough is enough?
We've already hashed out the myriad reasons why this keeps happening. Gun control didn't seem to be the answer, although it was mutually agreed upon that a problem there exists among irresponsible gun owners. My own personal definition for 'responsible gun ownership' was raised a number of notches due to that discussion. Still, if gun control isn't the answer, what is?
Perhaps I'm being alarmist in saying that I feel like as a parent, I'm held hostage. My son will soon be required by law to begin school, yet the school district can in no way promise to protect my child from harm. It is my responsibility as a parent to ensure that my child is safe. I don't have the option to put him into a sheltered private school, and I can't keep him home for home schooling. I never remember having to fear for my safety in school. I hate the thought that I have to educate my child into healthy fear just for the protection of the rights of juvenile delinquents.
Worse, I have a hard time feeling anything but sympathy for these misguided children who terrorize and kill. I am willing to acknowledge that a percentage of them have mental illnesses that lead them to do the things they do, but not all of them can possibly fall into that category. Criminally negligent parenting MUST bear the brunt of the horror that has become our teenage youth. Yet, how many parents are ever forced to pay just retribution for the crimes their children commit?
For the other side, there is little support for those parents who know they have children with problems. In New Jersey, a teenage boy raped and killed an 11 year old who had come to his door selling candy bars for his school band. It was a terrible crime. The parents of the teenager were so remorseful at it, yet they had made a number of attempts to have their child committed. The state refused, saying that he wasn't dangerous enough to be taken off the streets. Who is responsible?
The worst thing about crimes where fatalities are involved is that no matter what retribution is brought to bear, it still doesn't bring back the dead. At best we can only hope that it will never happen again to another child.
[Rant Mode OFF] Thanks for listening.
