Just a comment: Who heard about the other school shooting that took place yesterday? In Largo, MD, a fight broke out, a gun was pulled and someone was shot! Hmm, wonder why it's not NATIONAL NEWS??? What about the little 5 year old girl who brought a gun to schol yesterday?? WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS COUNTRY????

Not to down play these tradgedies (sp?). I do feel the deepest sympathies for these people.

But, however, where I grew up, school shootings, especially in high school, happened often. We had an ambulance and a few police cars that would sit outside the school every single day just waiting for things to happen. We had metal detectors, bars on the windows, and security guards that locked down the school between classes. We had bomb threats on a regular basis.

Now, my school wasn't all that unique. They were all like that, more or less. But we were never in the media, no press came to see when a teacher got stabbed or whatever.

Now, my main point is, my schools were not in surburbia and not at all white -- i.e. broke, minority, and urban -- i.e. nobody cared. This has been happening and it does happen every day. It's only a tradgedy when it happen to white America. It's normal when it happen to minority America.

Just had to chime in on this one. It does burn me up.

http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/frown.gif I think it sucks that the shooter didn't have someone out of high school to say that the "cool kid" status and the "dork" status really won't matter in a few short years. I was not prom queen nor was I on the brain bowl team. There was a defined social hierarchy. But now, who cares? Can anyone of us truly say that your popularity or lack thereof effects your life today? I know it's hard to not fit in, but you have to keep looking ahead. I really wish that the poor boy, who felt that shooting up his school was the only thing to do, had someone to tell him that nothing in high school (or college) is worth what he did. If only some one had told him that "this too shall pass"...
http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/frown.gif
Heidi

I just heard on the news that another school shooting happened in Williamsport, PA. A girl shot another girl, but thank God it wasn't a life threatening wound. What the hell is going on in kids minds these days?

random inquiry along the lines of Asia2000's post--

Does anyone know of any shootings/murders happening in private schools?

I realize I approach this from a rather naive and sheltered P.O.V. I did not attend public schools, and I wonder what the difference is ...

Again, I feel it necessary to apologive for my naivete...

Amy

Amy, please tell me you aren't implying that a private school is safer than a public school? NO ONE is immune.
Heidi

no, not implying it at all. all i can do is speak from my (admittedly sheltered) experience.

i went to private schools. my brother went to public and his school was definitely more, shall we say, edgy? No shootings, but guns routinely found in lockers.

no place is safe, that is the unfortunate truth.

...and it continues...

I just read about a kid in Riverside, CA that was talking about violence and had a knife. Then another kid at that same school, totally unrelated, said something about, "If you make me come here, I will bring a gun and shoot up the place." while he was being registered. Then, in 29 Palms, CA a list was found of 13 people. It was a hit list...people to be killed, along with weapons. That was a short article though and I wasn't able to find out anything else. Found it all on abc. By the way, that was all in ONE day!

what the %^$%## is going on with these kids today? Parents today? SOCIETY today? I don't understand it and it scares me.

I am a product of 13 years at a Catholic all girls school, and I must admit that while I attended the Academy I felt safe AND immune to the reality of teen violence. Don't get me wrong, the Academy wasn't a utopia, but I can't think of a time when I ever went to school feeling threatened. My school was in a very urban part of town and a few blocks down was a public high school with a notorious rap sheet.

Like Amy, I too had a "sheltered" experience, but I am thankful for that. I remember in grade school the biggest threat to the neighborhood was the local Bloods and Crips (yes, Honolulu had their own). I was kept away from that--even when a family friend (who was only 16) was gunned down in a random shooting 3 years ago.

It wasn't until I finished high school that I realized that something was going on with America's youth. Ironically, that was when cities like Jonesboro AR, Paducah KY, Springfield OR were being plastered on the nightly news. I could not believe that these baby-faced children could ever commit these atrocities.

The horrors of Columbine was what did it. I witnessed the pain of the Littleton, CO residents and I couldn't help but share in their sorrow...because I realized that in a few years I too will be a parent.

What kind of world are we going to bring our children into?

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*I'm an Alpha Gam...Yes I am, Yes I am!*

I heard on the news last night there was another one. This time it was a girl who did the shooting. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/frown.gif

I believe you are talking about the shooting in PA. This shooting was at a parochial school. The young lady fired the gun twice: once in the air and again at the floor. The second shot richocheted off the floor and into the victim's shoulder. Apparently, the shooter and the victim did not get along. I'm not sure about any charges being filed as of yet.

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Sigma Lambda Upsilon: Sincerity, Loyalty, Unity http://www.sigmalambdaupsilon.org

And there we have my question about does this happen in private schools answered.

good grief.

LOL. sorry. using the term 'Young lady' struck me as a bit of a kind reference to a girl who shot at a school mate. let's call her the assailant, cause that's what she is.
how is this happening? why? it's so beyond my realm of comprehension. i'm scared to think of what the future will bring....

Force of habit. As a teacher, I address my students not only by their given names but also as "young lady" and "young man", regardless of their behavior.

I think it is a shame nowadays how quick people are to call one another "out of their names". Regardless of what actions they may have taken... But that's just me.

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Sigma Lambda Upsilon: Sincerity, Loyalty, Unity http://www.sigmalambdaupsilon.org