High School Shootings.

Hey, my old High School might be in that movie. Jersey Village High School, Houston, Texas.

We had a shooting in my biology classroom at the end of a school day in my Sophmore year.

Ah, the good ole days.

After that the staff came up with a school warning system to let everyone know if there was someone with a gun in the school.

They would come over the intercom and announce "Code Red". Teachers would lock the doors and the students would all gather together at the far corner of their classrooms.

Thankfully, we never had to use it.

I haven't seen or heard of the electronic do-dad on guns yet. Not likely to see many, if any, of these measures passed in Texas, the Gun Capital of America. We have more guns than people. (And you think I'm joking, don't you?)

In Jr. High we had metal detectors, and all backpacks had to be clear, or see through.

In High School all we had were cops. At least 1 Constable, 1 District Policeman, and 1 Jersey Village Policeman were in and around the school at all times. We even had to wear I.D. badges around our necks for the last 2 years.

And we're not talking inner city here. Jersey Village is a city about 20 miles from Downtown Houston, on the outskirts of town in the suburbs, with a population of about 6,800. It is mostly just a neghborhood.

Now, if you want to talk about a scary area to go to school, the University of Houston is in about as bad an area as you can get. I am 6'5", almost 400 lbs. and there is no way I would go over there at night. I don't even like going in the daytime. And I always carry a pocketknife with me.

I can't even count the number of times I've driven down Scott Street just to see the road blocked with cop cars on a drug bust. They would cordon off an entire block to do so.

Man oh man. Sorry, didn't mean to go so off topic there.

BTW, yes, we are aware that most of those who perpetrate these crimes are the ones who have themselves been bullied by their victims.

2 things should happen. #1, parents should spank their bully children every once in a while. #2, parents should not allow access to their guns by their children when they are not there, but if they do keep a gun in the home, they should teach their children early on how to use it and that it is a very dangerous weapon.

It seems that most of those who have done these things have never used guns before, or have never been trained on how to use them and for what purpose. If they are trained from an early age, then it won't seem as such a thrill to them.

It's like me. My parents let me drive up home, and I mean up in Central and East Texas where my grandmother was raised, even when I was 11 or 12. On those old dirt country roads I became a very good driver.

I had no problem at all when I took driver's ed, and was even experienced enough so as not to need a constant instructor (I was shifted to about 5 different instructors because I already knew what I was doing and they didn't want me taking room in the car away from those who needed it.)

I have never had a wreck, and I've only had two tickets.(One for speeding because my grandmother was in pain from riding for over an hour when we went upto see her brother, and the other when I got impatient behind a car doing 55mph in a 70 zoe and passed him. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that it was not a passing lane and that the car was the unmarked Sheriff's car.)

I was allowed to "have" alcoholic drinks, or at least sample, from an early age, about 10 yrs. I guess. I've never been drunk or even had an urge to go out to the bars and get drunk.

When you show your children early that what they "want" is not as glamorous as it appears, it will lose its appeal to them. It's the same way with guns.

Teach your children what they're for and what they're not for, and take them to church so they can hear how a child of God is supposed to act to other people, and you should no, or at least very little, problems.

 

That is my perception. School administrators and teachers could eliminate almost all school violence without spending a dime if they would simply bother to care about the students in their schools and refuse to allow them to be picked on and bullied at school.

 

Actually, Craig is on to something.

I recall my sophmore year in highschool I had been contantly threatened by a certain individual. He was constantly trying to find me and wanted to hurt me bad (Never even knew why). One day he ran up to me, demanding my money and my jacket. When I tried to go into my classroom the teacher slammed the door in my face and locked me out. The assistant principal happened to be walking up about that time. If he would not have been coming I would have probably been in trouble.

The public school system here is the most messed up, poor excuse for a learning experience and does not deserve public funding. I will not allow my children to be a part of it.

 

The moral of the story is that kids that bully, tease or exhibit violent or abnormal behavior need to be evaluated asap.

 

Its been 28 years since I've graduated---there has been 1 suicide and 2 shootings involving experation of life since that time---all over girlfriends

One soul walked into the Principal's office---pulled a revolver out of his backpack---the Principal thought---"This is it! This is the last day of my life!"---instead---the poor soul took his own life! Right there in front of the Principal---who will be tramatized by that experience for the rest of his life! Over a girlfriend!! Personally---there isn't a "girlfriend" worth me shooting myself---much less anyone else---plus---if I ever thought so much as taking my own life---it won't be in front of the Principal!!

Two more shootings---both murders---while the kids waited on the school bus to leave in the afternoon---over girlfriends!

Many parents want to believe that the school they send their kids to is along the lines of "The Way of Holiness"----but they deceive themselves!

 

It really doesent help for a teacher to try to stop the bullying it just makes it worse when a kid gets help from a teacher. its better for them to find a gang and stick with them. It makes everything worse for an adult to step in and worse yet if the adult is female and the one being abused is a guy. Sometimes the reason kids are picked on is not just because others are mean but because the kid impeads on others space, has no common lyalty to a person or just plan refuses to hang with others(im not refering to loners, loners are willing to hang with others they just dont have to have one set of firends, i know cause i am one)

 

One of my years in high school we got a new vice-principal. He had a history of being rough around the edges. That was back in the day when the they would paddle you if you got out of line. He had called several boys into his office (w/o adult supervision) who had started a fight. He lined them up, took out his paddle and started wailing on the first boy.

The other boys jumped the VP and beat him down. The VP got around to his desk, pulled out a pistol and shot one of the kids in the leg. Time stood still. Several teachers ran in to find the VP standing over the student pointing the gun at his chest.

School officials wanted to know why the VP called the students in without another adult present. Other students came out to say that he was too rough. Nobody believed them. After all, he was an adult administrator. One boy came forward and said the VP bent him over the desk, held him by the neck and "beat" him from his bum down to his ankles.

When asked why he had a weapon in his office, he said that he feared for his life everyday. I always thought he was scared that anyone of those kids he had abused would seek retaliation. The next year, he transfered to a high school with a much calmer atmosphere.

 

Now just where were the parents in all these cases?

One reason that my kids don't suffer from bullying teachers or kids is that I am up at the school every few days. I make my presence known! If it is a kid that is doing the bullying, I make friends with that kid. Find out what is going on. Rarely, have I had to step in between two in a dispute. Kids can figure it out for themselves with just a little encouragement and supervision.

If it is a teacher causing the problem, I start there and work my way up. That was last year. Our middle school thinks that humiliation and intimidation is the way to get sixth graders under control and keep them there. I prefer for my child to learn respect and responsibility. The teachers learned real quickly that I wasn't going to put up with their tactics, even if it meant I had to come to the school each and every day. I even had to threaten one teacher and the principal with my coming to her class and sitting with my child since there was obviously to much chaos going on for my child to get her assignments. They knew the next step was for me to head over to the superintendents office.

In the end, while it was an awful year, my child suffered much less than some of the kids whose parents didn't stand up for them. As far as the other kids thinking mine was a wimp because I interfered, it didn't happen. The other kids were glad I was there because they were suffering too. And most of them already knew who I was because I didn't just start this last year, I've been at school with mine since the beginning.

Parents are the key to most of the problems facing their kids at school. Problem is most parents don't want to take the responsibility.

 

It is sad. Many parents want the teachers and preachers to teach their kids responsibility. I've heard parents say to youth leaders, "what are you going to do about it?" The real me wants to fire back, "what are YOU going to do about it?"