The answer is kindness and compassion
It saddens me to learn of yet ANOTHER school shooting. Families are dealing with another tragedy in their homes and community and it's just another day in our world. Many of the shooters have mental health issues and others have been victime of school bullying or abuse in the home.
Is it because we have too many guns in our society?
Unfortunately, even if we banned all the guns, the perpetrator would find another way. Can we ban all the homemade bombs? No. Can we stop them from using a car? No. Can we stop someone if they are mentally ill? Probably not.
What can we do to stop the violence?
I wonder if the answer is that the students themselves can be the solution. How about stop bullying when you see it! Show kindness and compassion to the ones that are being bullied and stand up to those who are doing the bullying. Those trouble maker kids are usually acting out because they are troubled. Who knows what is going on at home or with others at school.
There are countless stories that the shooter was bullied throughout their school life and returned to the school out of vengence.
Would it make a difference if the teachers could redirect a troubled students acts of aagression by kindness and compassion instead of just punishment?
Students, do you have the power to change this?
Students, instead of rallying to ban guns, keep rallying for anti-bullying in your schools and do what YOU can to change the life of one of those trouble makers. We all bleed the same, let's stand together. Celebrate our differences and embrace those that need that smile or simple gesture of kindness.
These are just my thoughts and I realize that there are no easy answers. I welcome your comments. Each of US can do what we can to perhaps show kindness to the classmate of our children that show signs of neglect. We cannot change the world, but perhaps we can change the world for that one lonesome little girl or boy with just a little kindness and compassion.
Random acts of kindness
My prayers go out to all those touched by these acts of violence. Let US do random acts of kindness. We may never know if we instead perhaps changed the mind and intention of that troubled person and prevented another school shooting.
Sachi
(Please note, I am not advocating for or against banning guns. I just think that is not the real problem to this epidemic.)
Recent Comments
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Great post, Sachi. I like the fact that you're not taking a stand for or against gun control. I agree that I don't think that is the real problem. Have a great Sunday. Carol
I think some gun control is needed but you cannot regulate the choices kids make. Other factors are violent video games and violent music. They need to take ownership of the problems that THEY themselves can choose not to be part of.
I think we can hopefully influence our kids as they are growing up and teach them that all human life is sacred, and that violence is not the way to solve their problems. But if kids just grow up without any morals or guidance, it's too late by the time they reach their teens.
I never did let my son play any violent games or listen to that horrible music at home, but we have no control over what they do when we believe that they are visiting their friends' homes. They could be running with a gang, and we might not even know it until it was too late.
And I realize that times are much worse than when I was raising my son...he will be 40 next month.
I'll be happy to discuss my views of gun control on PM with you if you're interested. I don't know if it's appropriate for us to discuss it here, since it's a political issue.
I think it would be very interesting to hear other members' views on it, but doubt if it would be considered kosher to discuss it here.
I think we need to pray for the perpetrators and their families as well as the families and everyone who has been impacted by violence, not only in our schools, but all over the world where terrorism has struck.
I don't think it matters what religion or what God we pray to. Maybe I'm naieve, but I believe that if everyone entreated their God to help heal our wicked world, we could help stop the violence.
OK, I'll get off my soapbox now!
Thank you for your thoughts. I knew I needed to make that note on the gun issue. Everyone has their own opinion on it and I realize it could get very heated. I agree that down deep, we ALL want peace. Blessings to you.
Whatever happened to our simple days of growing up and not being afraid to die at school today? We need to look around us and help the hurting. I, myself, am so blessed and I hope to always be a blessing to others, each and EVERY day. Blessings to you!
Not being afraid to walk down the street, play in the yard after dark, or any number of other things we did without fear when we were growing up. I feel so sorry for the kids these days, and am certainly glad I'm not raising kids now. I'd be scared to death to let them out of my sight for a minute! Carol
Wow, where do you start to sort out this problem. Think in the UK we are to soft with the sentences which the courts hand out, we must really put the message out that gun and knife crimes will be punished by long sentences. I do not believe in the death penalty, but a long stretch in a prison without mod cons, might be the answer.
However if we were more caring and thoughtful as a society then this might go someway to easing the problem. Rant over.
If we focus on kindness, compassion and simple manners and being considerate of others, MANY of these social problems will not turn into these violent outbursts. Let's all be nice to each other and the world will be a better place.
I liked your rant, Stuart. Please answer a question for this uninformed Yankee, though. I can usually figure out UK slang or the King's English from the context. But what is "mod cons"?
Carol
Hi Carol, in prison having, computers, good facilities and such like. Personally I might draw the line at bread and water, but only just!!
Thanks for the enlightenment, Stuart. I agree with you. It's the same in the US. Prisoners have it better than a lot of hard working people who have never broken the law. It's like we're rewarding them for their crimes instead of punishing them.
Carol, totally agree which is why I commented as I did. We often say "Punishment, what Punishment".
Yep. I don't have a big screen TV or weight room, or 3 squares provided/day....it I'm hungry, it's my responsibility to take care of that! Carol
It seems that there is little room for kindness and compassion at schools and in parts of our society although this would clearly be the answer to all this aggression. But where does all this aggression come from. Is it caused by frustration, by lack of good examples, by the inability to bond with other people? There are too many qestions and too few answers. The only thing we can do is try to be a good example by being kind and compassionate. You are absolutely right, Pamela.
Sammy - what about what the students listen to? What about the violent video games about killing. My grand-kids are into that too and I often tell them that this is not reality - kids shouldn't be excited about how many "kills" they had!
Yes, Pamela, that's true, the kids have access to all these violent games and videos although they are supposed to be age-restricted. I think sometimes they even get those from their parents. I wish we had a magic wand and all this negativity could be turned into compassion and kindness.
That would be SO wonderful, Sammy! Wave a magic wand, and the world is all bright and shiny with compassionate, kind people. No more wars or rumors of wars, no more fear or anxiety for our kids when they leave the nest to go to school. To quote Louis Armstrong, "What a wonderful world" that would be!
This morning, students were at the State Capitol in California trying to ban guns so they can be safe in schools. What about all the violence in those video games and in their music - do we ban those too? No - these are choices that one makes on what you feed your spirit and mind. Students - there are things they can address and self-"police" if you will and choose against buying and listening to those games and videos.
I'm with you..I hate this so much. My youngest grandson will be 17 on Sunday, and it terrifies me that anything like this could happen here.
My heart just grieves for our society. People are so troubled in their own little bubbles, tied to their phone, watching all these "perfect" pictures on facebook or instagram. Life is not perfect. Let us help each other through life. Blessings to you
It's such a shame that our children are exposed to this. I didn't mention what I thought about all these violent video games that many of these young kids play. I think some lose sense of reality and get desensitized about actually killing people in real life. So many social issues that contribute to this climate.
I agree..I never did like those games. My grandson plays some of the wild ones and I disapprove completely..but he is one of the absolute sweetest young men I have been privileged to know. Not just because he's my youngest granddarlin..he really is a good guy. Too bad so many of the younger generation who play that junk do not seem to be able to keep it in context with real life.
I know what you mean. My grandson will be 18 in August.
I think I heard there have been 5 school shootings so far this year. I think that shows that ours is a legitimate fear...it truly could happen anywhere at any time. That's what's so frightening!
But banning guns is not the answer in my opinion.
I think every school should be surrounded by a high fence with a gate that requires every person entering it to pass through a metal detector prior to entering, like we do in our court house. It wouldn't stop people from using plastic explosives if they were intent on bombing, but it would cut down on the knife and gun violence.
Carol
I so agree with you. I used to think gun control, but that is not the answer because if someone is bent on killing he will find a gun or some weapon.
Children should not have to go to school and not feel safe. They have enough to worry about. They should feel safe in school. It is so sad to know that this is not the case. I watched one of the girls talking about just this. It was so sad. She said just that---that she should not have to worry about being safe when she goes to school in the morning. It is just so sad.
My13 year old grand did befriend a child over the past year that was different and a loner. He sat alone and ate alone in the dining room every day. None of the other kids interacted with him. Mine took it upon himself to be a friend and ate with him and talked with him and last year for the first time in his life, the troubled child felt comfortable enough to invite him to his birthday party and since then he has been to our house once to play on the x-box together. I am so proud of my little one. He is such a kind and loving person and makes a difference in other's lives. We all need to learn from this and do the same.
Kudos to your grandchild for seeing the lonesomeness in someone else. It is also awesome to know that he must have learned this compassion from his own home life! Let's share kindness, not hatred or bullying. Blessings to you and your family.
That would truly be an amazing start. Too many times we see that the shooter was bullied and friends with no one. While that isn't an excuse it is something that someone can change right in their own school, first thing in the morning on Monday.
The life that you save may be your own. How horrible that would be to be one of the people that bullied someone and then see them with a gun. So, they don't look or speak like you or they can't afford the best in stylish clothing. Make friends anyway. Everybody has something to contribute to society.
Be the difference that you seek!
Well said, my friend. It just makes me so sad to know my grandchildren have active shooter drills at school. This is so wrong!
In my youth it was bomb drills for the atom bomb, now shooter drills. It never gets any easier.
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That's right, guns are not the problem, when there are no guns, sticks and stones would be used.
As I mentioned to MKearns below, what about the violent video games where "kills" are glorified and the violent lyrics in their music that's being put in their minds. Students have to say no to putting all that violence in their minds. Part of the solution are in their own hands.
Not their hands, in the hands of parents and educators, and producers of those games, in the hands of politici and the media.
I agree, Loes. Carol