Glad I don't...

[lynne]

One of the best things I did was put a TV in the B&B kitchen--atleast I get to see the news that way.

While prepping I watched, horrified as yet another high school was hit by tragedy. I am so glad that I don't have children in schools right now! Seeing the panic on the parents faces as they wandered through a parking lot of close to 2000 kids, searching for their baby--and having no idea where to find them! I can only imagine the pain, horror and helplessness that they felt and I know that it is something I for one never want to have to live through!

I feel for anyone out there touched by this horrible event. I send you my prayers and best wishes.

lynne

[LoriB]

It's amazing how I get the news on Chef Talk now! So sad to hear this, it's one of the reasons that I am homeschooling my son.......
I'll go catch the news : (

It seems that kids don't understand that "dead" is forever and parents don't know what their kids are up to. It is a very sad indictment of our current state of affairs regarding how we deal with each other.

You would not believe the scenes from the Seattle Mardi Gras melee. People were acting like animals. One young man was beaten to death while trying to help a young lady in trouble. Many others were injured. I just hope they catch the perpetrators.

We may have advanced a lot technologically, but sociologically we are right out of the Stone Age.

[Papa]

Dear Friends:

I am suddened too by the this violent crime. It seems that we have not learned anything from our past mistakes. The human race keeps failing its children. I can't even begin to imagine the pain that these parents must feel for the loss of their children.

I will never forget the lady that my wife and I met in Ukraine a few years ago. She was a teacher forced in prostitution by the need for extra money to purchase drugs for her children who suffered by thiroid cancer caused by the Chernobyl accident. What a tragedy. We tried to help her as much as we could. I will never forget the love and passion for her children that I saw in her eyes. I cannot help it but every time that I hear of children suffering, I think of her.

[SeattleDeb]

At 43 my sister decided to do an abrupt career change and become a school teacher in Calif. I've been keeping up with all she's doing to accomplish this, and yesterday she had mentioned while substituting (she's at an elementary school), they had to do "lockdown" training. I don't have kids but maybe this training is the norm in school these days. I said lockdown in elementary? Then today yet another shooting.

[lynne]

You know, one of the super scary things is that this kid talked. He tried to recruit amongst his friends (thank God they all turned him down!). One of the boys mentioned it to his father(not the shooter's father). The father asked the shooter what the deal was and the boy convinced him that it was all a joke.

NO ONE EVER NOTIFIED THE SHOOTER'S FATHER (who he lives with), SCHOOL AUTHORITIES OR LAW ENFORCEMENT!!!

The other father (not the suspect's) says he'll never forgive himself for not acting. He for once had the chance to do something to prevent another parent's kids for loosing their life and he did nothing! He says he will live with that guilt for the rest of his life.

I think we need to learn a lesson here. Nurture our kids, give them the attention they crave, know what is going on their lives, be observant and listen. Don't be afraid to act!

[theloggg]

My wife is an 8th grade science teacher and every time I hear news like this spreading around the office my stomach drops.

The De Anza Jr College "almost massacre" that happened a few weeks back is about 1 mile from my job. It's quite an eerie feeling when it's in your backyard.

logan

[Anneke]

Many of my friends would like to move to the US for work but many say they wouldn't want to raise a family there because of the frequency of this type of occurance. I usually respond by saying that the US is not worse off than we are, we just have a 10th of the US' population and therefore proportionally less crime in schools. Americans, what do you think? Am I right? We Canadians are exposed to the same culture, TV, movies, authors, etc as you are. I'll get in trouble for saying this but the differences between us are not that large. Yet we don't seem to experience the same juvenile crime rate as you do south of the border. Are my initial instincts correct? Or are things really worse in the States and if so, why?

Anneke:

Good question. Maybe the sense of family is greater in Canada than US today. Many Canadian cities have a more European atmosphere. Good for an anthropoligist to study. Also, I don't know this, but it seems that Canadian kids aren't as spoiled as American kids. Again, good question.

[m brown]

The difference is we have guns Anneke.
The NRA thinks this is good. But we do not need a malita to protect ourselves anymore that is why we have an army. No person has the right to bear arms when we are not in a state of civil war. I wish the government would wake the **** up and make guns illegal. period. they are disasters waiting to happen, every few seconds. it is really sick.
I can't believe I have to ask a parent if there are guns in their house before my kids can go over to play.

Pay attention to your children, they don't go on auto-pilot after grade school.

[cape chef]

I am troubled, I am concerned,I am moved,I am scared,I love my family. Be true to your children..tell them they are special,be as strong as you can be....don't let them down,be there parent not there best friend.

A moment of silence for these children..
Plant a tree. I planted a colombine spruce in my back yard after the tradigy in colorado and me,my wife and two children lite a candel and said prayers.
It seems the colorodo spruce will have a new nieghber, a weeping willow
Be kind,
cc

[Anneke]

We have guns here too, most are properly registered and stored, as they should be.

I'm not sure that making guns illegal will have an impact on crime as it doesn't change a criminal's mind set. THe only real consequence is the development of a sophisticated black market. Keep in mind most crimes are not committed with the perpetrator's own gun. There are lots of stolen guns out there and if they don't come from dad's closet, they'll come from across the border somewhere where another mafia will make money.

I hear and respect what you are saying M Brown, but I think something is going on in kids' minds that we need to figure out in hurry. That's where parents should start looking first.

[Anneke]

Amen Cape Chef.

[lynne]

CC,You brought tears to my eyes...

mbrown, anneke -- we have to teach people how to become families again.

[m brown]

sad but true.
my mom used to go through our stuff when we were kids. she says you have to, to save your children from making deadly mistakes. she was referring to drugs and such, now we have to look for bombs, guns and hate literature.
planting something in memory of tragedy is a wonderful way to teach your children compassion and empathy. thanks cc.