“Sorry. As a father, he failed major. And still doesn’t get it.”
They interviewed a boy in his class, and he said the shooter was bullied by classmates and coaches throughout his years in school. He was forced to sit alone at school. Was a “loner.”
Yeah...if you’re bullied by others, you certainly will be a “loner.” Same with the Parkland shooter....bullied and ostracized.
I don’t understand why teachers aren’t taught to pick up on this stuff and do something about it....to help the “loner” and to stop the bullying. Too many suicides and shootings are a result of this ignorance. Kids keep it from their parents, but teachers and other kids know what’s going on.
I'll get flack for saying this, but a lot of teachers who have been certified since - roughly speaking- the 1970's have a tendency towards allowing a kid to be bullied if the kid somehow pushes their buttons wrong. There are "physical bullies" and "emotional bullies" (often being "popular," "nice," or "smart" kids); when a teacher too strongly empathizes with the latter, they can exacerbate the problem. Often, the bullied kid is treated more harshly by the school system than the bullies, justified by "zero tolerance" gobbledygook.
My dad came from a very poor - some also inaccurately added "trashy," - family, and until his dying day he had no good words for the teachers who only praised or helped the town's "rich kids." Dad became - because of these fondly remembered teachers - a teacher himself.
One generation later, I witnessed the same thing being done to other kids. I was bullied by other kids not because we were poor, but because I was "different" enough to be a convenient victim. Luckily, I was apparently endearing enough to be treated decently by all my teachers, if not always kindly.
It comes from having huge schools. The problem with 'school' shootings is schools. Small neighborhood, private, charter and magnet schools and even home schooling on a computer would be much better for guiding students. Of course, FIRST the parents have to be involved with their children.
Many of these kids who are wind up murdering their classmates are incapable of being friends. They are socially repulsive, angry malcontents. Oh, and they're psychotic. You can't force the other students to befriend them. In fact, they probably tried.
My kids school has a huge bullying problem. They just say kids will be kids. We can’t stop it all.. all the usual excuses. 2 suicides later it’s still a problem. My 14 year old is 6 foot 2 200 pounds.
They even try to pick on him. I told him to knock one in to next week. “Dad, the school will suspend me!” Yup and we’ll go fishing (he loves fishing) and get an ear full from me but that bully will leave you alone.
Thankfully the message was received with out blows but he was ready to lay him out.