The discussion of gun control has come up again in the wake
of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Gun control proponents launched an attack on guns within minutes of the
shooting occurring.
On the left the DNC within 24 used the shooting as a fund raiser sending out emails calling for people to help go after the NRA. What they didn't note immediately was that their funds were running dangerously thin and that once you clicked you were taken to a link asking you to donate money. My own feeling is this is rather ghoulish, using the bodies of the dead to fill your pockets for political purposes.
Teens from the school spoke out. A few were more vocal than others. But that's because they'd been activists prior to the shooting. While most students in high school are still unsure of what they want to do upon graduation a few of these knew they wanted to become professional activists or news reporters. It's good to have a goal but again, a bit ghoulish to attempt to elevate your status on the bodies of fellow classmates. What if they had done what the writer of the letter at the end of this piece suggests?
On the right the NRA went into defense mode but then again they were being attacked from all sides. They defended the 2nd amendment and claimed that this was what they stood for. Those who attacked them said that the blood of the students was on their hands and yet no NRA member shot anyone or encouraged anyone to do so. That argument developed into questioning the tax status of the NRA and why they were considered a charity at all.
All charities have a goal, an intention, of what they want to accomplish. When it comes to the definition of charity I think that's one place where it gets confusing. If, like me, you consider a charity to be an organization setting out to help those less fortunate then it would be surprising to learn that the NRA is considered a charitable organization when it comes to taxes.
But that's not the legal definition of a charity according to the IRS. According to urban.org "The Internal Revenue Service refers in its publications to organizations meeting the definition from section 501(c)(3) as "charities." However, section 501(c)(3) provides that an eligible organization may have any one or more of the following purposes: "charitable, religious, educational, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering national or international amateur sports competition, and preventing cruelty to children or animals."" (https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/the-legal-meaning-of-charity.pdf)
The goal of the NRA is firearm education and they encourage young people to learn firearm safety. In addition to that from their web site "Today, youth programs are still a cornerstone of the NRA, with more than one million youth participating in NRA shooting sports events and affiliated programs with groups such as 4-H, the Boy Scouts of America, the American Legion, Royal Rangers, National High School Rodeo Association and others." Their goal is "commitment to training, education and marksmanship." (https://home.nra.org/about-the-nra/) So under the IRS standards the group is testing for public safety, educating people in the use of firearms and fostering sports competitions, all of which places them in the terms of a charitable organization.
There are probably over a million organizations that qualify for charitable status under these guidelines. I'm adding a link to guidestar.org. They list charities by category there. It's amazing to see how many there are. Under "Animal Protection, Welfare and Services" for instance there are over 23,000 charities listed. The NRA is listed there as well as why they qualify. Here is their link: https://www.guidestar.org/NonprofitDirectory.aspx
The next attack on the NRA focused on their ability to donate to political concepts. The argument ignored the fact that they donated to both parties and focused on the fact that most of that money went to Republicans. What it also failed to note was that this is because Republicans tend to support the 2nd amendment while Democrats tend to want it curtailed. So the claim that the NRA was unduly influencing elections based on who they donated to was brought up. The amounts they donated depended on who you read. They ranged anywhere from $1 million to $100 million. According to opensecrets.com the amount they listed was $1,085,100. Of course this wouldn't include the amount the used on advertising but that number increases for every charitable organization that lobbies or advertises for a party or politician. The amount the NRA was negligible when compared to others.
For example look at the amount that Planned Parenthood donated during the same time period. Planned Parenthood is also considered a charitable organization under the conditions used to qualify the NRA. One major difference to note is that while the NRA takes no money from the government Planned Parenthood receives over $500 million from them. According to opensecrets Planned Parenthood spent $4,070,102. That's just shy of $3 million more than the NRA. The NRA has killed zero people during the years of 2016 which these figures come from. According to their own information, Planned Parenthood was responsible for the abortion of 800 unborns per day or 292,000 unborns in a single year.
Did you know that labor unions are considered non-profits and thus tax exempt? Teachers unions spent $32 million on the last campaign. From Huffington Post "labor unions have donated more than $132 million to super PACs and spent an additional $35 million on federal elections." (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/labor-union-election-2016_us_58223b92e4b0e80b02cd7259) Then according to the Washington Free Beacon "The National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR), a nonprofit union watchdog, found that unions spent $1.713 billion on political activities and lobbying." (http://freebeacon.com/issues/labor-spent-billion-politics-2016/) All of them tax free organizations. None of this is to demonize one group over another. But when setting criteria to consider one group wrong or evil that same criteria should be applied to all sides of the issue.
The question of a charity to donate to a lobbyists was raised, claiming it was illegal to do so. The reality is that it is not illegal at all. It IS illegal for them to donate to a politician according to the FEC. But the thing is it ISN'T illegal for them to spend money on lobbying. Not my opinion here but that put forth by the American Bar Association. One article presented by the ABA also explains why it is important for charitable organizations to be able to do so. Here is a link to them discussing it. https://apps.americanbar.org/buslaw/blt/2009-03-04/mehta.shtml
The next attack on the NRA was about them starting various items to qualify for legal status as a charity. The fact is that the NRA began teaching young people as far back as 1903, long before the definitions of a group to qualify for charitable status were even put in place. Claims of the NRA using "shady" tactics to qualify for charitable status were tossed about.
But what about the mob connections to unions? Mob members would insert themselves into labor unions and then rob their pensions blind. That didn't help the union members. In addition to that the mob would use their union clout to support various politicians either by having them vote a particular way or box office intimidation. In 1957, Senator John L. McClellan began a series of hearings that would last into the 1960s. The corruption and connections between the mob and Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa is well known and written about. And yet they're considered a charity.
Greenpeace, whose goal is supposedly to preserve wilderness and animals, has done things like spiked trees, the end result of which is damage to the property of the logging companies and injury to those workers. They've committed arson against housing developments, SUV dealerships, and chain stores and have gone so far as to bomb construction sites. And yet they're considered a charity.
PETA has donated money to known eco-terrorists. They provided $70,000 to the defense of Rodney Coronado who was convicted of arson. They've donated money to ELF (Earth Liberation Front), who the FBI says "more than 600 criminal acts in the United States since 1996." And while claiming to be all about saving animals PETA kills more animals each year than animal shelters do. And yet they're considered a charity.
The end result of all of these attacks on the NRA boil down to one thing. The NRA was not responsible for the shootings that took place that morning in Parkland, FL. The attacks on the NRA were nothing more than political pandering, an attempt to present a boogeyman to the public and foment anger towards a group that supports one side more than the other. And it accomplished nothing with the exception of raising the personal profiles of a few people leading the attack.
It's far too easy for the discussion to get bogged down in an attack or defense of the NRA and that has been one of the major problems in the discussion. It does nothing to solve the problem but does everything to line the bank accounts of those who attack or defend.
And still the outcry was that "something must be done". What so many fail to recognize is that this same outcry has been going on for decades now. Never a solution that actually applies to the situation but always an attempt to smear someone or some organization along with the same demand something be done. A major issue we face is the realization that times and the world have changed. As political commentator Tyrus noted when the planes hit the World Trade Center the world changed and the end result was the TSA at every airport in the country. Hopefully this shooting will force the hand of those in power to actually do something that helps rather than divides people.
Protests will accomplish nothing with the exception of raising the political profile of those behind it all. Rather than creating a solution it will lead to more chants, more demonstrations and more movements. Their demands are always vague and provide an opening so that even when it appears their demands have been met there is always a next item, a next agenda, to protest. In essence it provides them with an occupation rather than their helping to fix a certain problem. The problem leapfrogs to the next problem.
Walkouts in schools across the country will solve nothing. They will provide the 2-4 students who are activists minded a chance to claim the spotlight at their school and on local news. The rest of the students will join in to be a part of something or will just take advantage of the situation and enjoy the chance to be out of the classroom. Remember these were the students that following the shooting were calling in threats around the country in an attempt to get school canceled for whatever reason. Hundreds of those events happened.
No one will confront the major issue that are causing these shootings. It is the shooter not the weapon that is responsible. Mental issues that are ignored. Alienation from others. People who retreat into a reclusive world of call phones and social media at the exclusion of others. Becoming involved and interacting with each other as human beings rather than blips on a screen.
I was in high school over 40 years ago. Looking back on those days I can see things we did wrong. I can see the kids that we picked on or tormented and feel shame about it. I can see the times I was picked on and realize that the kids doing so were just stupid kids like I was. The thing is none of us ever went off the deep end and felt the need to actually, physically kill anyone. So what's the difference?
So many things. We weren't playing games where the objective was to literally blow off someone's head in a blood mist of gore. We talked to each other face to face and spent time together in person rather than face timing on the cell phone. Our parents, even when both were working, made an effort to spend time with us. We even went so far as to, Heaven forbid, sit down to eat dinner together. At the dinner table! We knew each other's parents and those parents knew us. Some (my mom) would go so far as to ream out the entire group for bad grades once they (she) had finished with their own child (me). And we respected them and knew it was in our best interests.
But something has changed in schools today. The "mean girls" have gotten much worse. Kids don't talk to one another as much. And when they do spend time together far too much of that time is spent on cell phones checking out their status on one format or another. Things that no one would have said face to face back then and that would have taken far too much effort to write on a bathroom wall are being sent out to the twitterverse or on Facebook with alarming speed and increased vitriol. What might once have been stated as someone being easy has exploded into graphic details of what someone might do in private. And the kids are not just doing things in private but taking pictures or filming it only to find themselves hacked and their private lives distributed for all to see. In essence the humanity has been degraded and dropped down to a level unlike what we experienced.
But on a rare occasion words of wisdom filter out among the masses that need shared. I came across and interesting letter that was posted on various timelines and was also featured on the website for KTSA. I can't verify that the author is real or that this simple suggestion for civility actually came from a former teacher. That doesn't really matter though does it? In the end what he suggests is something we should all consider. The suggestion provides more solutions than a decade full of walkouts and protests. So maybe time should be taken to read this letter and apply it, not just in schools but in all walks of life. If you can get out and about, apply this and let's see the results in action. It's time to stop being a part of the problem by crying out for someone else to do something and to take responsibility yourself and make a difference on a daily basis. If you don't then your real cause is not to find a solution but to gather attention for yourself.
"Dear Students,
I know you. I am a retired teacher of 24 years. I have taught you as 7th graders all the way through 12th grade. This is not a tweet or a text. It's called a letter; lengthy and substantial. Do you really want to make a difference? Are you sincere about making your schools safe? Don't walk out, read this instead. Walking out of school is easy compared to what this letter will challenge you to do.
First of all, put down your stupid phone. Look around you at your classmates. Do you see the kid over in the corner, alone? He could likely be our next shooter. He needs a friend. He needs you. Go and talk to him, befriend him. Chances are, he won't be easy to like, but it's mainly because no one has tried to like him. Ask him about him. Get to know him. He's just like you in that respect; he wants someone to recognize him as a fellow human being but few people have ever given him the chance. You can.
Next, see that kid eating lunch all alone? He could likely be our next shooter. Invite him to eat lunch with you. Introduce him into your fold of friends. You'll most likely catch a lot of flack from the friends you eat with because they don't want him upsetting the balance of their social order. After all, who you hang out with is critical to your status, is it not? If status is important to you, don't you think it's important to him also? The only difference being that he has no status because generally, shooters have no friends. Are you serious about wanting to make your school safe? Invite him to your lunch table and challenge your friends to do something meaningful with thirty minutes of their lives each day.
Lastly, are you completely frustrated by that kid who always disrupts your class and is consistently sent to the principal's office? He could likely be our next shooter. Do you know why he causes so much trouble? He initiates disruption because that's the only thing he does that gets him attention, and even bad attention is better than the no attention he receives from you and your classmates. You secretly wish he would get kicked out of school or sent to the alternative disciplinary school so that he wouldn't disrupt your classes anymore, that somehow, he would just disappear. Guess what? He already feels invisible in a school of thousands of classmates, you included. So, before he acts out in your next class, why don't you tell him you'd be willing to help him with the assignment that was just given? Or why don't you ask him to join your study group? If you really want to blow his mind, ask him for help on the assignment. He's never been asked that. Ever.
If you've read this far, you probably really do care about the safety of your school. Don't trust that walking out of school will bring an answer. Gun control or more laws is not, and will not, be the answer. You are the answer. Your greeting, your smile, your gentle human touch is the only thing that can change the world of a desperate classmate who may be contemplating something as horrendous as a school shooting. Look past yourself and look past your phone and look into the eyes of a student who no one else sees. Meet the gaze of a fellow human being desperate to make contact with anyone, even just one person. You. If you really feel the need to walk, walk toward that person. Your new friendship can relieve the heartache of one person and in doing so, possibly prevent the unjustifiable heartache of hundreds of lives in the future. I know you. I trust you. You are the answer.
And teachers, my fellow guardians of our youth, I know you too. I know the desire of wanting to make a difference in a young person's life. I know the thrill of stepping in front of a classroom of students but simultaneously intimidated by the trust bestowed upon you. I also know the crushing, sometimes unbearable responsibility that your shoulders are asked to carry. But that's why you got into teaching, because you have big shoulders. And a big heart. You're overworked (I would add underpaid, but you didn't get into teaching for the pay, so it needn't be said), underappreciated and exhausted. May I add one more item to that list? You're also a miracle waiting to happen in the life of your worst student. He could likely be our next shooter. The next time (and there's always a next time) he's ready to wreak havoc in your classroom, I challenge you to pull him aside and ask him if he's ok, if there is something bothering him and is there anything you can do to help? Your genuine concern for him may be just the miracle he's looking for. The miracle we're all looking for. I know you. I trust you. You are the answer.
A former teacher who is as heartbroken as you and trusting you not to walk out on the real answer,
David (yes, teachers really do have first names) Blair
On the left the DNC within 24 used the shooting as a fund raiser sending out emails calling for people to help go after the NRA. What they didn't note immediately was that their funds were running dangerously thin and that once you clicked you were taken to a link asking you to donate money. My own feeling is this is rather ghoulish, using the bodies of the dead to fill your pockets for political purposes.
Teens from the school spoke out. A few were more vocal than others. But that's because they'd been activists prior to the shooting. While most students in high school are still unsure of what they want to do upon graduation a few of these knew they wanted to become professional activists or news reporters. It's good to have a goal but again, a bit ghoulish to attempt to elevate your status on the bodies of fellow classmates. What if they had done what the writer of the letter at the end of this piece suggests?
On the right the NRA went into defense mode but then again they were being attacked from all sides. They defended the 2nd amendment and claimed that this was what they stood for. Those who attacked them said that the blood of the students was on their hands and yet no NRA member shot anyone or encouraged anyone to do so. That argument developed into questioning the tax status of the NRA and why they were considered a charity at all.
All charities have a goal, an intention, of what they want to accomplish. When it comes to the definition of charity I think that's one place where it gets confusing. If, like me, you consider a charity to be an organization setting out to help those less fortunate then it would be surprising to learn that the NRA is considered a charitable organization when it comes to taxes.
But that's not the legal definition of a charity according to the IRS. According to urban.org "The Internal Revenue Service refers in its publications to organizations meeting the definition from section 501(c)(3) as "charities." However, section 501(c)(3) provides that an eligible organization may have any one or more of the following purposes: "charitable, religious, educational, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering national or international amateur sports competition, and preventing cruelty to children or animals."" (https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/the-legal-meaning-of-charity.pdf)
The goal of the NRA is firearm education and they encourage young people to learn firearm safety. In addition to that from their web site "Today, youth programs are still a cornerstone of the NRA, with more than one million youth participating in NRA shooting sports events and affiliated programs with groups such as 4-H, the Boy Scouts of America, the American Legion, Royal Rangers, National High School Rodeo Association and others." Their goal is "commitment to training, education and marksmanship." (https://home.nra.org/about-the-nra/) So under the IRS standards the group is testing for public safety, educating people in the use of firearms and fostering sports competitions, all of which places them in the terms of a charitable organization.
There are probably over a million organizations that qualify for charitable status under these guidelines. I'm adding a link to guidestar.org. They list charities by category there. It's amazing to see how many there are. Under "Animal Protection, Welfare and Services" for instance there are over 23,000 charities listed. The NRA is listed there as well as why they qualify. Here is their link: https://www.guidestar.org/NonprofitDirectory.aspx
The next attack on the NRA focused on their ability to donate to political concepts. The argument ignored the fact that they donated to both parties and focused on the fact that most of that money went to Republicans. What it also failed to note was that this is because Republicans tend to support the 2nd amendment while Democrats tend to want it curtailed. So the claim that the NRA was unduly influencing elections based on who they donated to was brought up. The amounts they donated depended on who you read. They ranged anywhere from $1 million to $100 million. According to opensecrets.com the amount they listed was $1,085,100. Of course this wouldn't include the amount the used on advertising but that number increases for every charitable organization that lobbies or advertises for a party or politician. The amount the NRA was negligible when compared to others.
For example look at the amount that Planned Parenthood donated during the same time period. Planned Parenthood is also considered a charitable organization under the conditions used to qualify the NRA. One major difference to note is that while the NRA takes no money from the government Planned Parenthood receives over $500 million from them. According to opensecrets Planned Parenthood spent $4,070,102. That's just shy of $3 million more than the NRA. The NRA has killed zero people during the years of 2016 which these figures come from. According to their own information, Planned Parenthood was responsible for the abortion of 800 unborns per day or 292,000 unborns in a single year.
Did you know that labor unions are considered non-profits and thus tax exempt? Teachers unions spent $32 million on the last campaign. From Huffington Post "labor unions have donated more than $132 million to super PACs and spent an additional $35 million on federal elections." (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/labor-union-election-2016_us_58223b92e4b0e80b02cd7259) Then according to the Washington Free Beacon "The National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR), a nonprofit union watchdog, found that unions spent $1.713 billion on political activities and lobbying." (http://freebeacon.com/issues/labor-spent-billion-politics-2016/) All of them tax free organizations. None of this is to demonize one group over another. But when setting criteria to consider one group wrong or evil that same criteria should be applied to all sides of the issue.
The question of a charity to donate to a lobbyists was raised, claiming it was illegal to do so. The reality is that it is not illegal at all. It IS illegal for them to donate to a politician according to the FEC. But the thing is it ISN'T illegal for them to spend money on lobbying. Not my opinion here but that put forth by the American Bar Association. One article presented by the ABA also explains why it is important for charitable organizations to be able to do so. Here is a link to them discussing it. https://apps.americanbar.org/buslaw/blt/2009-03-04/mehta.shtml
The next attack on the NRA was about them starting various items to qualify for legal status as a charity. The fact is that the NRA began teaching young people as far back as 1903, long before the definitions of a group to qualify for charitable status were even put in place. Claims of the NRA using "shady" tactics to qualify for charitable status were tossed about.
But what about the mob connections to unions? Mob members would insert themselves into labor unions and then rob their pensions blind. That didn't help the union members. In addition to that the mob would use their union clout to support various politicians either by having them vote a particular way or box office intimidation. In 1957, Senator John L. McClellan began a series of hearings that would last into the 1960s. The corruption and connections between the mob and Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa is well known and written about. And yet they're considered a charity.
Greenpeace, whose goal is supposedly to preserve wilderness and animals, has done things like spiked trees, the end result of which is damage to the property of the logging companies and injury to those workers. They've committed arson against housing developments, SUV dealerships, and chain stores and have gone so far as to bomb construction sites. And yet they're considered a charity.
PETA has donated money to known eco-terrorists. They provided $70,000 to the defense of Rodney Coronado who was convicted of arson. They've donated money to ELF (Earth Liberation Front), who the FBI says "more than 600 criminal acts in the United States since 1996." And while claiming to be all about saving animals PETA kills more animals each year than animal shelters do. And yet they're considered a charity.
The end result of all of these attacks on the NRA boil down to one thing. The NRA was not responsible for the shootings that took place that morning in Parkland, FL. The attacks on the NRA were nothing more than political pandering, an attempt to present a boogeyman to the public and foment anger towards a group that supports one side more than the other. And it accomplished nothing with the exception of raising the personal profiles of a few people leading the attack.
It's far too easy for the discussion to get bogged down in an attack or defense of the NRA and that has been one of the major problems in the discussion. It does nothing to solve the problem but does everything to line the bank accounts of those who attack or defend.
And still the outcry was that "something must be done". What so many fail to recognize is that this same outcry has been going on for decades now. Never a solution that actually applies to the situation but always an attempt to smear someone or some organization along with the same demand something be done. A major issue we face is the realization that times and the world have changed. As political commentator Tyrus noted when the planes hit the World Trade Center the world changed and the end result was the TSA at every airport in the country. Hopefully this shooting will force the hand of those in power to actually do something that helps rather than divides people.
Protests will accomplish nothing with the exception of raising the political profile of those behind it all. Rather than creating a solution it will lead to more chants, more demonstrations and more movements. Their demands are always vague and provide an opening so that even when it appears their demands have been met there is always a next item, a next agenda, to protest. In essence it provides them with an occupation rather than their helping to fix a certain problem. The problem leapfrogs to the next problem.
Walkouts in schools across the country will solve nothing. They will provide the 2-4 students who are activists minded a chance to claim the spotlight at their school and on local news. The rest of the students will join in to be a part of something or will just take advantage of the situation and enjoy the chance to be out of the classroom. Remember these were the students that following the shooting were calling in threats around the country in an attempt to get school canceled for whatever reason. Hundreds of those events happened.
No one will confront the major issue that are causing these shootings. It is the shooter not the weapon that is responsible. Mental issues that are ignored. Alienation from others. People who retreat into a reclusive world of call phones and social media at the exclusion of others. Becoming involved and interacting with each other as human beings rather than blips on a screen.
I was in high school over 40 years ago. Looking back on those days I can see things we did wrong. I can see the kids that we picked on or tormented and feel shame about it. I can see the times I was picked on and realize that the kids doing so were just stupid kids like I was. The thing is none of us ever went off the deep end and felt the need to actually, physically kill anyone. So what's the difference?
So many things. We weren't playing games where the objective was to literally blow off someone's head in a blood mist of gore. We talked to each other face to face and spent time together in person rather than face timing on the cell phone. Our parents, even when both were working, made an effort to spend time with us. We even went so far as to, Heaven forbid, sit down to eat dinner together. At the dinner table! We knew each other's parents and those parents knew us. Some (my mom) would go so far as to ream out the entire group for bad grades once they (she) had finished with their own child (me). And we respected them and knew it was in our best interests.
But something has changed in schools today. The "mean girls" have gotten much worse. Kids don't talk to one another as much. And when they do spend time together far too much of that time is spent on cell phones checking out their status on one format or another. Things that no one would have said face to face back then and that would have taken far too much effort to write on a bathroom wall are being sent out to the twitterverse or on Facebook with alarming speed and increased vitriol. What might once have been stated as someone being easy has exploded into graphic details of what someone might do in private. And the kids are not just doing things in private but taking pictures or filming it only to find themselves hacked and their private lives distributed for all to see. In essence the humanity has been degraded and dropped down to a level unlike what we experienced.
But on a rare occasion words of wisdom filter out among the masses that need shared. I came across and interesting letter that was posted on various timelines and was also featured on the website for KTSA. I can't verify that the author is real or that this simple suggestion for civility actually came from a former teacher. That doesn't really matter though does it? In the end what he suggests is something we should all consider. The suggestion provides more solutions than a decade full of walkouts and protests. So maybe time should be taken to read this letter and apply it, not just in schools but in all walks of life. If you can get out and about, apply this and let's see the results in action. It's time to stop being a part of the problem by crying out for someone else to do something and to take responsibility yourself and make a difference on a daily basis. If you don't then your real cause is not to find a solution but to gather attention for yourself.
"Dear Students,
I know you. I am a retired teacher of 24 years. I have taught you as 7th graders all the way through 12th grade. This is not a tweet or a text. It's called a letter; lengthy and substantial. Do you really want to make a difference? Are you sincere about making your schools safe? Don't walk out, read this instead. Walking out of school is easy compared to what this letter will challenge you to do.
First of all, put down your stupid phone. Look around you at your classmates. Do you see the kid over in the corner, alone? He could likely be our next shooter. He needs a friend. He needs you. Go and talk to him, befriend him. Chances are, he won't be easy to like, but it's mainly because no one has tried to like him. Ask him about him. Get to know him. He's just like you in that respect; he wants someone to recognize him as a fellow human being but few people have ever given him the chance. You can.
Next, see that kid eating lunch all alone? He could likely be our next shooter. Invite him to eat lunch with you. Introduce him into your fold of friends. You'll most likely catch a lot of flack from the friends you eat with because they don't want him upsetting the balance of their social order. After all, who you hang out with is critical to your status, is it not? If status is important to you, don't you think it's important to him also? The only difference being that he has no status because generally, shooters have no friends. Are you serious about wanting to make your school safe? Invite him to your lunch table and challenge your friends to do something meaningful with thirty minutes of their lives each day.
Lastly, are you completely frustrated by that kid who always disrupts your class and is consistently sent to the principal's office? He could likely be our next shooter. Do you know why he causes so much trouble? He initiates disruption because that's the only thing he does that gets him attention, and even bad attention is better than the no attention he receives from you and your classmates. You secretly wish he would get kicked out of school or sent to the alternative disciplinary school so that he wouldn't disrupt your classes anymore, that somehow, he would just disappear. Guess what? He already feels invisible in a school of thousands of classmates, you included. So, before he acts out in your next class, why don't you tell him you'd be willing to help him with the assignment that was just given? Or why don't you ask him to join your study group? If you really want to blow his mind, ask him for help on the assignment. He's never been asked that. Ever.
If you've read this far, you probably really do care about the safety of your school. Don't trust that walking out of school will bring an answer. Gun control or more laws is not, and will not, be the answer. You are the answer. Your greeting, your smile, your gentle human touch is the only thing that can change the world of a desperate classmate who may be contemplating something as horrendous as a school shooting. Look past yourself and look past your phone and look into the eyes of a student who no one else sees. Meet the gaze of a fellow human being desperate to make contact with anyone, even just one person. You. If you really feel the need to walk, walk toward that person. Your new friendship can relieve the heartache of one person and in doing so, possibly prevent the unjustifiable heartache of hundreds of lives in the future. I know you. I trust you. You are the answer.
And teachers, my fellow guardians of our youth, I know you too. I know the desire of wanting to make a difference in a young person's life. I know the thrill of stepping in front of a classroom of students but simultaneously intimidated by the trust bestowed upon you. I also know the crushing, sometimes unbearable responsibility that your shoulders are asked to carry. But that's why you got into teaching, because you have big shoulders. And a big heart. You're overworked (I would add underpaid, but you didn't get into teaching for the pay, so it needn't be said), underappreciated and exhausted. May I add one more item to that list? You're also a miracle waiting to happen in the life of your worst student. He could likely be our next shooter. The next time (and there's always a next time) he's ready to wreak havoc in your classroom, I challenge you to pull him aside and ask him if he's ok, if there is something bothering him and is there anything you can do to help? Your genuine concern for him may be just the miracle he's looking for. The miracle we're all looking for. I know you. I trust you. You are the answer.
A former teacher who is as heartbroken as you and trusting you not to walk out on the real answer,
David (yes, teachers really do have first names) Blair
