Full Version: If the Amish aren't safe.....
From: Becky (KIAIJANE) [#1]
2 Oct 2006
To: ALL
Hi folks,
I know this is way off any topic normally found here. But living only 20 miles away from this tragedy, it hits a little close to home.
The third one of these school shootings to happen in less than a week...and a one room Amish school house for heaven's sake. I send my kids to Catholic school on the naive security that they may be a little safer than public school (among other reasons..not just that)
If the AMISH aren't even safe in their little one room schoolhouse, what the hell are the rest of us supposed to do? Who would even target the Amish? What did they ever do to anyone. Not that any victim of this kind of violence deserves it. But Amish?
My in-laws homeschool their kids and I apologize if there are any other homeschoolers on here, but I don't see that as a viable option for our family. So what is a parent supposed to do these days. I know we can't raise our kids in a steel bubble.
I apologize for the rant. But as a mother who's first child just started kindergarten this year, my nerves are a little raw anyway. And to have something so horrible happen so close. aaagghh. i know I will be saying a prayer for everyone affected by this tragedy.
From: Dee (DEENA-ONLY) [#2]
2 Oct 2006
To: Becky (KIAIJANE) [#1] 2 Oct 2006
Becky,
Speaking as the mother of a teacher I can tell you that no school can ever be 100% safe. However, if you think about the number of children in school versus the number of acts of violence the percentage is actually quite small. Does that make the family of any child who has been hurt or killed feel better - no. I would like to point out that 2 out of the 3 incidents this week were perpetrated by adults in no way associated with the schools.
The one thing the parochial school have over the public schools is the ability to kick discipline problems out. Years ago public schools in the NY area had special schools where problem kids could go to receive the help they so desperately needed, Today those schools don't exist. They were closed down as budget cutting measures. I firmly believe that this country needs to put the needs of all children on a higher priority level.
Dee
From: Peter [#3]
2 Oct 2006
To: ALL
From: Becky (KIAIJANE) [#4]
2 Oct 2006
To: Peter [#3] 3 Oct 2006
A gun of some sort. Kicked all the boys out as well as the teacher and a parent who was there. Lined the girls up by the chalk board and executed them.
What's really sad for the Amish community in addition to the act itself, they don't know violence like this. They aren't de-sensitized from tv, newspapers, media the way we "English" are.
The nutter said he was acting out of revenge for an incident that happened 20 years ago. Unbelievably sad....
From: UncleSteve [#5]
2 Oct 2006
To: Peter [#3] 3 Oct 2006
His wife received a call from him and he said something about getting revenge for something that happened 20 years ago which would have made him around 12 years old at that time.
The police are still working on what that could have been.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#6]
3 Oct 2006
To: UncleSteve [#5] 3 Oct 2006
It's a pretty safe bet; the people on which he was exacting revenge, were born after the incident that sparked his rage.
The only good news to come out of this story, is that the gunman turned a gun on himself, in the end.
My opinion.
EDITED: 3 Oct 2006 by DGL
From: Barbara (RGILE) [#7]
3 Oct 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#6] 3 Oct 2006
I don't know where else the answers lie.
Barb
From: Debbie (DEBBIEG) [#8]
3 Oct 2006
To: Becky (KIAIJANE) [#1] 3 Oct 2006
This is a horrible thing to have taken place. Our children need to feel safe in this world. Especially in a place like school. I have to say I am a homeschooling parent. But just because we decided to homeschool does not take the fear out of the protection of our children. Sure we are safe from the random freak who thinks that a school is the perfect location for his/her crime but these things can take place anywhere.
As to the question what can a parent do, all you really can do is love your kids and show them it every day. Again like mentioned above, it is a random freak, picking a random location and we have no control over that whatsoever. It could be the library or church or grocery store that these crimes take place but just recently it has been schools, which seem more (tradgic)....I am at a loss for the word I am looking for, but since we send our child to a place (school) where we just let them go without us thinking they are in a safe place, makes it feel that we have no control over these kinds of circumstances because we are not there to be able to protect them. It just seems more of a violation I guess.
Debbie
Homeschooling mom, concerned parent, concerned citizen
From: UncleSteve [#9]
3 Oct 2006
To: Debbie (DEBBIEG) [#8] 3 Oct 2006
He was a bomb just waiting to go off.
From: bobkat [#10]
3 Oct 2006
To: Debbie (DEBBIEG) [#8] 3 Oct 2006
From: Diller (PHYLLIS) [#11]
5 Oct 2006
To: ALL
As I watched the news today about how these families prepare for the funerals, my heart goes out to them! What is most touching is to hear them speak of FORGIVENESS to the family of the shooter, and also the shooter himself! Our family will be praying!
Sincerely,
The Meyers
From: Becky (KIAIJANE) [#12]
5 Oct 2006
To: ALL
The Amish community that was affected by this tragedy has actually set up 2 trust funds at a local bank. One is for the victims' families and the other is for the Robert's family. They set up a trust fund for the children of the shooter. Keep in mind, for the most part the Amish bury their money in boxes on their properties. So this is a huge deal in so many ways for them.
Their once peaceful quiet way of life has been deluged with media vans, reporters, people, attention. I can't imagine the long-term affects that this tragedy will have on this community.
But I think we can all take a lesson about forgiveness away from this horrific tragedy.
Keep them in your prayers.
Becky
From: Peter [#13]
10 Oct 2006
To: Becky (KIAIJANE) [#12] 11 Oct 2006
One can only see teeth gnashing, spiteful, demon wracked, revengeful people all around us..calling for the death sentence.." wait !...I'll even pull the lever myself...or push the syringe in by myself" attitudes around us.....
The Amish have their values in order....... They believe...the rest of us only quote scripture to back our feeble and pathetic revengeful humanistic values....
IMO
Peter