Storms

[H2O Man]

When I was a kid, I enjoyed major winter storms. While this essay is not about the storm, I will say that as an old man, I still try to enjoy them. So in the early morning hours, before going to bed, I took the dog outside in the stormy weather. She discovered dome rabbit tracks around the chicken coup -- doubtlessly in search of a meal -- and followed them deep into the woods.

Normally, in a snow storm, the woods are silent at nice. I love that. However, with freezing rain, I was treated to one of nature's songs. All seemed good, until I approached the edge of the woods, and watched as a town truck purposefully knocked my mailbox down at 5:15 am/est. Hence, as I came in to lay down "hairy as a dog, for a good bite's sleep" (Lennon), I thought about how, as we walk the path of life, we are bound to encounter some idiots. They may be mad at their boss, frustrated by life's circumstances, or possibly idiots on their best of days

Now to my focus today. Like many of us, I remember when -- after the Columbine massacre -- videos of Harris and Klebold practicing their deadly assault were found. People said it was a shame these weren't found earlier, or there might have been an intervention that could have prevented the massacre. The majority of us are fortunate enough to not have encounters with jackasses like them.

Last week, a couple local guys -- one a high school senior, the other in his first year of college -- made a film that was chillingly similar to the Columbine videos. Their expressed targets were black human beings. The film was made in the county I reside in. More, the one guy attend the school my daughters graduated from. Where I did a few terms on the school board, at the request of the teachers union. Where I have many friends today.

Luckily, the video was posted on social media -- an option not available to Harris and Klebold. The school's administration immediately contacted law enforcement, and there has been an intervention. It remains to be seen what the eventual result of that intervention is, but at least there wasn't a massacre.

I'm in contact with a wide number of people that work in this region's schools. It is a stressful time for them. For, at almost every school, there are kids that are mad at their parents and authority figures, and frustrated with their lives. In life, I have learned one thing for certain: even good teen-aged boys are prone to do stupid things, without a hint of consciousness regarding consequences. It may be their duty, the same as dogs barking, birds flying, and the rabbit coming to the chicken coup for a nice meal. Yet they are still good kids.

Others are simply the type of guys who knock over mailboxes for a giggle. This may be particularly true for those with parents who believe Mike the Pillow Guy is an authority on elections, and who believe that January 6 was noble. Kids from those homes may believe knocking over mail boxes is the highest form of political expression -- the type 'ole Dad would be proud of.

But there are still others who are prone to think about assaulting others with dangerous weapons. Some will even discuss this option with a trusted friend. And a few will rehearse their assault. Like in Columbine, the pair will follow the same personality types, just as with the little girls in the "slender man stabbing" of 2014.

I was pleased to see the governor spoke about this situation. (link below) But it something that a politician, law enforcement officer, or a school superintendent alone cannot resolve. That needs to happen on the local level with an effort coordinated with county, state, and federal resources.

https://www.thedailystar.com/news/local_news/teen-in-racist-video-faces-weapons-charge/article_1243d911-b46d-5c73-9f47-9452d0c4ff10.html

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Thank you, my dear H20 Man, for your elegant and sensible prose.

I love how you weave the past and the present together, to show us where we've been, and where we're going, and why.

Please keep writing!

[malaise]

2. Ditto

WaterMan is the master of prose. I love his OPs

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Absolutely, my dear malaise!

[H2O Man]

7. When his 5th grade

sweetie reads these responses, I am certain that she will text me a joke (or two) about why I have such a big head! For she remembers Chief Waterman's teaching that my head is the Creator's largest product. Wise man, he!

It is just so strange ..... you read about these things, you talk with teachers who say there are very troubled kids in the school system. Yet that did not really prepare me for when this happened. It's one of the reasons why I've been outside walking more in the past week.

[H2O Man]

6. Thank you!

I kept looking towards the sky, confident that the moon and stars were still up there! Luckily, I have a Good Friend who frequently posts photographs of the moon. Keeps me sane .... or as close as I come! (grin)

Lennon sang that "life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." I did have other plans, but this incident kept me busy communicating with the school's administration on what steps need to be taken, teachers who found this unnerving, and a lot of people who are really upset by it. Not all, of course, are from the same school district. So I'm hoping I can assist in making this school's response a model for others in the area.

[malaise]

9. You don't expect this gun madness in your neighborhood

Good luck with the response.

This week we've been looking up at the Space Station.

[panader0]

4. "county, state, and federal resources" and parents.

What's up with going to bed at 5:15 in the morning? Take care of yourself pal.

[H2O Man]

10. I do.

I'm not really sure why, but for the last year or so I tend to be awake until around sun rise. That gives me quiet time to think ..... though I suppose that day time does, too.

When I hear about some of the issues in area schools, I think many are related to kids who are the children and grandchildren of those I worked with decades ago. I was talking with my older daughter today about the too frequent lack of parenting skills in segments of our society.

[Saoirse9]

5. This hate is everywhere

At a school a few counties away from me, kids wrote vile words about killing black people in a bathroom wall. They wrote monkey on a teacher's door. The black students spoke about being called slaves by their classmates. The dean was calling black kids hoodlums.

NAACP is involved now and all hell has broken loose. Its good that it is all coming out but it is also another sign that the former guy has empowered these vile racists.

We can't count on our governor to say a damn thing.

I'm glad tragedy was averted in your county. I guess we should be thankful the racist kid was also a braggart.

[H2O Man]

11. Terrible.

We have two NAACP chapters in our region, and I know that at least one is actively involved in this current situation. The head of that chapter has been to the school, and will continue to work with the district.

It's not just kids, of course. Some non-white students held a Black Lives Matter rally there -- I posted about it at the time -- and several were assaulted by one of the asswipes engaged in a "counter protest." (Counter to what?) And it is where, back in 1998, my nephew was attacked and left for dead by a racist hate group that resented a black high school student getting recognized as a scholar/athlete. At one court hearing, the justice of the peace said he didn't think the gang's calling my nephew a "dumb ni__er" indicated race was involved. And he was a school teacher by day, when he wasn't wearing that robe.

[Saoirse9]

12. Feels hopeless

When the federal government outed Valerie Plame I was so alarmed. But that was just the beginning of the nightmare.

I'm glad I didn't know! Or I would have been full of dread for the last 19 years.