April 21, 2006 01:46 PM
Almost Another Teenage Tragedy
According to this article on MSNBC:
"Five high school students were expected in court Friday on charges that they fully intended to go on a shooting spree at their high school — a plot officials said was foiled when one of them discussed it on a Web site."
Apparently, the Kansas high school students, aged 16 to 18, planned for the attack to occur on the anniversary of the deadly, 1999 Columbine shooting spree. Authorities were tipped off to the planned attack when a woman who found threats on a MySpace site contacted them. Perhaps this is one case where the existence of the much-maligned MySpace social networking site may well have helped prevent a horrible tragedy.
Comments
If only everybody who was about to do a terrible thing would put it on the internet first. I suppose most people are smarter than that.
Thanks for your comment on my blog.
Posted by: Dr. John at April 21, 2006 05:45 PM
It does make one wonder, though. Is technology is to be thanked for warning us in time to avert a tragedy? Or is it to be blamed for desensitizing these teens, making them so blasé about going on a killing spree that they could chat about it casually on-line? I'm very thankful that the tragedy was averted, however it came about. I hope these teens get the help they need.
Posted by: BikerMomma at April 21, 2006 09:22 PM
I am not sure whether the world is becoming desensitized - but whatever is happening, is happening and we parents are the ones who need to step up to the plate to teach our children right from wrong.
They need to know that they are loved - that they can do some things and they can't do others.
I think one of the strangest moments in my own life with my daughter who is 9 was when we watched a movie where a person died.
In the next movie - the same actor was alive - and this baffled her. I had to explain the difference between movies/actors life/people. It took some explaining. But she understood.
Now I watch what she watches and only allow her to visit specific places online with parental control. I do not allow her to engage in conversations with others on MSN and I read all of her emails.
I will continue to do so until she leaves my house and lives on her own.
That's my job as a parent. And I hope that I do it well enough that my daughter will never be a kid that plots something like that.
On the myspace issue - I have a myspace spot - but I think it is an ickier environment. Too much flash/sex/ick and glitter clogging up the airways.
Thank goodness someone read theirs and put a stop to it.
Thank goodness they blogged about it.
But like anyone who screams "wolf" - when do we know it's just teenage angst and not some pyschopathic rage? How can we as the reader know that?
I think of the blogger who just killed the little girl so he could eat her... If one person had reached out and talked to him - maybe shown some compassion - would that little girl be alive.
It's all a matter of realizing that the other people on the other side of the screen are humans - just like us... some of us have problems the rest are just here for the interaction and fun.
LOL!
OKKK -who wants the rant box back?
It's all yours.... LOL!
Lady M
Posted by: Lady M at April 22, 2006 10:04 AM
I'm terribly glad to see something GOOD come out of My Space. So much negative press for them. My two older girls each have an account there and while it's awfully "bubble gum", it's a place for kids to hang out. I'm happy they have something good to say about it. Not as happy as I am that another school shooting was averted, but happy nonetheless.
Thanks for sharing, L.C.
Posted by: Tammy at April 22, 2006 01:11 PM
Bikermomma--I have had the same thoughts about technology and what it has done to our kids. I also believe these "social networking sites" make things like bullying even easier than ever before. I've seen it a lot.
Lady M--I agree that showing kids they are loved and setting limits are crucial. I know good parenting won't stop all tragedies like school shootings, but it can stop some kids from getting to that point. It's just not something we can really measure I guess, but I believe it's true.
You said: "But like anyone who screams "wolf" - when do we know it's just teenage angst and not some pyschopathic rage? How can we as the reader know that?" -- Oh man, this is so true! Teenagers especially can't always decipher these messages. I hate to place the responsibility of preventing these types of tragedies on them, because I'm not sure many can handle it. Then again, they could be taught to keep an eye out for warning signs.
Thanks for the comments everyone--this issues is a hot one!
L.C.
Posted by: L.C. at April 23, 2006 05:28 PM
