I just saw that thing on the news about the kid who shot some teacher at his middle school in Pennsylvania. It sort of disturbs me that people of that age feel that the best outlet for whatever they feel is to kill someone or something that somehow represents it. I'm not that old, but when I was 14 or 15, the preferred method of "getting back at" a teacher or some authority figure was to egg their house at Halloween or throw rolls of toilet paper up in the trees in their yard. Not shoot them. At least with the non-violent things, your intended victim could be watched for a reaction. I suppose the only reaction a shooting victim has is to bleed, and I'm not certain I understand what that satisfies in these kids.
I guess this means that "school violence" is going to be the hot topic of discussion in the halls of power this year. Set aside the fact that violent acts like this happen in tough urban schools every day, none of these politicians seems to care until a few white, middle-class suburban kids are involved or are the victims (like in Arkansas a few weeks ago). Then they decide that it's time to do something.
The whole thing disturbs me. The act, the aftermath, the tokenist canned responses from "leaders."
I often think about Chicago when I'm up here. I think about how, in some places and at some times, the potential for violence there just seems closer to the surface than in Minnesota. I think that's one appeal this house has to me. Nothing "bad" ever really happened on my street, not the way it does in Chicago.
I actually live in a pretty good area of the Near North Side, but even there, a couple of years ago someone was knifed on the sidewalk near my building. I think he lived, but he had apparently been robbed of something like eight dollars. They didn't have to hurt him. If someone only has eight dollars, taking that is probably hurt enouugh.
I always enjoy your comments. It's been a while since anyone left any.