|

SHOOTINGS IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS
PREVENTING FUTURE COLUMBINES

Sponsored link.

Preventing future Columbines:
 |
Presbyterian Church: A "PCUSA Communique" on
1999-MAY-7 was sent to to all Presbyterian congregations. 1 They
expressed the hope that the Littleton tragedy "could become a turning point
for our nation, much as the tragedy at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama
became a turning point for racial justice."
They offered some suggestions to reduce the likelihood of similar school
shootings in the future:
 |
Pastors could talk with the junior and senior high young people in
their church to assure them that they are all valued by God and loved by
their community of faith that wants to support them and be there for
them when they encounter difficult days.
|
 |
A meeting could be held for parents and students to discuss the
importance of their relationship and "staying in touch" with
one another. Classes could be held to help parents know how to identify
troubled teenagers and how to help them.
|
 |
Adults in the congregation could be urged as part of their Christian
discipleship to make a special effort to relate to the kids in their
church and in their neighborhoods who seem to feel unwanted, unwelcomed,
and unloved.
|
 |
Young people and teachers could be asked as part of their Christian
discipleship to make a special effort to identify and reach out to those
young people in their schools who feel so alienated, marginalized and
left out. Students might sign a commitment to resist the temptation to
taunt, belittle or humiliate others.
|
 |
Perhaps some will feel the call of God to become advocates for gun
control and accept the urging of the 210th General Assembly to remove
guns from their homes. Those who respectfully decline that appeal should
be urged to be sure their guns are under strong security locks and their
children are taught firearm safety.
|
 |
Perhaps some will feel called to get involved in urging the media
(videos, movies, television, Internet, etc.) to reduce the violence that
saturates our electronic media today.
|
 |
Young people could be helped to know how to deal with their anger in
nondestructive ways and trained in non-violent conflict resolution.
|
|  |
Unitarian Universalists: The 1999 General Assembly of the Unitarian
Universalist Association passed a resolution which expressed the
belief that there was no single cause for the Columbine tragedy. However,
they listed 5 "major contributors:"
-
"The complacency and tacit approval of adults and peers who
witness cruel and cynical behaviors toward others and take no action;
-
The bullying and cliques in our schools which are a reflection of
the society outside and give rise to violence, both mental and physical;
-
The availability to our youth of hand guns and automatic rifles;
-
The popularization of violent role models in television and film
and the apparent celebration of gratuitous violence and death with
casual indifference; and
-
The video games that desensitize youth to the horrors of senseless
violence." 2
|  |
United Church of Christ: On 1999-JUL-6, at its 22nd
General Synod, the UCC passed a resolution with a near unanimous vote,
calling on its "members, churches and agencies to study the causes of violence
in our schools and propose programs and activities to address those
causes." The resolution noted that much violence begins when schools
and school groups "stereotype, judge, marginalize and exclude other
people." The resolution asked UCC groups to press for laws and
policies which eliminated weapons on school campuses and reduced access to
firearms by youths. The resolution was the brainchild of 17 year old Erin
Stephens, from Murphys CA. She noted that hers is the only state where guns
cause more youth deaths than automobiles; where gun dealers outnumber
McDonald's franchises by 18 times; and that "there are more
restrictions on teddy bears ... then there are on guns." 3
|  |
Colorado initiative: As the 1999-2000 school year began,
many of Colorado's high school students will be wearing a tiny black and
white patch on their clothing which contains the word "Respect."
They are intended to remind students of the importance of respecting others
as individuals, and to counter the alienating influence of school cliques.
|  |
National Education Association (NEA): Many school districts "are
taking aim at cliques of the sort that have been blamed for violent
outbursts. Schools are aggressively counseling students on tolerance and
encouraging them to reach out to classmates they view as outside the
mainstream." The NEA prepared a
no-taunting pledge with which students agree to govern their behavior. It
says, in part, "I will do my part to make my community a safe place
by being more sensitive to others," and "I will eliminate
taunting from my behavior." 4
|  |
Security measures: Many schools are installing metal detectors,
hand-held wands, and other security devices to sense guns being smuggled
into school. Some schools are permitting only those backpacks which are made
of a see-through mesh that will reveal weapons. Some schools are employing
police or security guards. There is a downside to these precautions. Ann
Beeson, a spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union
commented: "We have to ask ourselves if we want students to have to
go to school in an environment that's much more like a prison or a fortress
than an educational environment." 4
|  |
Posting national motto: The Colorado Board of Education passed
a resolution encouraging all schools in the state to post the national
motto "In God We Trust." The Jefferson County (CO)
School Board, which controls Columbine High school, decided to
post the motto. Saul Rosenthal, Anti-Defamation League regional director,
referring to the religious diversity in the country,
commented: "In a time where there are already many lines
dividing our children in schools, one more reason to point to
differences cannot help." 5 More
details.
|

-
Presbynet Clerk, "PCUSA Communiques" for 1999-MAY-7
-
"A moral response to youth violence at Columbine," 38th
UUA General Assembly at: http://www.uua.org/ga/minutes99.html
-
Tim Kershner, "Synod calls for action on school violence,"
United Church of Christ, General Synod daily news, at: http://www.ucc.org/synod/daily/7_youthviolence.htm
-
"Schools balance safety and freedom as classes resume,"
Reuters, 1999-AUG-22.
-
Reported by This is True at http://www.thisistrue.com
2000-AUG-13

Originally written: 1999-JUN
Copyright © 1999 & 2001 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2001-DEC-3
Author: B.A. Robinson
|
| |