I originally intended to give an in depth report of this weekend's big Diventure at Universal Studios in Orlando, but something else has been on my mind all day long. This morning while I was getting ready for work, I was watching "Good Morning, America" like I usually do. One of the breaking news stories was about how a terrorist plot to murder someone had been foiled, and the terrorists were in custody. The terrorists had gone to great lengths to put the plot together; each had smuggled in an item needed in the plot, and each had a specific job to do in the murder attempt.
This didn't happen in Iraq nor Afghanistan; it didn't happen in New York City or at an embassy in Europe - it happened in a third grade class at a school in Waycross, Georgia. Nine third graders are currently suspended and could face prosecution for an alleged plot to attack their teacher. The teacher reprimanded one of the students for standing on her chair, and apparently she and her crew decided to take care of the teacher. Police found a steak knife, a crystal paper weight, handcuffs, gloves, and other items that were to be used for the plot. Each kid had a job to do - one would distract the class and teacher, one would cover up the windows so noone could see in, one would hit the teacher with the paper weight, another would handcuff her, one would stab her with the steak knife, and one would clean up the blood.
You'd expect to hear about a terrorist plot this extensive and well-planned against some government official in a foreign country, but not about third-grade children. When I was in third grade, I was reprimanded a few times by Mrs. Wills the teacher because my penmanship was not the neatest. But my gang of friends didn't decide to get even with Mrs. Wills and come up with a plot to kill her.
Like I said at first, this has really bothered me all day long. Things like this just aren't supposed to happen with little children. I just worry what kind of message this is going to be to other kids - are we going to see any copycat murder attempts like this one? My grandfather said that you should only regret the things in life that you didn't do, and there have been some times when I regret that I didn't have a child. But today after hearing this and after knowing what children face in schools and out in the world today, it's times like this when I'm glad I didn't.
2 comments:
I heard about this, too. I am so saddened for our youth today. Their innocence has been stolen. No longer is it just a disagreement. Kids these days don't seem to understand and are insensitive to what's right or wrong. Consequences seem inconsequential to them. Not all children, but enough to make the news.
Having a third grader of my own this is one of the worst things I've heard in awhile. The gang of girls who murdered Shanda Sharer weren't that much older.
I have a LOT of kids in and out of my house every day and I do feel that most kids are great, happy, and well adjusted. It's sad that these are the ones we all here about.
I hope they get the proper treatments so they may have a chance in life.
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