The Death of a Child

The death of any child is a catastrophic event. Two children were lost yesterday and two families were torn apart. I’ve seen all the studies on the “Stages of Grief,” but some things you will never get past. Your little girl never coming home from school again is one of those things. As much as psychologists theorize on this the specter of death has remained the same throughout history. The death of this little girl is no less terrible than the two little ladies found in the woods under the Monon High Bridge in Delphi Indiana. And while the scar of this will remain it becomes incumbent upon us to examine the event. What led up to it? Why did this extreme violence result? And how can we guard against it in the future?

I live with four grandchildren. Ages 14-18. They span the spectrum of influences and beliefs that pepper our society. All the way from one aspiring to be a math teacher to the twins in college to be doctors while working their way through by acting and helping with equipment on the movie sets. The girl, 18, wants to be a therapist. And then there is Justin. He wants to be a gangster. He smokes marijuana and subscribes to the idea that hemp is from the earth and is not dope. If you believe that I have a bridge for you and it’s on sale! Now mix into this the multi-colored range of sexuality that abounds today and you have the average American family we are blessed with today. 

The current political environment doesn’t help. And politics does factor in because politics makes the rules we live by. The school system is laced with it. And while the students do not totally grasp this, they, too are forced to endure the rules imposed upon them by well meaning adults. 

One thing that struck me yesterday was the statement that there are indeed metal detectors in some of our schools. But they are rarely used because it seems there’s this button you must throw and nobody’s qualified to do that. And I do understand that the weapon used yesterday was a pencil. That doesn’t matter. Number two pencil or Samurai the song remains the same. 

First the metal detectors need to be turned on! Access to the schools should be closely guarded. I once sat in the hall at Belaire Elementary watching people coming and going in and out freely while kids milled about. I was there to pick up my granddaughter because her blood sugar was off. And if left my gun in my car because as we all know, guns aren’t allowed in “gun free zones!” Killeen! Hear me out. There is an epidemic of school shooters running rampant around America and the KISD is due! Did Luby’s wake you up? How about Fort Hood? Secure the schools!

Then there’s the dope. I know for a fact that your kids are doing dope deals in the hallways of your schools at all levels while your administrators are standing around beside an inoperative metal detector. And you have school security. I’ve seen them. Riding around the parking lots on those electric three wheel scooters. Robocop! Let us pray!

I could go on and on but this situation will continue and it will get worse unless you get involved. And I mean on every level. One little girl is dead. These are kids with impressionable minds. Some are horrified, some are not. Clean up the “nots,” or many more kids will be “forever 16!” My prayers for the two devastated families.