Good Wins Out

It has been seven years since the Columbine school shootings tragedy in Colorado. The nation was shocked into paying attention to the fact that troubled teens have access to weapons and no longer feel the need for emotional restraint.

I remember thinking about the parents of the two boys that murdered their fellow students. Surely this whole, senseless brutality could have been avoided. I understand busy lives. I understand teens wanting privacy and their own "space", but why in the world would kids be left alone so much that they could be into weapons and weapon development while their parents looked the other way? It seemed they were part of an upper middle class lifestyle that places possessions and the pursuit of these possessions above family life. The children are the ones who pay the dearest.

I remember thinking of the parents of the victims. Imagine learning your teen's school was under seige by crazed, gun-toting boys. Imagine sending your child off to school and never seeing him or her alive again. Or imagine being the wife of the teacher killed. It is hard to wrap your brain around it all.

Weapon scares are a little more common than you might think, I would venture to say. At my son's high school, a 6 year old public school in a "good" part of town, they have not gone untouched by this. In his freshman year, two students robbed a food worker, at gunpoint, after school. In his sophomore year, a student brought a gun to school in a backpack. Another student told a teacher and the gun was confiscated. That is what the students are taught. They are taught to tell a teacher or someone in the office if they see anything wrong.

Last week, Dana Scott came to my son's school. She is the sister of Rachel Scott, a Columbine victim. Rachel's father started the Rachel's Challenge nonprofit program after Rachel was murdered. The father, sister and brother of Rachel now partner with celebrities like Chuck Norris to take their program into schools around the country and abroad.

The program presents challenges to the students to encourage acts of kindness and compassion, to bring positive change to school. The goals of the program are to eliminate prejudice, set goals, chose positive influences, demonstrate random acts of kindness and encourage people to help others. Dana Scott offers concrete suggestions to the students like starting clubs and inspiring others through actions.

Yes, it sounds like touchy-feely let's all hold hands and sit in a circle kind of stuff. But it is probably somewhat effective to the ears of teens not yet so cynical and worldly as adults. You have to figure if it inspires a few kids to reach out and help within the school community then it isn't a waste of time.

My son wasn't particularly impressed with the presentation. He tends to be on the cynical side. He has a very realistic world view for someone his age. But he thought it was "ok" so I'll just hope a little something filtered into his brain. He's a good kid but we can all do a little better, right?