Our oldest son was born on 04/19/99 which just happens to have been the day before the infamous Columbine school shootings. He was born late in the evening and our first experiences with him as a family were the next morning in the hospital room.
My wife and I were in a private room and my mother came by that morning to meet her newest grandchild. We sat in the room and played with the baby for awhile before I turned on the TV in the room for some noise in the background. I love to watch the news and this morning we were shocked to watch the death of so many school children on the first day of life with our first child.
I can remember clear as day laying in bed with my first born son in my arms as those poor public school children were escorted from the building by the SWAT team. They were powerful images to me. I made a decision on that very day my son would never ever be exposed to that kind of danger. I was a public school graduate and although my school experience was never so violent I knew that there were some bad kids out there doing some really bad things and I didn’t want my children growing up in that environment.
I do not believe you can shield a child from all the evil people and things in life. I do not believe that to be safe for the child when they grow up to be an adult who cannot recognize evil or danger in their lives. I think you do a child a great disservice by not teaching them how to deal with evil in all of its forms but to raise them in it or to allow it to heavily influence their lives as a s public school environment seems to does a person great harm.
I read this today and felt horrible for the family of the dead teen but I also had a warm tingly feeling that I have made a good decision in not putting my child in that situation. Some people in my life do not understand my choice to homeschool our children and they push me to put them in school like the other kids. I tend to remind them these are not other kids, they are my kids and my kids deserve better from me.
The Associated Press: Police: Fla. girl shot peer in crowded school hall
Written by South Florida Parents - Visit MeA sophomore high school student shot and killed one of her peers after an argument in a crowded hallway between classes, then walked to a nearby restaurant to call authorities and turn herself in, police said.
Wednesday’s shooting set off a confused chain of events at the Fort Lauderdale high school: Witnesses said students screamed and ran when the victim fell to the floor, but authorities couldn’t immediately confirm a shot had been fired.
Teah Wimberly, 15, w[-as charged with first-degree murder and discharging a weapon on school property in the death of Amanda Collette, also 15.
