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"Am I not destroying my enemies when I make them my friends?" - Abraham Lincoln

"America is a large, friendly dog in a very small room. Every time it wags its tail it knocks over a chair." - Arnold Toynbee

"Fighting for peace is like f***ing for virginity." - Anonymous

Go back to being five years old. Start getting picked on by many different people, continuously, over a span of thirteen years. Then tell us the thought of really fucking one of them up never crossed your mind.

Hate to pick a bone, but ...

How would this help the victims in the bathroom? Answer: it wouldn't. Even if the off-duty cop had been closer to the bathroom, those people still would have been shot. While the cop certainly may have stopped further violence, you don't need a gun to stop someone when they're reloading a revolver* (tackling will work). In other words, a gun did not help to resolve the situation.

Metal detectors, people. In public schools, and in private schools. Why don't we try and keep guns out of schools instead of thinking that bringing more in will solve the problem?

* = At least, not when they're a 15-year old kid, no doubt scared out of their ever-loving mind. But then, anyone else would've brought a semi-automatic for faster reloading ...

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Star Trek Gamma Quadrant
Average Rated 6.27 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with four eps posted)
***
"Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!"
-Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001
****
"The candidate who slimed John McCain in the primaries and smeared Al Gore in the general election is now the president who pledges to elevate the nation's tone and bring civility to our discorse. Kind of like Michael Corleone brought peace to the mob by killing the heads of the other four families."
--Paul Begala, Is Our Children Learning?

Of course, while I'm all for the right to do whatever you want, wear whatever you want, and say whatever you want, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else, I have found that the level of bullying I received went down drastically when I got a decent hairstyle and stopped wearing my "warp factor 2, Mr Sulu" t-shirt.

I wish I could have had a reasonable hairstyle. I have a double crown, which results in my naturally having two immense cowlicks, like small horns, on my forehead. (I was Triceratops-boy, in elementary school.) Not as bad as Dagwood's but close. (I finally solved that problem by parting through one of them, and using a LOT of mousse.)

I'll tell you what will end discipline problems in schools. Issue every teacher a semiauto, and allow them a 10% casualty rate per class. Kind of like the Spartans did in the old days.

*BLAMM!* Okay, anybody else not do their homework?

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The government that seems the most unwise, oft goodness to the people best supplies. That which is meddling, touching everything, will work but ill, and disappointment bring. - The Tao Te Ching

Hey, instead of being overcompetetive at meaningless sports, let's transfer some of that energy into parents' involvment in their kids' academic careers!

I mean, you hear allatime some guy saying "Yeah, I started playing ball with Johnny when he was only 2, and now he's an all-star," but you never hear "Yeah, I started Johnny in on Science when he was 3, and now he's Valedictorian and got a scholarship to MIT."

Now for the subject of this thread... Not that it seems there is interest, but I thought some of you would enjoy these neato links...
http://www.mem.com/SantanaHS2/bio_SantanaHS.htm

http://www.fbi.gov/pressrm/pressrel/pressrel00/school.htm

also since some seem to be in this age group and also seem in great need of empathy for the victims, not the suspected gunman, here is an email address to reach out to Santana High students... [email protected]

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-dih1138

[This message has been edited by dih1138 (edited March 09, 2001).]

quote:

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Maryland man arrested after Santana High e-mail threat

Santana High School on Wednesday
March 10, 2001
Web posted at: 7:43 a.m. EST (1243 GMT)

SANTEE, California (CNN) -- Police arrested a young Maryland man after e-mail threats of new violence at California's Santana High School.

Heightened security had been ordered for the school in Santee, California, a San Diego suburb, for Friday after a student received a threat warning of plans to "complete" the job started Monday in a shooting rampage at Santana High.

"We are going to assume that it's serious until proven otherwise," said Sgt. Mike Radovich of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Late Friday, the San Diego County district attorneys office identified a suspect in the e-mail case as Patrick Andrew Smith, 19, of Walkersville, Maryland.

"I can't tell you a whole lot, because no search warrant has been served yet," said Liz Pursell, a spokeswoman for the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Two students died and 13 people were wounded in Monday's shootings. Charles Andrew Williams, a 15-year-old freshman boy known to friends as Andy, faces murder, assault and weapons charges in the attack.

Grossmont Union School District Superintendent Granger Ward said the threat made Thursday was sent to a Santana student via instant messaging on the Internet. According to Ward, the message threatened to "complete what Andy hadn't finished."

The message said more violence could be expected Friday, but none materialized.

No consideration was given to canceling classes, Principal Karen Degischer told a school assembly Thursday. She urged the students not to let such threats force them to live in fear, and recommended they wear the school's colors of purple and gold Friday in a show of solidarity.

School re-opened Wednesday, and about 80 percent of the 1,900 students enrolled at Santana showed up for classes Thursday, Degischer said.

A sheriff's spokesman said a second Internet threat was received by a student at neighboring West Hills High School, and that also is under investigation.

A memorial service took place Friday night for the two boys who were killed -- Bryan Zuckor, 14, and Randy Gordon, 17. Meanwhile, four students who said they knew about the planned shooting rampage but didn't tell authorities will be enrolled at other schools, Ward said, out of concern for their safety.

Ward said the four students are not being punished, but he is concerned for their safety.

"We have been in contact with the families of four students who allegedly had prior knowledge," he said. "We are working with these families to determine the best program for their children. This is not a punitive action.

"We are working with them and on a voluntary basis. We are assisting them to have their child enrolled in another program at the school district."

Authorities had previously said three students may have known about Monday's attack.

One of Williams' friends said she had not believed he was serious when he made the alleged threats.

"He said, 'I'm joking. You can trust me. I'm just joking,'" a girl who wished to be identified only as Katy told CNN. She said the episode had left her confused and hurt.

"I can't even figure out what I'm trying to feel right now," she said.

Katy originally thought she would be among those banned, but later said she was not.

---

quote:

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Why violence?

The Secret Service's findings on school shootings
March 6, 2001
Web posted at: 6:25 PM EST (2325 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Secret Service study into school-shooting incidents found that most of the attackers were on what researchers called a "path to violence."

The report cautions adults to be alert to warning signs and to be on the lookout for the pattern of behavior described in the report.

The Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center began to look at school shooting incidents in September 1999. It examined 37 incidents involving 41 perpetrators. Besides reviewing case files, the Secret Service researchers interviewed 10 perpetrators in person.

The interim report, released in October, found incidents were not impulsive -- rarely were there cases where a student just "snapped." Instead, the incidents were the end results of an observable and understandable pattern of thinking and behavior.

More than half of the attackers planned their attack at least two days in advance. More than three-quarters of them told someone of their plans, usually a peer, and usually more than one person. However, even though friends, classmates or siblings often knew of the attacker's plans, rarely was this information brought to the attention of an adult.

History of depression
Although people often ask, "what kind of person does this type of thing?" the Secret Service report concludes that might be the wrong question to ask, since its survey of attackers did not yield a useful profile.

Although all the shooters were boys or young men, they ranged in age from 11 to 21 and their family backgrounds ranged from intact families to foster families with a history of neglect. Some perpetrators were excellent students; some were failing. Some were popular; some were socially isolated. Very few had ever been diagnosed with a mental illness.

There was one common theme: depression.

More than half of the young men had a history of feeling extremely depressed. Prior to the violent incident, three-quarters of them had either threatened to kill themselves, made a suicidal gesture or actually tried to kill themselves.

More than two-thirds felt persecuted or bullied by someone. The motive for the shooting was often revenge.

The Secret Service report does offer some hope: Since the shooters usually take some time to plan their attacks, there is time to intervene. Sometimes it might be only a few days, so the researchers warn it is necessary to move quickly.

One of the shooters interviewed by Secret Service researchers was Luke Woodham, who killed his mother and two students in Pearl, Mississippi, in 1997.

The Secret Service asked Woodham what it would have taken for a grown-up to know what he felt.

Woodham: Pay attention. Just sit down and talk with me.

Question: What advice do you have for adults?

Woodham: I think they should try to bond more with their students ... Talk to them ... It doesn't have to be about anything. Just have some kind of relationship with them.

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Star Trek Gamma Quadrant
Average Rated 8.65 out of 10 Smileys by Carl Marx (with four hundred eps posted)
***
"Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence you stinking bastard!"
-Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001

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Star Trek Gamma Quadrant
Average Rated 6.27 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with four eps posted)
***
"Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!"
-Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001
****
"The candidate who slimed John McCain in the primaries and smeared Al Gore in the general election is now the president who pledges to elevate the nation's tone and bring civility to our discorse. Kind of like Michael Corleone brought peace to the mob by killing the heads of the other four families."
--Paul Begala, Is Our Children Learning?

But then, you could also argue that decent parenting includes making sure your kid wouldn't use the gun for illicit purposes, regardless of whether they can access it or not.