Guns at school!? Teens mad at who?

Dear ones

The shocking tragedy of a hi-school boy shooting & killing his parents & 2 innosent kids at school, is a crises in trust, fear & safety all at once! Why'd he kill'm there & then? Why didn't the educators & parents know his rage was seething within? waiting for.....the last punishment to get revenge at 'them' who hurt him? Was he known to be 'at risk' of violence? if not, why not?

As a Dreikurs/cooperative family counselor since '71(MS U.O.) i am seeking some democratic answers & solutions to the violence. (Also the Sun to entered Gemini that fateful Thursday morning!) Now there's a common-pattern of busy unaware friends, family & teachers, who are often shocked by teens killings & suicides, which is more common than murders. Why are we so disturbed or scared by real violence? Is the fear of it burried under illusions of public safety? hidden in our guts by styles, shame &, dreams? Perhaps we're numb to it, because its in most sports, mysteries & most news media?! What are the real motives behind those murders? hate, defeat, etc?

So let's seek the deep & many sources of violent rage in scary schools, homes & the public/streets. Who are responsible for causing the violence? family & school conflicts? TV, bad policies & laws?, toxic food & drugs? These are added to the popular contest & competition that can defeat a childs need to belong & grow naturally open, trusting & cooperative? But each child & family is unique. Was the boy a victim or bully at school or home? suffer any child abuse or normal or extreme neglect of natural needs? or abused sexually?

Examining the causes honestly, lets ask the heaviest questions Why do students have fears, conflicts, violence, hyperactivity, apathy &or arrested development! Does his school punish students for having (bad)emotions & breaking rules made by adults, forced on kids with threats of failing, referrals, detention, suspension & expulsion? If so, its no wonder kids resent or fear teachers & bully peers. What real trust building connects & bonds the kids to kids & staff to parents? Now will they get sensitive & deep? or what?

What sensitivity is now helping counsel the most hurt & scared kids & parents in the wake of these murders?. Now are the local "emergency agencies (using fear) considering more(law & order) drills"? like the atom-bomb drills we had in school? Will the local swateams' rally, when gun searches have failed to create peace at school, to protect kids from threats & attack? Are there fights, run-aways & drugging around the school now?

Did his parents have power struggles or addictions at home? or hit him? Were there any family conflicts over his education? Was he punished, forced to eat junk, take medicine or stay grounded at home? Was he a lonely TV, sugar, video game or porno addict?? These are normal symptoms of family stress, battles & violence.

Did he get any counseling or therapy before the gunning down?? Did he(or any students) get to make daily decisions & real choices about their basic learning, free-time or socialives? Or were they privileged to get an 'elective', join an adult-run club or sport?

My bias is for social equality between kids & adults, both choosing & needing respect,positive service, civil rites & freedoms of expression, to gather peacefully, have access & real privacy! If these aren't offered & used daily, then power-struggles for control & fear happen. It's humanature to need & choose real honest fair & fun life support systems of growing whole; if its denied, trouble happens!

There's so many toxins around most schools, businesses, homes, streets & cars that can stress ones moods, health & learning skills. Like our multiple food addictions(sugar/sweeteners, preservatives, coffee, coke/cola, chocolate, milk/cream, bread & pastry, oil/nuts, meat/eggs, etc) combined with poisons, herbicides & pesticides can co-create allergies & illness, violence &or depression, when the inner conflicts aren't expressed honestly to solve it simply. If we add those to tobacco, chemodrugs or social powerless- ness, we have kids 'at risk' under stress, maybe violent! But just saying NO! & outlawing them creates another power struggle for self control, that most kids want to have like adults legally do use.

Like most student touching is outlawed at school & in public: no hugging, kissing, dancing, massage or real bonding?! HOW MANY beliefs & fears are forced on kids to agree, submit & obey their teachers, parents & cops? backed by the STATE? Most students in public schools seem to look & act so innosent about sex, drugs, crime & abuse, until a crises happens, or sharing in their most secret circle of close friends, if they have any. Wide are the 'generation gaps'!

Here's a few possible solutions to the violence: giving students who want to express deep feelings, fears & needs a safe supportive relaxing & private place to share their hearts & bond with friends & elders they choose! Help kids examine their environments for stress, toxins, pollution, conflicts, denial/nelgect of civil-rites & natural needs, ie unhealthy anything!

Provide the choices of homEducation support, indenpendent- community learning & volunteer programs! Have weekly or so & monthly open or closed 'fair peer hearings' for student needs, fears & complaints(threats, abuse, sexism, agism, racism, etc) to find & try solutions with total honesty & integrity! This includes having a real powerful democratic student-body government, that makes open fair decisions (with parents?)for the students needs. In small groups & play therapy we encourage, allow & accept feelings, teach open encountering trust, communication skills & assertiveness training freely, to help youth learn, request & use their potential passions as creative learners & equal partners. More natural outdoors & practical herenow education classes & options daily. These are used in various schools around the USA now since 1970s!

We've heard that some rare schools have parenting classes for hi-schoolers who want to learn & use those skills with children. Some teens have babies they need to learn how to love & bond with them naturally in peace & healthy living. We need to remember & use all the abilities from the '60s & '70s liberation movements? to prevent becoming a police state where big brothers watches & records U$. Peace at home or school must be learned & earned, not bribed or threatened to work. Thank God for this newave of openess to reforming our schooling into a truely democratic peaceful Eco-community of voluntary cooperation.

respectfully micheal sunanda