Tomorrow

[flipped]

I think Thursday will be Offensive Weekly Essay Day. Wednesday is already Occasional Useless Poll Day, so I don't want to muscle in or rain on mtffm's parade. I think the essays are working because my LJ friend that this is suppose to help posted today that she wants the entire human race to die of viral infection. While that is pretty offensive, I

Comments

America is as violent as it is apple pie

[alabina]

The same week that Tim Mcveigh bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City as a "message" to the government, Robert McNamara's book came out describing the bombing of North Vietnam as a means of "sending a message" to that country

Re: America is as violent as it is apple pie

[bienvenida]

Before I go off on a wild tangent with my theory, don't American schools have Peer Mediation?

Re: America is as violent as it is apple pie

[fllngrdian]

peer...what now?
Does that involve your peers taking an active *positive* interest in you? Because...then, it's a resounding no.

Re: America is as violent as it is apple pie

[bienvenida]

Kids generally won't ask an adult for help. They won't "squeal" on one another. They will allow themselves to be bullied because they don't know where to turn for help. These are the stepping stones that grow the roots of rage, leading to suicide, shootings, or just plain messed up future adults

Re: America is as violent as it is apple pie

[zanzara]

This makes perfect 100% logical sense. It's the way it should be.

Unfortunately, I think often the school administrators feed into the "bully culture" here in many of the schools.

The whole system needs to be canned and rebuilt.

Re: America is as violent as it is apple pie

[flipped]

I love that idea!

It doesn't involve authority unless it is a last resort. I like that the mediator is a kid. All equal parties trying to resolve their feelings and problems with the why of everything.

You Canadians are sometimes pretty darn smart. :)

Re: America is as violent as it is apple pie

[alabina]

Depends upon the school.

Some, particularly in a few urban areas are psychologically sophisitacated...many are still very backwards.

Funding has been cut so much for schools now the teachers I know are all out on stress disablility locally.

Re: America is as violent as it is apple pie

[bienvenida]

I just put in a reply about it.
It costs nothing.
And it is so effective, that it doesn't usually get to the point of involving staff.

Re: America is as violent as it is apple pie

[alabina]

The problem is convincing an administrator that they need to bother to implement another "program" when they are cutting everything that is not "reading, writing, arithmetic"...I mean, they cut music, many have cut PE. Some districts no longer provide buses, and if teachers want to take the kids on field trips they have to pay for the whole thing, including hiring the bus, themselves.

And, the school administrators are far more concerned about "business" than they are about the needs of children/teens.

I fight with 'em all the time about this stuff.

My school horror stories could fill a book.

Re: America is as violent as it is apple pie

[bienvenida]

Maybe the school administrators aren't the ones to approach.

Maybe it's whoever makes your laws, and maybe they should make the schools liable for foreseeable events resulting from bullies.

Zero tolerance is the only way.

Without any offense intended, but more of pondering, I wonder if what the rest of the world refers to as "the American attitude" is really a result of going through your school system? A system that sounds like only the strong survive by tactics reprehensible in other countries?

Re: America is as violent as it is apple pie

[alabina]

I've been trying to scrap the school system for twenty years.

Apparently no one particularly cares what I think :(

I think it's a combination of parental ignorance, apapthy, incrediblie societal stress (when you're a single parent earning minimum wage and trying to support your kids, getting politically active is the last thing you have time for...), and people in top positions who don't give a damn.

And many legislators are ignorant re: education issues, psychological issues...I mean who is going to be governor? The fucking Terminator.

It's a mess. You and I could straighten it out, but we'd have to use big guns to get them to listen to us :D