[Michah]

Hi there,

My son is 14 now and starting to ask the big questions whilst finding sanctuary in his Xbox, Ipod and nintendo DS. Time for the real world babe in the most gentle way I can show you.

Pulled him away from his technological narcotics and removed the social anesthetic and asked him to watch Bowling For Columbine. He got it and was quite philosophical about it. He said "not here in Australia" and I said "I bet the Americans thought that as well before it happened. Son, one does not have to experience it to learn from it". Didn't want him to be scared, just wanted him to know the deep traumas that some teenagers have to go through, no matter where they are from and how it effects the entire nation.

Then I got him Supersize Me. Put him off fast food for a month. "you can eat it, just in moderation".

I am proud that my seemingly oblivious, self absorbed teenager has a social conscious. It makes other issues seem unimportant.

Believe it or not, most teenagers do care...

Well, then again people have repeatedly said that my brother and I seem to care most then other teenagers.

Sadly, Columbine was neither the first, nor the last school shooting in the US...the most notorious one after that was probably the Virginia Tech Massacre. It just makes me SO mad knowing that most of the time there are signs that occur before these things happen and if somebody just took the time to notice these things and do something to talk them out of it then school shootings would be preventable!

[Michah]

Originally Posted by Kaika

Believe it or not, most teenagers do care...

Well, then again people have repeatedly said that my brother and I seem to care most then other teenagers.

Sadly, Columbine was neither the first, nor the last school shooting in the US...the most notorious one after that was probably the Virginia Tech Massacre. It just makes me SO mad knowing that most of the time there are signs that occur before these things happen and if somebody just took the time to notice these things and do something to talk them out of it then school shootings would be preventable!

Absolutely Kaika.......yes we followed Virginia tech closely and then the one more recently in Germany. I can imagine the atrocity but can also feel deep regret for the life that took all other lives. That that person was so transparent, they could not be seen. What does it take to be driven to do that? I know homicidal rage.......I am so glad I had my son to focus me or I may have been sent down that path. Maybe thats why I feel so sad for all the young people involved........such devastation and anguish......on both sides.

I never want my son to feel that destitute or entertain the idea that he may act on it with such armageddon.