Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Education in Tragedy

I'm still trying to deal with the school shootings in Pennsylvania, given the recent shooting at Dawson College in Montreal. All this echoes too closely with the Montreal Massacre of 1989 (still woefully unknown in many circles).

I'm not an analyst, but I figure there is greater likelihood of a school shooting than a terrorist attack in our cities and villages. Where is the care and attention that is needed for these ordinary, everyday people on the verge of violent outbursts? How can someone get so disconnected from the human collective that they target innocent people gathered in schools?

In the coming aftermath, what will happen to the learning environment now that the sense of safety is lost? How can people learn in such an ethos of lock-downs, locker searches and metal detectors? What is the real message that the children then learn: don't trust others? expect the worst? superior fire power wins the day? be afraid?

I believe in heaven. As for hell, I think maybe that's where we are right now...

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