WaterFriendsIV

WaterFriendsIV t1_jdcwpae wrote

Reply to comment by too_old_to_be_clever in Body is 17-year-old accused of shooting 2 at Denver high school, Colorado coroner confirms - CNN by oldschoolskater

Former teacher here.

If you are a student who is forced every day to go somewhere you aren't successful, have no friends, teachers expect you to fail, and you are frisked and treated like a criminal every day, you are going to despair and feel hopeless. This will turn into resentment and anger. Now add easy access to guns and the question isn't "why does this keep happening?" it's "why isn't this happening even more?"

For 30% of students, high school is pretty fun. You may have lots of friends, excel at sports, and maybe even date. Teachers like you, your parents share your successes with other people. You are college bound.

For another 30%, school is tolerable. You have passable grades, go to events once in a while, have friends you hang out with, and may or may not have plans to go to college one day. It's not your favorite place to be, but it's not forever, and you have the idea that things will be better after high school.

Another 30% hate school. They find it mind-numbingly boring, can't wait to be done, and wouldn't go to a dance or sporting event if you paid them. They have one or two people who are friends and are closer to them than most family members. They smoke weed to be able to get through the day and play video games to escape and have something to look forward to.

School is painful for the last 10%. They only go if forced. They are isolated and alone. They are bullied daily, if not hourly. They might survive it until they can drop out. Or they might resort to killing the people that they feel are responsible and then themselves.

For some kids, school is already prison. It is a hopeless place they endure, if they can. Until school changes, this will keep happening. Easy access to guns just adds gas to an already burning fire.

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