Father of player shoots coach

[Hoggysoprano]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=5&u=/ap/20050407/ap_on_re_us/coach_shot

They take football pretty serious in Texas.

[Amityvillehogger]

Man thats crazy.  Some people need to get a grip.  I know some fathers like that, but not to that extent.

[Flatfoot]

Sounds like this guy needs Anger Management Classes or he is definitely a few fries short of a happy-meal.

[gatecrasher]

It's parents like that (even not that extreme) that gives coaches such headaches!  Parents/boosters raise high-and-mighty hell if their sons/daughters don't play enough or at all.  By high school, you are not supposed to play if you do not produce.

[mikeirwin]

It's parents like that (even not that extreme) that gives coaches such headaches! Parents/boosters raise high-and-mighty hell if their sons/daughters don't play enough or at all. By high school, you are not supposed to play if you do not produce.

It's certainly over the top and inexcusable. But if you examine the facts in this story it involves the same sort of stuff that a lot of the school shootings have involved: the hazing, ridiculing, and harassing of certain students. I never thought much about this until it happened to one of my boys. I grew up in a small town where we all made fun of certain "geeky" kids. I never gave one thought to what we were doing to those kids. It seemed funny at the time. Years later one of them committed suicide. I have no proof that what we did caused the suicide but I sure don't feel good about it. I had to deal with this personally when my oldest son got labeled in elementary school. I don't know what he did to cause it but that kid was harassed from the first grade all the way through high school. Walking home from school in junior high he was once jumped by a van full of kids right along side of College Avenue. My basic reaction was to go find the chicken #%** who did it and pound them. But my wife and I played it straight and worked through the school to get the problem solved. All I can say is they did virtually nothing.
As a result my son quit school after his junior year and got a GED. Today he is happy, successful and is about to get married. I consider myself lucky. My kid didn't go off the deep end and neither did I.
Many of these shooting incidents could be prevented if teachers would get more actively involved. They've got to stop the harassment. They see it happening. Far too often they do nothing. Before you know it a kid or a parent goes bonkers and we have another tragedy.

[tophawg19]

it happens more & more every day teachers are supposed to watch for it but some turn a deaf ear or ignore it .sorry about your son mike .probably a lot of us have done the same thing .

[Gman]

So much for UA's national spotlight, no more talk of pink jerseys for a while.  This is sad...

[gatecrasher]

It's parents like that (even not that extreme) that gives coaches such headaches! Parents/boosters raise high-and-mighty hell if their sons/daughters don't play enough or at all. By high school, you are not supposed to play if you do not produce.

It's certainly over the top and inexcusable. But if you examine the facts in this story it involves the same sort of stuff that a lot of the school shootings have involved: the hazing, ridiculing, and harassing of certain students. I never thought much about this until it happened to one of my boys. I grew up in a small town where we all made fun of certain "geeky" kids. I never gave one thought to what we were doing to those kids. It seemed funny at the time. Years later one of them committed suicide. I have no proof that what we did caused the suicide but I sure don't feel good about it. I had to deal with this personally when my oldest son got labeled in elementary school. I don't know what he did to cause it but that kid was harassed from the first grade all the way through high school. Walking home from school in junior high he was once jumped by a van full of kids right along side of College Avenue. My basic reaction was to go find the chicken #%** who did it and pound them. But my wife and I played it straight and worked through the school to get the problem solved. All I can say is they did virtually nothing.
As a result my son quit school after his junior year and got a GED. Today he is happy, successful and is about to get married. I consider myself lucky. My kid didn't go off the deep end and neither did I.
Many of these shooting incidents could be prevented if teachers would get more actively involved. They've got to stop the harassment. They see it happening. Far too often they do nothing. Before you know it a kid or a parent goes bonkers and we have another tragedy.

I'm glad things worked out for your son, Mike.  It is sad though that he had to quit school because of all the b/s he had to deal with.  You are to be commended for the way you handled the situation.  I teach my children (as I was taught) to not lay down and take any unneccessary crap...but not to instigate anything.  After reading about your son though I hope that I haven't set my children up for (God forbid) something extreme down the road.  I was raised in a military family and I am a veteran myself, so you can figure out why I have taught my kids the way I have. I have been known for an explosive temper in the past (have worked on it for years) and I am less stressful than before, but now my kids are getting older (2 of them on the cusp of jr high) and I honestly don't know how I would handle a situation similar to what you had to go through if it arose.  Our kids have a right to a stress-free education and sports activities, and it's sad that this day and age that kids are more volatile than they ever were when you or I attended school.  I guess I was one of the lucky ones. I was the starting QB on my varsity football team and never had any trouble like that.  Thanks for sharing your story, Mike.  You just awakened me to something I will definitely keep a close eye on as my kids go through school.

[Hoggysoprano]

It's parents like that (even not that extreme) that gives coaches such headaches! Parents/boosters raise high-and-mighty hell if their sons/daughters don't play enough or at all. By high school, you are not supposed to play if you do not produce.

It's certainly over the top and inexcusable. But if you examine the facts in this story it involves the same sort of stuff that a lot of the school shootings have involved: the hazing, ridiculing, and harassing of certain students. I never thought much about this until it happened to one of my boys. I grew up in a small town where we all made fun of certain "geeky" kids. I never gave one thought to what we were doing to those kids. It seemed funny at the time. Years later one of them committed suicide. I have no proof that what we did caused the suicide but I sure don't feel good about it. I had to deal with this personally when my oldest son got labeled in elementary school. I don't know what he did to cause it but that kid was harassed from the first grade all the way through high school. Walking home from school in junior high he was once jumped by a van full of kids right along side of College Avenue. My basic reaction was to go find the chicken #%** who did it and pound them. But my wife and I played it straight and worked through the school to get the problem solved. All I can say is they did virtually nothing.
As a result my son quit school after his junior year and got a GED. Today he is happy, successful and is about to get married. I consider myself lucky. My kid didn't go off the deep end and neither did I.
Many of these shooting incidents could be prevented if teachers would get more actively involved. They've got to stop the harassment. They see it happening. Far too often they do nothing. Before you know it a kid or a parent goes bonkers and we have another tragedy.

Very true, I have seen some this stuff go on and the teachers don't do a thing.  It's a wonder things like this don't happen more often.

[Mike Tencleve]

It's parents like that (even not that extreme) that gives coaches such headaches! Parents/boosters raise high-and-mighty hell if their sons/daughters don't play enough or at all. By high school, you are not supposed to play if you do not produce.

It's certainly over the top and inexcusable. But if you examine the facts in this story it involves the same sort of stuff that a lot of the school shootings have involved: the hazing, ridiculing, and harassing of certain students. I never thought much about this until it happened to one of my boys. I grew up in a small town where we all made fun of certain "geeky" kids. I never gave one thought to what we were doing to those kids. It seemed funny at the time. Years later one of them committed suicide. I have no proof that what we did caused the suicide but I sure don't feel good about it. I had to deal with this personally when my oldest son got labeled in elementary school. I don't know what he did to cause it but that kid was harassed from the first grade all the way through high school. Walking home from school in junior high he was once jumped by a van full of kids right along side of College Avenue. My basic reaction was to go find the chicken #%** who did it and pound them. But my wife and I played it straight and worked through the school to get the problem solved. All I can say is they did virtually nothing.
As a result my son quit school after his junior year and got a GED. Today he is happy, successful and is about to get married. I consider myself lucky. My kid didn't go off the deep end and neither did I.
Many of these shooting incidents could be prevented if teachers would get more actively involved. They've got to stop the harassment. They see it happening. Far too often they do nothing. Before you know it a kid or a parent goes bonkers and we have another tragedy.

You had me until you said the teachers. Damn is it always the teachers and the schools fault??? I mean what happen to your kid was wrong, as it is with any kid that is picked on. But to say as a general statement that the teachers need to do more, no way. Hell the schools are basically raising most kids now days. We are all responsible for our own actions, even kids. They have to be taught responsibility and that starts at home.

[tophawg19]

teachers are supposed to be trained to watch for this and report it .most schools have officers trained to handle this including going to parents .this can and often does lead to the arrest of students .& or parents .many times the kids are sent to [boot camps] .

[gatecrasher]

It's parents like that (even not that extreme) that gives coaches such headaches! Parents/boosters raise high-and-mighty hell if their sons/daughters don't play enough or at all. By high school, you are not supposed to play if you do not produce.

It's certainly over the top and inexcusable. But if you examine the facts in this story it involves the same sort of stuff that a lot of the school shootings have involved: the hazing, ridiculing, and harassing of certain students. I never thought much about this until it happened to one of my boys. I grew up in a small town where we all made fun of certain "geeky" kids. I never gave one thought to what we were doing to those kids. It seemed funny at the time. Years later one of them committed suicide. I have no proof that what we did caused the suicide but I sure don't feel good about it. I had to deal with this personally when my oldest son got labeled in elementary school. I don't know what he did to cause it but that kid was harassed from the first grade all the way through high school. Walking home from school in junior high he was once jumped by a van full of kids right along side of College Avenue. My basic reaction was to go find the chicken #%** who did it and pound them. But my wife and I played it straight and worked through the school to get the problem solved. All I can say is they did virtually nothing.
As a result my son quit school after his junior year and got a GED. Today he is happy, successful and is about to get married. I consider myself lucky. My kid didn't go off the deep end and neither did I.
Many of these shooting incidents could be prevented if teachers would get more actively involved. They've got to stop the harassment. They see it happening. Far too often they do nothing. Before you know it a kid or a parent goes bonkers and we have another tragedy.

You had me until you said the teachers. Damn is it always the teachers and the schools fault??? I mean what happen to your kid was wrong, as it is with any kid that is picked on. But to say as a general statement that the teachers need to do more, no way. Hell the schools are basically raising most kids now days. We are all responsible for our own actions, even kids. They have to be taught responsibility and that starts at home.

So you're saying my 7 year old should be held totally responsible in a world they know jack shite about?  And yes, if a teacher catches on to bullying or the like, they BETTER do something about it, even if it is only notifying a parent of the problem.  They better if it's my child involved.   It's their duty to take action.  I can only teach my kids so much based on their age.  They learn more as they get older, and that includes holding themselves accountable for their actions.  I am in the process of teaching my kids accountability.  I do not expect my 6 and 7 year old daughters to hold themselves totally accountable for their actions.  They don't understand the concept.

[Porquemada]

It's parents like that (even not that extreme) that gives coaches such headaches! Parents/boosters raise high-and-mighty hell if their sons/daughters don't play enough or at all. By high school, you are not supposed to play if you do not produce.

It's certainly over the top and inexcusable. But if you examine the facts in this story it involves the same sort of stuff that a lot of the school shootings have involved: the hazing, ridiculing, and harassing of certain students. I never thought much about this until it happened to one of my boys. I grew up in a small town where we all made fun of certain "geeky" kids. I never gave one thought to what we were doing to those kids. It seemed funny at the time. Years later one of them committed suicide. I have no proof that what we did caused the suicide but I sure don't feel good about it. I had to deal with this personally when my oldest son got labeled in elementary school. I don't know what he did to cause it but that kid was harassed from the first grade all the way through high school. Walking home from school in junior high he was once jumped by a van full of kids right along side of College Avenue. My basic reaction was to go find the chicken #%** who did it and pound them. But my wife and I played it straight and worked through the school to get the problem solved. All I can say is they did virtually nothing.
As a result my son quit school after his junior year and got a GED. Today he is happy, successful and is about to get married. I consider myself lucky. My kid didn't go off the deep end and neither did I.
Many of these shooting incidents could be prevented if teachers would get more actively involved. They've got to stop the harassment. They see it happening. Far too often they do nothing. Before you know it a kid or a parent goes bonkers and we have another tragedy.

Very true, I have seen some this stuff go on and the teachers don't do a thing.  It's a wonder things like this don't happen more often.

There ya go. You boys keep on blaming the teachers instead of the useless frickin' parents who raised the kids. Typical ! What do ya want the teachers to do spank the kids ? Can't do that cause parents have basically taken corporal punishment away from schools

Spare the rod and spoil the child.

[gatecrasher]

It's parents like that (even not that extreme) that gives coaches such headaches! Parents/boosters raise high-and-mighty hell if their sons/daughters don't play enough or at all. By high school, you are not supposed to play if you do not produce.

It's certainly over the top and inexcusable. But if you examine the facts in this story it involves the same sort of stuff that a lot of the school shootings have involved: the hazing, ridiculing, and harassing of certain students. I never thought much about this until it happened to one of my boys. I grew up in a small town where we all made fun of certain "geeky" kids. I never gave one thought to what we were doing to those kids. It seemed funny at the time. Years later one of them committed suicide. I have no proof that what we did caused the suicide but I sure don't feel good about it. I had to deal with this personally when my oldest son got labeled in elementary school. I don't know what he did to cause it but that kid was harassed from the first grade all the way through high school. Walking home from school in junior high he was once jumped by a van full of kids right along side of College Avenue. My basic reaction was to go find the chicken #%** who did it and pound them. But my wife and I played it straight and worked through the school to get the problem solved. All I can say is they did virtually nothing.
As a result my son quit school after his junior year and got a GED. Today he is happy, successful and is about to get married. I consider myself lucky. My kid didn't go off the deep end and neither did I.
Many of these shooting incidents could be prevented if teachers would get more actively involved. They've got to stop the harassment. They see it happening. Far too often they do nothing. Before you know it a kid or a parent goes bonkers and we have another tragedy.

Very true, I have seen some this stuff go on and the teachers don't do a thing.  It's a wonder things like this don't happen more often.

There ya go. You boys keep on blaming the teachers instead of the useless frickin' parents who raised the kids. Typical ! What do ya want the teachers to do spank the kids ? Can't do that cause parents have basically taken corporal punishment away from schools

You hit the nail right on the head.  And I'm one of the few parents who will allow my kids' teachers or administrators to use corporal punishment, as long as a witness is present and I am notified beforehand (that is in my kids' records).  And then they have double jeopardy, because they have to deal with Dad when they get home!!  Excuse my French but if more parents would snatch a knot in their kids' asses there would probably be less of these kids who think they are Billy-Bob Bad Ass running around wreaking havoc on the streets and in the schools.  There are probably just as many parents who need their butts kicked as there are kids who need some form of shock treatment (not shock as in elec.  but some form of discipline to scare the daylights out of them).  I am a military vet and i am to the point where i think all kids (male or female) should be exposed to some kind of boot camp-type, structured environment at some point during their growing-up years.  It's got to this point, parents.  Anyone with me?

[Rocky&Boarwinkle]

As a teacher, let me throw this out there.  The really sneaky, devious ones don't do anything in front of the teacher.  They get others to do their dirty work.  They write "bitch" on the other girl's locker after everyone else has left school for the evening.  They trip the other kid in the hall, between classes between the two teachers who are watching the hall.  They catch the kid in the bathroom and work him over.  Our schools are a microcosm of society.  The achievers are swimming with the future sex offenders and drug dealers.  All teachers I know, put a stop to it as soon as they see it, but when you only see maybe 10% of what is happening, and kids keep that kind of stuff mum, then how is it always the teacher's fault?

If parents were actually keeping up with their kids and disciplining them at home, you wouldn't see hardly anything like this going on.  We had an incident of an 8th grader bullying another one.  they were both on the football team and were walking down to the football field.  It happened between the school buildings and the field house.  Guess what we do now?  They have to load up on a bus and drive like 500 yards down to the football field.  Because one kid can't behave.  But let's blame the teachers and the coaches.

[gatecrasher]

As a teacher, let me throw this out there.  The really sneaky, devious ones don't do anything in front of the teacher.  They get others to do their dirty work.  They write "bitch" on the other girl's locker after everyone else has left school for the evening.  They trip the other kid in the hall, between classes between the two teachers who are watching the hall.  They catch the kid in the bathroom and work him over.  Our schools are a microcosm of society.  The achievers are swimming with the future sex offenders and drug dealers.  All teachers I know, put a stop to it as soon as they see it, but when you only see maybe 10% of what is happening, and kids keep that kind of stuff mum, then how is it always the teacher's fault?

If parents were actually keeping up with their kids and disciplining them at home, you wouldn't see hardly anything like this going on.  We had an incident of an 8th grader bullying another one.  they were both on the football team and were walking down to the football field.  It happened between the school buildings and the field house.  Guess what we do now?  They have to load up on a bus and drive like 500 yards down to the football field.  Because one kid can't behave.  But let's blame the teachers and the coaches.

Good post from a teacher's perspective.  I actually never thought of it in that aspect.  But you're right.  Kids wait until the spotlight is away from them to do their dirty work.  But if it takes making the kids ride 500 yards to practice because one child has to show his ass then so be it.  Kudos to you and your school for trying to make a difference.

[Hoggysoprano]

It's parents like that (even not that extreme) that gives coaches such headaches! Parents/boosters raise high-and-mighty hell if their sons/daughters don't play enough or at all. By high school, you are not supposed to play if you do not produce.

It's certainly over the top and inexcusable. But if you examine the facts in this story it involves the same sort of stuff that a lot of the school shootings have involved: the hazing, ridiculing, and harassing of certain students. I never thought much about this until it happened to one of my boys. I grew up in a small town where we all made fun of certain "geeky" kids. I never gave one thought to what we were doing to those kids. It seemed funny at the time. Years later one of them committed suicide. I have no proof that what we did caused the suicide but I sure don't feel good about it. I had to deal with this personally when my oldest son got labeled in elementary school. I don't know what he did to cause it but that kid was harassed from the first grade all the way through high school. Walking home from school in junior high he was once jumped by a van full of kids right along side of College Avenue. My basic reaction was to go find the chicken #%** who did it and pound them. But my wife and I played it straight and worked through the school to get the problem solved. All I can say is they did virtually nothing.
As a result my son quit school after his junior year and got a GED. Today he is happy, successful and is about to get married. I consider myself lucky. My kid didn't go off the deep end and neither did I.
Many of these shooting incidents could be prevented if teachers would get more actively involved. They've got to stop the harassment. They see it happening. Far too often they do nothing. Before you know it a kid or a parent goes bonkers and we have another tragedy.

You had me until you said the teachers. Damn is it always the teachers and the schools fault??? I mean what happen to your kid was wrong, as it is with any kid that is picked on. But to say as a general statement that the teachers need to do more, no way. Hell the schools are basically raising most kids now days. We are all responsible for our own actions, even kids. They have to be taught responsibility and that starts at home.

So you're saying my 7 year old should be held totally responsible in a world they know jack shite about?  And yes, if a teacher catches on to bullying or the like, they BETTER do something about it, even if it is only notifying a parent of the problem.  They better if it's my child involved.   It's their duty to take action.  I can only teach my kids so much based on their age.  They learn more as they get older, and that includes holding themselves accountable for their actions.  I am in the process of teaching my kids accountability.  I do not expect my 6 and 7 year old daughters to hold themselves totally accountable for their actions.  They don't understand the concept.

Teachers do notice and teachers send kids to the Principals office. Principal often notifies parents who, as usual, don't do Shiite. "Oh no, my kid is a little angel. He would never do anything like that ! "

The kids that have the teaching at home don't do these things, the teachers are the last line to see a problem.  I did not at all mean to blame a teacher for anything. I'm just saying with all this crap that goes on we're lucky that more of it doesn't happen.

[WilsonHog]

I've had some success with parental involvement, but I've also had some parents who have told me that there isn't anything THEY can do with their child.

It becomes a Catch-22. The knee-jerk reaction is always to suspend or expel the student, or, when the get old enough, have them get their GED.  Problem is, once a kid enters his freshman year that student counts against the school's graduation rate if he doesn't graduate or move to another school. A GED doesn't count. So, if the administration plays the GED or suspension/expulsion card too often, the state comes in and writes the school up for having a low gradutation rate.

[tophawg19]

our schools maintain 1 to3 officers to handle most problems but to often during breaks the kids
are allowed in areas unsupervised . the use of foul language ,kissing ,rubbing etc .are often overlooked 'cause it's going to happen anyway  It does start at home but today many people are afraid of their own kids or don't have time for them so they are allowed to run free .

[mikeirwin]

There ya go. You boys keep on blaming the teachers instead of the useless frickin' parents who raised the kids. Typical ! What do ya want the teachers to do spank the kids ? Can't do that cause parents have basically taken corporal punishment away from schools

I can't speak to every situation. I do know what happened in my son's case. It did virtually no good to go through the school.
Yes, I could have gone over to the parents house of the kids involved but I was advised not to. The police told me the problem was occurring on the school grounds within a school building. It was best dealt with by the school.
You say I'm blaming the teachers and that's wrong. Well what am I supposed to do when I drop my kid off at school, I watch him go in the back door of the building and I see him peer around the corner to see who is down the hall ? What kind of a school is it where a kid has to tip toe around the building looking down hallways to see if the coast is clear ?
One day he'd had enough. He bought a telescoping police baton from one of his friends to carry in his pocket to use if he were attacked.
He got caught with it by a teacher. Not using it. It was in his pocket. He served three days of in school suspension. Basically he could not attend regular classes. He was sent to a special class containing other kids who got in trouble. Here's the kicker. The morning of the third day the school office called me and informed me that my son had missed three days of school, was a truant and I could be arrested if I did not get him back into class.
No he didn't miss class. He was right there with the rest of the kids in the in school suspension class. The school office forgot that it had sent him there.
Is it any wonder that I agreed to let him get a GED and graduate early ?
He now has his college degree and is doing fine. I still remember what the principal (same guy who who lost track of him in his own school) told me when he didn't come back for his senior year. "This  will be a mark against your son. He will have a hard time succeeding."
Right.
I'm not attacking the public school system or teachers as a whole. My youngest son will graduate with honors from that same school later this spring. He's had no trouble at all. What I think is public schools are well equipped to deal with normal students in normal situations. But when a difficult problem comes along don't look for any help.
My original point is the same. Examine these school shootings and you will almost always find a kid that got backed into a corner and finally went nuts out of frustration.
You may not think it's the teachers fault but if I were a teacher I'd take responsibility and do something if I knew a kid was being harassed. Better that than end up the victim of a Columbine-type massacre.

[Arkapigdiesel]

Every time I reference the fact that Texas is over flowing with WACKOS, Anthrax casually defers to another point to argue.  Just another prime example (to file along with the cheerleader mother who shot her daughter's competition, the wacko sharp shooter in the tower at UT, etc...) of the endless stories of the lawless in the Singleminded, er...Lonestar state.  This is just another painful infusion of reality to pull Texan's heads out of the clouds -- for at least 2 seconds. Texas sucks, period.

Try *** living here .  I now have less than two months before I leave texas and come back home.  I honestly have yet to figure out why people think this state is so superior.  I call texas by the name of "mexico lite".  My goal was to get the job that I have now, but eventually move back home to The Promise Land (Arkansas).  I'm fortunate enough that I'm able to transfer back w/my job after only two years. Can't wait to get back home.

[tophawg19]

our schools in so.ark. have police officers in the school at all times  .Is this the case in the rest of the state .

[THEDADDY]

That may be the saddest story I have ever read,

Jeez, an open note to the state of texas, stop living thru the kids

[Gman]

Maybe we should give Texas back to Mexico

[Hoggam's Razor]

As a teacher, let me throw this out there. The really sneaky, devious ones don't do anything in front of the teacher. They get others to do their dirty work. They write "bitch" on the other girl's locker after everyone else has left school for the evening. They trip the other kid in the hall, between classes between the two teachers who are watching the hall. They catch the kid in the bathroom and work him over. Our schools are a microcosm of society. The achievers are swimming with the future sex offenders and drug dealers. All teachers I know, put a stop to it as soon as they see it, but when you only see maybe 10% of what is happening, and kids keep that kind of stuff mum, then how is it always the teacher's fault?

If parents were actually keeping up with their kids and disciplining them at home, you wouldn't see hardly anything like this going on. We had an incident of an 8th grader bullying another one. they were both on the football team and were walking down to the football field. It happened between the school buildings and the field house. Guess what we do now? They have to load up on a bus and drive like 500 yards down to the football field. Because one kid can't behave. But let's blame the teachers and the coaches.

Good post from a teacher's perspective. I actually never thought of it in that aspect. But you're right. Kids wait until the spotlight is away from them to do their dirty work. But if it takes making the kids ride 500 yards to practice because one child has to show his ass then so be it. Kudos to you and your school for trying to make a difference.

Perspective.....what a wonderful thing.   Why can't we use it more often.  Why is it people post their views and thoughts only to have them changed because of someone else's perspective?..............Why can't people just try and look at things first from different perspectives?

It's the teachers fault......unless your a teacher.
It's the parents fault......unless your a parent.
It's the childs fault.....unless your the child.
It's the bullys fault.......unless your the bully.

Fact is the world is a cruel place...there are no guarantees.  None.  Take Mike's son..... tell his story to a family w/ children growing up in a place like Iraq......they most likely won't have any sympathy..... or Africa, or Haiti and on and on.

Perspective is a bitch.  You want to think you got it bad, then use a little perspective and you can very quickly thank GOD that you don't. 

Next time you want to post what you think you think........bring some perspective into the equation......maybe you won't think what you think.

The Hogs football team sucks...blah, blah, blah...........we could be Mississippi State!  That's perspective.

[mikeirwin]

As a teacher, let me throw this out there.  The really sneaky, devious ones don't do anything in front of the teacher.  They get others to do their dirty work.  They write "bitch" on the other girl's locker after everyone else has left school for the evening.  They trip the other kid in the hall, between classes between the two teachers who are watching the hall.  They catch the kid in the bathroom and work him over.  Our schools are a microcosm of society.  The achievers are swimming with the future sex offenders and drug dealers.  All teachers I know, put a stop to it as soon as they see it, but when you only see maybe 10% of what is happening, and kids keep that kind of stuff mum, then how is it always the teacher's fault?

If parents were actually keeping up with their kids and disciplining them at home, you wouldn't see hardly anything like this going on.  We had an incident of an 8th grader bullying another one.  they were both on the football team and were walking down to the football field.  It happened between the school buildings and the field house.  Guess what we do now?  They have to load up on a bus and drive like 500 yards down to the football field.  Because one kid can't behave.  But let's blame the teachers and the coaches.

Sounds like that school is a good one. They have a problem and they do something about it. It may be  PITA to put the kids on a bus to go 500 yards but it might prevent trouble down the road. Again I ask you to check out the facts surrounding these school shootings. Often you will find a school that did not react. 

[muslimsdonteatme]

It's the teachers fault......unless your a teacher.
It's the parents fault......unless your a parent.
It's the childs fault.....unless your the child.
It's the bullys fault.......unless your the bully.

If my child has problems, it's my fault, because I'm a parent, and it is incumbent upon me to steer that child down the right path.
There really is no other answer.
If the school isn't doing the job, it's my responsibility to force them to do so.  You'll never hear me bitching about my kid's teachers.  All you'll hear is the sound of butts puckering when lawsuits are filed, and I only hire gunfighters for attorneys.
Do it right, or get the f.u.ck out.  That goes for parents and teachers.

[JIHawg]

It's parents like that (even not that extreme) that gives coaches such headaches! Parents/boosters raise high-and-mighty hell if their sons/daughters don't play enough or at all. By high school, you are not supposed to play if you do not produce.

It's certainly over the top and inexcusable. But if you examine the facts in this story it involves the same sort of stuff that a lot of the school shootings have involved: the hazing, ridiculing, and harassing of certain students. I never thought much about this until it happened to one of my boys. I grew up in a small town where we all made fun of certain "geeky" kids. I never gave one thought to what we were doing to those kids. It seemed funny at the time. Years later one of them committed suicide. I have no proof that what we did caused the suicide but I sure don't feel good about it. I had to deal with this personally when my oldest son got labeled in elementary school. I don't know what he did to cause it but that kid was harassed from the first grade all the way through high school. Walking home from school in junior high he was once jumped by a van full of kids right along side of College Avenue. My basic reaction was to go find the chicken #%** who did it and pound them. But my wife and I played it straight and worked through the school to get the problem solved. All I can say is they did virtually nothing.
As a result my son quit school after his junior year and got a GED. Today he is happy, successful and is about to get married. I consider myself lucky. My kid didn't go off the deep end and neither did I.
Many of these shooting incidents could be prevented if teachers would get more actively involved. They've got to stop the harassment. They see it happening. Far too often they do nothing. Before you know it a kid or a parent goes bonkers and we have another tragedy.

Mike-I have a newfound respect for you for sharing that story.  You are so right on.  Our nation's high schools are hell holes for lots of kids.  Eventually, after enough kids and teachers and coaches die, it will finally be dealt with as the national problem that it is.  Thanks for increasing the awareness level of this.

[jabohog]

If you got a problem with Mexico Lite, Arkansas may be a disappointment.

Gatecrasherfan, you seem to want to do what is right. Don't under estimate the understanding of your children. Freedom should come with responsibility. Don't meet responsibility, lose some freedom.

Mike, I'm sorry man but I have to disagree with the police. I went to the parents. It was rough. At times I thought that I may spend the rest of my life in jail.  I made up my mind before I confronted any parent, this is how real I will make it. When you go to someone about their kids, you need to sit down and decide what's at stake and then don't look back. In the end, I guess our kids did okay with either decision. I had three kids in school and two of them were bullied. As you said, every situation can't be dealt with by one individuals single event. Two parents ranting about their child being bullied is met with ten parents of the bulling gang. There were teachers I would trust with my children and teachers that need not put a hand on them. Walk in a school and holler a reputable lawyer's name in your area, then scream lawsuit and the admin of the school will wilt like a flower. The teachers hands are tied. Some of that is the parents fault, some the teachers. I've seen parents that used a heavy hand on their children, with no avail. I have also seen kids that seemed rotten, then with maturity their raising comes back to them and they grow up to be responsible people. Things have changed since the great generation. Values, morals, honor among thieves, even perspective. When it's your child hurting, your perspective is to relieve the pain!

[Arkapigdiesel]

If you got a problem with Mexico Lite, Arkansas may be a disappointment.

I'm from Arkansas.  I know how Arkansas is.  Arkansas will not be a disappointment because I was born and raised there and have lived there all my life except for the past two years.  Arkansas is a wonderful state to live in.

My territory in texas is from Austin down to the Rio Grande Valley.  The area that I cover is the closest damn thing to mexico w/o actually crossing the border.  It isn't the "mexico lite" thing that is that bad in tejas.  The state as a whole just isn't as grand as some would lead you to believe.  You don't realize how great your home state is until you move away from it.

[Arkapigdiesel]

Every time I reference the fact that Texas is over flowing with WACKOS, Anthrax casually defers to another point to argue.  Just another prime example (to file along with the cheerleader mother who shot her daughter's competition, the wacko sharp shooter in the tower at UT, etc...) of the endless stories of the lawless in the Singleminded, er...Lonestar state.  This is just another painful infusion of reality to pull Texan's heads out of the clouds -- for at least 2 seconds. Texas sucks, period.

Try *** living here .  I now have less than two months before I leave texas and come back home.  I honestly have yet to figure out why people think this state is so superior.  I call texas by the name of "mexico lite".  My goal was to get the job that I have now, but eventually move back home to The Promise Land (Arkansas).  I'm fortunate enough that I'm able to transfer back w/my job after only two years. Can't wait to get back home.

DFW Metroplex blows Arkansas out of the water though. Somtimes I miss various aspects of home but I really like it here much more than anywhere in Arkansas. Many areas of Arkansas you can also call "Mexico-lite too

I guess each individual is different.  I also travel to the DFW Metroplex area somewhat frequently and would rather be drug across a cactus.  Dallas is a smaller version of L.A., IMO (referring to the attitude of the people) and the traffic in the metroplex rivals that of Houston.

The ethnicity makeup of San Antonio is roughly 60% Hispanic and the makeup of the Rio Grande Valley is 94% Hispanic.  When I say "mexico-lite" I mean hispanics being the majority, but living in the US....hence "mexico lite".

[Hogules]

First let me thank Im hoggin it and R&B
I am a teacher and a parent and like everyone else I am concerned moreover I have 3 daughters and I count on the school to act in loco parentis and that includes protecting them and diciplining them
   That being said its a catch 22 the kids(bullies) at a school are more often than not being raised without a Dad at home so mom gets all over protective and decrees that her son cannot be spanked therefore the Teachers and Principals hands are tied sure we can and do put them In ISS but to a real bully they just view that as 3 days vacation.
   I dont really have a solution I know what it was like to be picked on my elementary years were horrible I literally got off the bus crying every day ..so I have no patience for a bully some of them i would love to take out behind the Shop building and give a thrashing too ...but the law wont allow that ...I guess I really dont have a solution but if you are a DAD take that job seriously you are the primary protector defender of your cubs and the model they will look too as an example of how to act
Lastly bullying doesnt always have to last forever mylife improved dramatically in Jr High ..and on up from there
one more thing dont be afraid to talk to Principals and teachers if they are aware they will keep a special eye on your child I know I do ....

[LSUFan]

This would make a great rap song.

"YO, YO, YO, Keep me from my game, I pop a cap in YO ass.................."

[muslimsdonteatme]

Plano, Richardson, Far North Dallas, Highland Park, University Park, Allen,McKinney. That whole area of Dallas is the area I generally am in at any point in time and it is a great area to live. I actually live one block from Plano city limit and one block from Richardson city limit. Both are listed in various publications as some of the best cities in the US in which to live.

And you don't live in either of 'em, you dirty Texan.