You’ve undoubtedly heard about the shooting at SuccessTech Academy high school in Cleveland, Ohio. Asa Coon, a 14 year old gunman who was on suspension for a fight with another student went into the school and shot and wounded four people before killing himself. As the news reports surface, I’ve learned that other students went to the principal and told her that Asa had a gun the week before and that he was threatening to harm people. Nothing was done.
In Asa Coon’s personal record is a history of mental problems, two stints in a juvenile facility, being disrespectful to teachers, arguing with other students, threatening to commit suicide while at a juvenile facility and domestic violence in his own home. This young man had problems that nobody seemed to be able to solve and yet he was able to roam free at school being a potential threat to everyone around him--Virginia Tech all over again.
Our system of government, of public schools, of community safety is failing us if we are putting innocent bystanders in classrooms with mentally disturbed children with guns. How many re-runs of this story do we need? A mentally unstable kid, gets a gun. Other kids find out and tell adults. The adults don’t do anything. Kids get hurt. Kids get killed. I’m tired of this story. I’m real tired.
Listen to the audio: http://web.mac.com/yasminshiraz
