drama free dowdiness

I couldn't imagine anyone shooting the Amish. I mean, they're the Amish for christ's sake! Who wants to shoot the Amish? I wish I believed in hell because I'd really like to imagine the man that did that burning there right now.

It's times like this that depress me. Our government is constantly touting the dangers from the enemies around us. Seems like the whole world is out to get us because "they hate our freedom." (yeah, right.) We're told it's in their religion to hate Americans and try to kill us.

But, yet, no one in any level of authority has dared ask the real question, "why do they hate us?"

And now with three school shootings within a week, it's becoming pretty clear that Arab nations aren't the only one's capable of producing terrorists. (or as G.W. would say, "terists.") We seems quite capable of producing home-grown nutsos right here in the good ol' U.S. of A.

Once again, I haven't heard anyone ask, "what the hell are we doing wrong as a nation to produce these kinds of people?"

Could it possibly be that our own government is saying it's OK to kill those you don't like? Is it possible they the government condones, even encourages derisiveness among people?

Though it's commonplace to lay blame on the easiest targets, (our schools) schools don't have nearly the impact that the real-world has on kids.

In schools, it's NOT ok to bully or pick on kids.

In the real world, it happens every day. Our own representatives and senators do it every day.

In schools, diversity and tolerance are seen as a good thing.

In the real world, "diversity and tolerance" is code for "they wanna take our jobs and turn our kids gay!"

In schools, kids are taught to work through and compromise their issues.

In the real world, you "gotta stick to yer guns."

"Stick to yer guns..." The irony is palpable.

For everything we do in the schools, there is something in the outside world that fights what we teach.

It hit home last week with the Amish shooting. Just that day I had reminded my students that "this is a safe place. No one is going to laugh at you, or make fun of you in here. You can be yourself in my classroom."

But it's not a safe place. And the places they go home to are not safe. And no "war on terrorism" is going to change that.

We shouldn't be scared of the the Arabs who hate us. We should be scared of what is going to become of our own kids. We should be scared that our own country is producing and encouraging hate.

We should be scared that nothing is going to change.