LETTERS: WE NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

To the editor:

Recently there was a letter to the editor from a gentleman criticizing teachers for wanting a pay raise. It seems reasonable that anyone who has a job would want a pay raise. This person also went on to question teachers' dedication and to blame them for students' lack of respect. On a nearby page, I read a story about a young woman, a teacher, who lost her life because she stepped in front of a student and took a bullet and saved the student's life. As I contemplated the irony of this, my first instinct was to fire back a letter and really let this gentleman have it.

I am a parent and an educator. As I sat and tried to compose a letter, I was filled with anger for people who have no idea what it is like to be a teacher. I wanted to try to help people understand just how difficult it is to be a teacher by explaining all the extra things we do that no one even knows about. I wanted people to know that most of the teachers I know work very hard and genuinely care about their students. However, I suddenly came to the realization that if I fired back an angry response full of defensive statements, I was no better than the people who criticize others without a basic knowledge of what they're criticizing. I can't change those people's opinions of teachers. They have already made up their minds. However, I believe this is a good example of what is going on in our society. Everyone is blaming everyone else, and no one wants to step up and take responsibility for the problems we are facing.

Right now I am feeling very frightened and helpless, and I would bet that a lot of teachers, parents and students are feeling the same way. We can no longer say that we live in an area where these things can never happen. They already have. We have all heard the debates about why these things are happening. We live in a very violent society. There is too much violence on television and in movies and video games, and there is a breakdown of morals in our society. All of these things are probably contributing factors, but it is still hard for me to imagine an 11-year-old (the age of the students I teach) and a 13-year-old planning and executing such a cold-blooded and heinous crime.

I believe that it is time that we stop blaming and take responsibility. Schools cannot do it alone, and neither can parents. It is going to take a collaborative effort of parents, schools and community. Each and every person needs to get involved. How much more violence needs to occur before we get a wake-up call that what we are doing just isn't working? I wish I had more answers, but right now I only have a lot of questions. One thing that I am sure of is that the answer doesn't lie in arguing and placing blame. How can we expect our young people to behave responsibly when we do not? Let's get our act together before anyone else has to die needlessly.

ROBIN HUFFMAN

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