I teach in Eugene, Oregon right next to Springfield where the mere
15yr. old troubled boy went on a killing spree, first his parents and them
random shootings in the High School Cafeteria last Thursday. It has been
so terribly sad and horrifying. Four people dead and 23 hurt. Two are
still in critical condition. Two kids buried. I'll spare the details. The
reality is staggering.
I just came back from a non violent speech at the University of Oregon by
Arum Ghandi, M. Ghandi's grandson. He echoed my beliefs a thousand fold
with a turn of the phrase called "passive violence"; violence of
prejudice, stereotypes, classism and sexism which inundate us all as
children and turn our lives dysfunctional as adults. He said that passive
violence built to cause physical violence by those who could not handle
the pressure of the "isms" anymore.
My inpressions have taught me that all those mean games that people play
really do create reality.
Yes, girls and women need equity and so do boys and men. Remember how hurt
you were as a kid. Our children are hurt today in much the same way.
Kids tell me of name calling, sexism, prank phone calls much of what
happened to me in 6th grade nearly 40 years ago. This shouldn't be
happening today. It's killing our kids and adults. Everything is so sped
up. We have all this technology and aren't really better off emotionally.
We lack human dignity; respect, understanding, acceptance and appreciation
of ourselves, each other and the earth.
The experts are saying that symptoms of violence are hurting animals,
obsessing and fascination with weapons. I say that they were missing self
esteem and empathy before these. We just don't teach our children well.
It's long overdue.
We need to cleanse as a species, as individual cells
relating to each other. It's all about Attitude. Self-control. Health.
Emotional Well-Being.
Love.. It's all about love. Based in love.
This is how we will stop the violence.
This is why we are here. The fight between the genders is taking away
precious time during these urgent times.
For the children.
Jean-Marie DeSpain, M.S.
Educational Ideals
P.O.Box 1143
Veneta, OR.
97487
jdespain@efn.org