Thursday, March 12
Reporting from the War Zone...
Today, just one day after the massacre of Winnenden, a highschool in my area had to be closed.
I met up with colleagues today and two of them told me that their school was closed today due to an announcement that was made last month in the internet...last month someone had announced a bloodbath at the school where these colleagues of mine work...until yesterday, it seems, the announcement hadn't been taken too seriously...that has changed drastically within the last 24 hours.
School closed, police shows up, the full program...it's coming closer and the rope around our neck is getting tighter and tighter...
Tune if for the next shoot-out...coming soon...to a school near you!*
* [Excuse my cynism, but right now, it's all that I have left to say...]
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6 comments:
It's excused. Why? Because what else is there to say?
In my day, school was nowhere near the horror it is today.
I can't help thinking that people are all convinced that anyone can/should be famous, and for the emotionally disturbed and angry people, some might think the only way they will ever be famous is through a mass homicide. I mean, 20 years ago, people just wanted to have a career and a house and a car. Now people want to be on American Idol, they want to win the lottery, they film themselves having sex, they put intimate pictures of themselves on Myspace...everyone seems to want attention. I think people back in the 70s and 80s just didn't expect to be famous. They didn't have that sense of entitlement and therefore they didn't have the same resentments. There wasn't so much attention to the famous except for a few people who were superstars, and there wasn't as much of a gap between the rich and poor. I think there's a clash between expectations and reality that's worse than it ever was before. You combine that with guns and a lack of awareness of mental health issues and this is what you get.
How brilliantly put, Elizabeth...
I think you're absolutely right!
Society is *obsessed* with celebrity...'15 minutes of fame' seems to be the over-all motto for so many youngsters who grow up these days.
And what do you expect - celebrity, fame and wealth are celebrated on TV (in the press) on a daily basis...and so many of these people aren't famous for something that they've accomplished thanks to hard work and talent, nope, so many of these so-called celebs are famous for being famous, period.
Yet, they're presented as modern-day heros.
Kindness doesn't pay off, intellect and education aren't the ideals of our teen anymore, they don't even want to change the world...they want to become like Paris Hilton.
Fame and fortune seem to be the most desirable goals these days...
And as you say, Elizabeth...if necessary, some try to achieve these 15 minutes of fame by killing off their classmates and teachers...
They want to be "someone" by all means - how ironic, because they already "are" someone...
What is the world coming to? I mean we've fought so hard to get education for all. Now it seems that education isn't value. Fame is all important.
Excellent points, Elizabeth and Stone! Can we change the next generation? Is it too late for them already?
***Fame is all important.***
True! Sadly enough...
***Can we change the next generation? Is it too late for them already?***
I think we can...education IS the key.
The medias have changed drastically over the last 30 years. What used to be in poor taste or simply *unthinkable* has become perfectly acceptable these days.
Cable TV has managed to make us believe that humilation and contempt for human beings (fear factor et al) actually is *entertainment*.
What does it say about us, about the state of affairs if we (i. e. a large portion of society) considers these types of shows entertaining...it's all about humilation, ridiculing and exposing people...
We have sold out our human dignity...and what have we traded our dignity in for...fast bucks, 15 minutes of fame...
We have to reconsider our attitude towards the media, TV, the internet.
Shows that damage the dignity of an individual ("I bet you will" et al) should be banned - full stop.
This may sound over-the-top, but disrespect and bullying start THERE.
That's what I tried to break to my kids at school today...
It always starts with "little things" and it goes further down from there - *little things* accumulate.
Also, we get used to this stuff quite easily...it's called *habituation*.
We have to monitor what our kids see on TV, in the internet...and no, "dissing" someone isn't funny, really, as much as ridiculing people in public isn't.
This is simply inacceptable.
We have too root out the "bad seed"...before it blossoms.
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