P&J #1: The Anniversay of Columbine

Today is the 10th anniversary of the Columbine tragedy in Littleton, Colorado. I write Littleton in the sentence because its ingrained in me as a good journalist but most Americans and many, many others in the world know exactly where this horrific event occurred. It changed the American psyche forever. I've had a strange fascination with reading about Columbine; albeit, what most strikes me is the survivor stories. Many of these survivors have turned the horror into messages of hope. Many, as Craig Scott (father of Rachel Scott), are teaching students tactics of kindness to overcome bullying and violence. I read recently in the New York Times that he's even taken his message into the corporate world. Amazing. For my new week of posting/bloging aspects of Peace & Justice, here is a website that highlights three survivors of Columbine and the positive non-violent methods they instill in their everyday lives. I encourage you to also check out the links of the article itself, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/columbine_s_survivors_vignettes. Also, here is Scott's push to make a change in the grace of Peace and Justice, www.rachelschallenge.com. Lastly, several years ago I heard Craig Scott speak at Leander High School. Inspired, I wrote the following piece for the high school I worked at and printed it in the newspaper I advised. I know it's long but I hope you can take a few moments to look it over....(oh and incidentally, I've taken out references to the high school I taught at. Ironically, this high school almost went all the way to the State championship last year and won its district division title two years in a row.)

This past Saturday morning, I went to statesman.com to realize that not only did the varsity football team lose again but saw the reality of a young school struggling for identity encapsulated on this website in five words, winless for two consecutive years. At first thought, this sounds pitiful but upon second, I knew that as any person, family, community, state, nation, or even a school's varsity football team and other self esteem woes is part of its journey only to be reversed at a moment’s notice.

This community has tremendous heart and an enormity of personality. These aspects are not always seen in the every day dealings of students, staff, faculty and administration. Everyday stresses cloud and misdirect the grounded truth of the adults molding the hearts and minds of young people and the young people receptive to learning and actively participating in the pursuit of becoming responsible adults.

No one high school is alone in this problem. High schools across the nation are in the same boat, so to speak. This past September, I heard the father of Columbine victim Rachel Scott speak on the problems that plague education today. Darrell Scott talks to high schools across the nation and has even talked to Congress. His theory is that the problem does not stem from potential school violence, video games or rock-in-roll music but from a lack of kindness and compassion at all levels. It’s a heart matter, not a testing to prove achievement matter, or how many wins on Astroturf and grass matter.

According to Scott, compassion can replace fear and violence all the while creating safer and more productive places for students to learn and achieve. Compassion is not saying hi to everyone but the heart behind it. In his address, Scott challenges all to start by erasing any prejudice that might exist in a person’s heart. He provides the heart-breaking example of Columbine victim, Isaiah Shoals, whose last words he heard in his young life was that of a racial slur and his last utterance was that of wanting his mother.

Scott’s second challenge was for students to choose positive role models and develop a sense of purpose and destiny. He provided his daughter Rachel as an example. Rachel reached out to those that are typically shunned by high school society; the handicapped, the picked on and the new. Scott spoke that Rachel provided profound opportunities to make a positive difference in people’s lives…small, simple things to show kindness and acceptance. He went on to remark that one should never be too tough or too cool to let someone show that they care.

Scott’s last challenge to his audience of students, administrators, faculty members and parents is to make a short list of those that have impacted one’s life in a positive way and tell them thank you and that they are appreciated. Right now do this exact thing; administrator to teacher; student to student; student to teacher; student to administrator; teacher to parent; write down 10 individuals and tell them how much they mean.

Negative environments, TAKS scores, athletic wins, academic advances and overall reputation can be turned on its head with small steps toward compassion and kindness. Accountability comes through care…it’s a heart matter. As Rachel Scott wrote in one of her last English essays, “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same.” And so it is.