There have been instances in our own backyard as well as other areas of the country where individuals have lost their lives as the result of senseless crimes.
Locally there was the woman and her two foster children who were allegedly murdered by her biological son. Before that incident, Indianapolis residents learned of the altercation between students who attended the same high school. That occurrence left 15-year-old Ramirez Smith Jr., dead with his mother forced into early labor. She and the infant remain in critical condition.
On the national level, things aren’t much better. The country continues to mourn the loss of dozens of Virginia Tech students and faculty after undergraduate Seung-Hui Cho went on a shooting rampage.
And while she didn’t lose her life, Megan Williams of Logan, W. Va., was abducted, severely beaten, tortured, and sexually assaulted by six Caucasians who claimed they hated Black people. Thankfully Williams was able to escape and seek help.
While all of these acts of violence are inexcusable and certainly don’t warrant the loss of life; there are safeguards that could have been instituted early on to prevent tragedies of this magnitude. In all of these instances better conflict resolution would have come in handy.
Sure it’s easy to say the son who killed his mother and foster siblings “was just crazy,” as was the individuals who tortured Megan Williams, or even the student responsible for the Virginia Tech deaths – but in actuality, it goes much deeper than that.
Granted, there has to be something mentally wrong with all of these people to lead them to commit such acts, but it’s important to look deeper than the surface when trying to determine logic and possible solutions. For instance, even if Cho were “crazy,” what had been done previously to help him better control his mental state? Was he taking his medicine correctly…was it even the right dosage?
And how about the Indianapolis teens who were arguing with one another? Had their parents sat them down and told them what the magnitude of simply walking away can have? Did someone responsible in their lives explain to them how one bad decision or quick reaction can lead to a life lost?
The family who tortured Williams; did someone previously hold any of them accountable for some other wrongdoings in the past?
While it’s important to address issues appropriately, it’s also imperative that we learn the tools needed to properly address issues before they occur.
Imagine how different today would be if someone would have explained to their children about conflict resolution. In the case of Smith, who died last week; there’d at least be one mother who didn’t have to mourn the death of her young son.
We’ve all heard the saying “it takes a village to raise a child.” For as long as that saying has been around, I can’t think of a more opportune time to institute it than now. While I still believe that parents are the individuals utterly responsible for educating their children; it’s apparent more of us need to get involved to teach these kids fundamental life skills. It’s time to go beyond the basics and think more outside the box. I encourage any adult that interacts with a young child or teen (even if they’re not yours) to strive to be a positive influence in their lives and institute effective thoughts into their minds. While I don’t have any children of my own yet, I make it my business to be a role model for others; you can too.
This problem is also going to take more than adults. A great motivation for teens are their peers, so I also encourage responsible youth to motivate and empower each other.
While we may not see instantaneous results – things will definitely be greater as time progresses.
