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Written by Douglas Couch
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Tuesday, 30 March 2010 22:32 |
So what would you do in a case like this as a parent?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/us/30bully.html?th&emc=th
Assuming of course you caught it before the conclusion of this incident.
In this unfortunate case it is too late. The student bullies are being prosecuted for crimes. The staff and faculty of the school are being reprimanded for not taking action. And everyone is wondering what happened and how it could get this far.
How did it get to the point in our culture where children (yes, they are still children at that age) are able to enact their own modern day version of "The Lord of the Flies" right under the noses of responsible adults? Aren't they supposed to crash on a deserted island in order to stoop to this level of barbarity? Where were the parents? Where were the teachers and administrators? Where were even the student leadership? Oh... well, it appears they showed up for the vigil after it was all over.
I know that schools have their own social orders and their own cliques. I know what it's like to look for the acceptance of your peers and to want to be liked. I also know that schools don't exist in a vacuum or another dimension. These students rode buses or were dropped off by parents, walked past teachers, librarians, and school nurses, they dumped their bags on the floor as they came in the house, sat on couches in living rooms texting their friends, and interacted with their families in a million small ways that probably contained clues that just shouted that something was wrong. Now one is dead and nine may be criminals.
And it was all ignored. And it is all tragic.
What would you do if your kid was being bullied? Would you call someone? Would you change schools? Would you brush it off as highschool drama? What if your kid is the bully... is that so much easier? Do you laugh at the cruel jokes and feel grateful your child is in the "in crowd"?
Or would you even know it was happening?
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 March 2010 22:53 |
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Written by Douglas Couch
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Wednesday, 27 January 2010 22:33 |
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 I'm watching the tail end of the State of the Union Address. Of course I'm watching it streaming on Boxee on my HTPC. I can't speak to the politics, but the video is coming in fine. It may not be as good as cable or satellite but for what I pay monthly ($0) you can't beat it.
It would probably also look good on the new iPad that was announced today by one of the other leaders of our country (Steve Jobs). Both Obama and Jobs are very engaging, very charismatic. I really want to buy what they are selling. Steve has shiny new technology and Barack has some very convincing promises of where he would like to lead our country. I want to believe what they are saying... believe that they can solve my technological and sociological needs... but I'm feeling a little jaded right now.
The iPad appears to be simply an overgrown iPod touch that won't fit in my pocket (and has a funny name). It was supposed to somehow break new ground, be something new that no one has ever seen before but it really looks just like my iPhone. Perhaps I'm missing the true experience just by looking at it online. I'll admit I wasn't sold on my iPhone until I used it for a week or two.
On the other side, my government seems to be a little overgrown itself right now. The economy is bad, bills are stalling in congress, and the promises of change are coming slowly if at all. I'd like to believe that real change can happen but the large machinery of government lacks any momentum and exists as a kind of cracked Rube Goldberg machine that goes through dozens of detailed processes only to pour a cup of coffee. It's my hope that somehow President Obama can cut through the mechanisms and give us all the ability to pour our own coffee.
Perhaps I'll drink it while watching TV on an iPad.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 January 2010 23:02 |
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Written by Douglas Couch
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Tuesday, 05 January 2010 08:05 |
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You know what's fun? Coming in to work to find your computer has died. After the long weekend I opened the door to my office, sat down at my desk and thought, "huh... I don't remember powering down my system before leaving!" Several minutes and quite a few diagnostics later indicated that my 1.3 KWatt high end power supply decided to quit on me. So now it is all RMAs and returns and waiting. I'm currently using a tiny Acer tablet. It's cool for meetings but not really adequate for an 8 hour day.
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Last Updated on Saturday, 23 January 2010 23:40 |
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