Senseless
For those readers outside of Iowa or even those in-state who haven't been paying attention, something happened this weekend that totally makes no sense to me (thus the title of this entry). Two young students at Kirkwood Community College (Katrina Hill and Molly Edmondson) were brutally murdered by 19-year old Kyle Marin. Marin had quite the rap sheet for a 19-year old, including a felony charge of armed robbery of a PlayStation unit. He had been sentenced to a 5-year stint in jail, but that sentence was suspended by a judge...letting him walk. I don't know the details of the relationship between the three. I don't know of any involvement of drugs/alcohol/etc. For some reason though, this case has made me sick to my stomach and raised a lot of questions in my head:
1) Maybe this reason and number two will help explain why this case has "hit home" more when I actually knew no one involved: my career. I look at my students and I wish there is someway to convey to them making good decisions. Knowing who you befriend, staying away from drugs - even those that are considered "normal" for a teen to try out (aka marijiuana)...just making SMART decisions. I mentioned this in one of my classes today, the Seniors who will be out on their own next year, and they listen...I think they realize what is around the corner. It is tougher to reach the youngsters who don't want to listen, or sadly some who are already mixed up in some questionable stuff. I NEVER, EVER want to turn on the news and hear the same fate or even close to the same fate of a past student of mine.
2) How can I reach those students who are already headed down a dark path? Those that laugh at punishment from school, then go out and bang up people's mailboxes and still laugh...this time at the law. I hope they "grow out of it," but I hope they see this real life situation of someone who had a second shot and misused it greatly. How can we really get students to realize the dangers of drug use, of "pushing the limits?" All tough questions...all reasons I look forward to a career in education and in guidance counseling. As I was watching Scrubs tonight, there was a line about "if you start blaming yourself for things out of your control...you are gone." Maybe that is right, but the idealist in me says I can still help from keeping future events from happening. It is a slippery-slope this career...educating and trying "mold" the future.
3) Moving on from the career aspect...what is the deal with our legal system? I listen to Bill O'Reilly blast the Aruban authorities over the Natalee Holloway case. Aruba does not have a "perfect" legal system...but suprise! Neither do we! Kyle Marin had been caught, he had been convicted, he was just never put away. I'm sure he isn't the only one out there like that. That's scary...and that leads me to my next point
4) While speaking with Mr. Townsley on the subject yesterday we turned to our own future...our offspring. The Townsleys don't have kids...I'm not even close to having kids...but I admire the bravery of those who chose to have kids. Bringing a kid into this world has to be tough. I want kids...don't get confused on that point...but WOW! It just hit me yesterday the responsibility. 24 hours a day...7 days a week...365 days a year...it is my job to keep that child (or children) safe. To prevent anything close to this happening. To walk that fine line of teaching them right/wrong, keeping them safe...but also letting them learn themselves. To all parents out there...especially my own...KUDOS for the job you do.
5) Last thought on the subject...the Death Penalty. History/Government lesson for you. In the 1960s the State of Iowa did away with the Death Penalty. We are in fact only one of like 5 or 6 states who doesn't have it. There has been a slight push in the State Legislature to reinstate it...only in small doses though. A guest speaker I had in my class is a State Senator...it is his bill. The Death Penalty would return to Iowa in cases of child kidnapping, abuse, and murder (all three have to happen). It is an election year, so no one wants to push the envelope too much on a "sensitive" subject. I disagree with the Death Penalty...it is cases like this that always make me question it again. I guess hearing the whole case first would help...and after intially thinking "give him the death penalty" I now again think about making prison actually "hard-time" prison and letting him sit and think, and think and sit...
Anyways, a sad case indeed...here is hoping we have better news in the next week here in Iowa.
1) Maybe this reason and number two will help explain why this case has "hit home" more when I actually knew no one involved: my career. I look at my students and I wish there is someway to convey to them making good decisions. Knowing who you befriend, staying away from drugs - even those that are considered "normal" for a teen to try out (aka marijiuana)...just making SMART decisions. I mentioned this in one of my classes today, the Seniors who will be out on their own next year, and they listen...I think they realize what is around the corner. It is tougher to reach the youngsters who don't want to listen, or sadly some who are already mixed up in some questionable stuff. I NEVER, EVER want to turn on the news and hear the same fate or even close to the same fate of a past student of mine.
2) How can I reach those students who are already headed down a dark path? Those that laugh at punishment from school, then go out and bang up people's mailboxes and still laugh...this time at the law. I hope they "grow out of it," but I hope they see this real life situation of someone who had a second shot and misused it greatly. How can we really get students to realize the dangers of drug use, of "pushing the limits?" All tough questions...all reasons I look forward to a career in education and in guidance counseling. As I was watching Scrubs tonight, there was a line about "if you start blaming yourself for things out of your control...you are gone." Maybe that is right, but the idealist in me says I can still help from keeping future events from happening. It is a slippery-slope this career...educating and trying "mold" the future.
3) Moving on from the career aspect...what is the deal with our legal system? I listen to Bill O'Reilly blast the Aruban authorities over the Natalee Holloway case. Aruba does not have a "perfect" legal system...but suprise! Neither do we! Kyle Marin had been caught, he had been convicted, he was just never put away. I'm sure he isn't the only one out there like that. That's scary...and that leads me to my next point
4) While speaking with Mr. Townsley on the subject yesterday we turned to our own future...our offspring. The Townsleys don't have kids...I'm not even close to having kids...but I admire the bravery of those who chose to have kids. Bringing a kid into this world has to be tough. I want kids...don't get confused on that point...but WOW! It just hit me yesterday the responsibility. 24 hours a day...7 days a week...365 days a year...it is my job to keep that child (or children) safe. To prevent anything close to this happening. To walk that fine line of teaching them right/wrong, keeping them safe...but also letting them learn themselves. To all parents out there...especially my own...KUDOS for the job you do.
5) Last thought on the subject...the Death Penalty. History/Government lesson for you. In the 1960s the State of Iowa did away with the Death Penalty. We are in fact only one of like 5 or 6 states who doesn't have it. There has been a slight push in the State Legislature to reinstate it...only in small doses though. A guest speaker I had in my class is a State Senator...it is his bill. The Death Penalty would return to Iowa in cases of child kidnapping, abuse, and murder (all three have to happen). It is an election year, so no one wants to push the envelope too much on a "sensitive" subject. I disagree with the Death Penalty...it is cases like this that always make me question it again. I guess hearing the whole case first would help...and after intially thinking "give him the death penalty" I now again think about making prison actually "hard-time" prison and letting him sit and think, and think and sit...
Anyways, a sad case indeed...here is hoping we have better news in the next week here in Iowa.
posted by CKG at
8:36 PM
1 Comments:
Well said, my friend!
I'm still up in the air about the "death penalty" thing, but couldn't agree more regarding the sad state of our youth today. RESPECT (of peers, teachers, elders, etc.) does not seem to be a word in many students' vocabulary. I had a very interesting conversation with a student last week that is too long to share on this blog. Remind me to tell you about "Michael" when we hit up the links this weekend together in Cedar Rapids. Keep up the good posts!
By
Matt Townsley, At
2:50 PM
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