My name is Ms. Linda Adam, and I am the mother
of two boys who are enrolled in the public school system
here in the state of Maine. I, like many other parents
in our country, have experienced the fear and the sadness
of the violence in our public schools, and especially the
increasing amount of copycat incidences since
the tragedy at Columbine High School.
I have been a school board
member, as well as a substitute teacher in our local schools,
and have listened to many discussions lately on how to solve
this ongoing problem of violence in the schools. I have heard
many different ideas and plans of action presented before parents,
teachers, and administrators. I have watched many talk shows
on TV, heard many speeches on gun control, and listened to proposals
of regulating the music and movie industry. But still the problem goes on,
while it seems that I hear of a new incident every day in a nearby school.
But what I haven't heard too much about is why are children acting
out like this in our schools? What is the driving force behind this incredible
sadness and anger in our children that brings them to such extremes, and
what can we do to get to the root of this problem? I've not heard much
talk going on about love, only alot of talk about hatred and violence.
Has the thought ever occured to us that our children need to know that we
love them? When was the last time that you told a child in your life that you
love them and are praying for them, or better yet, when was the last time you
told a child that Jesus loves them, and is praying for them? Once again in our
country, there are alot of well-meaning people trying to come up with a good
plan to help our hurting children. Why can't they see that the true problem has
a more simplistic answer to it, and can be summed up in a word, "selflessness".
We need to make our children the priority in our lives! It is not our jobs, or chasing the almighty
dollar that should be our priority in life. Our children need us to be there for them!!!
It is time for people to wake up and see that our children don't need more material
things in their lives, they need us, they need our time, they need our attention,
and they need our love. They need to come home from school and have a parent
who is there to be with them (or another caring person). They need to be monitored
as to what they watch on TV, listen to in music, where they surf on the internet, and where
they go to visit. They need both parents to start parenting again in their lives, and giving them the time they so richly deserve to be able to grow up and survive in this world.
Now is the time that these children
are told that there is a right and there is a wrong. But most of all, it is time to teach
them that there is a God who has created them and Who has plan for their lives. A God who
says "let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs
to such as these. (Matthew 19:14)
If we choose to ignore all these warning signs again, then it will be time to pay the highest
price of all, and that is with the continued spilled blood of our innocents.
GOD WEEPS TOO!!!!