While the area was spared of witnessing a shower of bullets coming from a gun used by a student on school grounds, we still were rather rattled to hear of a local incident that could have involved youth violence.
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Our thoughts and prayers go out to a troubled 14-year-old Florence Township Middle School student who was arrested after allegedly threatening to bring a gun to school to shoot the principal, a teacher and a student.
Thankfully, the student had no access to weapons and no guns were found at his home.
The reason for the student’s threats? The student claimed to have made the remarks because he was upset about receiving detention.
Many of us, at one time or another during our school careers, had to face such dilemmas as receiving detention, not being liked by a classmate, having trouble with a class or experiencing adolescent growing pains.
It is safe to say that most of us weathered these storms without ever contemplating such a life-altering, severe act.
This incident brings far more questions to mind than answers. How stressed are today’s children that the only solution to setbacks and hardship lies in such violence?
Just how available are weapons these days in the average home, and how are students getting their hands on equipment that most of us would never have dreamed of even seeing as children?
There was a time when play-acting with toy guns was harmless. Now, it is seen as a precursor to disaster that must be analyzed with the utmost scrutiny. Local officials knew to treat this case with the attention it deserves.
Florence Township Superintendent Gerard Steffe hit the nail squarely on the head when he stated that the district would do all it could to give this youth any support and comfort he needs. The act was clearly a cry for help.
If this situation manifested itself in a form other than just talk, we could have seen a scenario that has played itself out all too frequently on television.
We, like you, are hard-pressed for answers. Sometimes the student violence seen nationally can be so overwhelming, it’s hard to find the strength to say, and ultimately believe, that things can get better in our schools.
We remind parents to spend time talking with their children. Ask them how this situation makes them feel. Keep reminding your children that you are there to listen to their troubles. You may have been in the same boat at one time and know how to soothe.
Students, we implore you to remember, as hard as it can be to believe, that the future will be brighter. Sometimes it takes as little as a new day to come out on top.
And to the student who allegedly threatened to bring the gun to school, we hope you find a sense of peace and understanding that will allow you to put this situation into perspective. Learn from it, move on, and find a positive path.
