Another sorrowful school shooting this week in Michigan underscores the need for greater responsibility with guns, and in the way we care for our children.
A 17-year-old student carrying a .22-caliber rifle and 20-gauge shotgun took a teacher and classmate hostage for hours Monday before releasing them and killing himself at The Caro Learning Center, about 75 miles north of Detroit.
Authorities have not revealed how the student got the guns, but the issue of gun control and accessibility lies only on the fringe of this issue.
It’s obvious we need better ways of limiting access to firearms and restricting the way a child can use them. That subject has been debated for years, and this sad occurrence only makes the fact that much more apparent.
But the biggest issue is that often the kids involved with these shootings do not come from the most stable surroundings or possess the most positive mindset.
The teen, Chris Buschbacher, had been attending the Learning Center for two years because of discipline problems in junior high school. His principal noted that he had never seen him smile.
The shooter involved in the February 2000 killing of 6-year-old Kayla Rolland in Mount Morris Township lived in a house filled with drugs and violence, surrounded by terrible influences and stolen property - including the gun he shot his classmate with.
Even the teenagers involved in the April 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado were reported to have been experiencing problems.
These children had issues that may have been resolved if they had been spotted sooner. Parents and school authorities need to take the initiative to identify kids in trouble, and do what they can to improve their lives.
It’s the responsibility of our children’s custodians to ensure they have the most stable environment possible to grow up. A world where it’s OK to open fire on a fellow classmate or themselves is no place for a child.
We need to keep our children from having access to guns. But a much better, more permanent solution would be to make sure they never feel they need one.
