The Alarm Has Long Since Sounded
Posted by Socyberty
I read the story of the 15 year old in California who was shot in the head for being just who he was. He had been “ out” since the age of 10. As a result of his exploration of self and sexual identity, his behavior and visual presentation at times played havoc on the senses of those around him. One fellow student viewed this 15 year old’s behavior as particularly invasive and libelous and shot him in the head and killed him on the school campus. This incident and others like it cannot loose its shock value. There must be a loud outcry in kind.
As a human race we had better get off our duffs and soap boxes and be true to us. That is too much hatred to conceive of coming from young children. Both youth present with their own set of critical life issues. They were both victims primarily of the lack of human compassion. What images, speeches, teaching, and conversations were the children that participated in some of the negative antics privy to that would provide the foundation for such hatred and blatant disregard for a human life?
We would like to think that we are a progressive society in reference to openly discussing, tolerating differences, and accepting the sum total of human sexuality; we are far from that goal post. The only real talk that takes place is to reiterate what is considered to be “ normal”. There is much talk about it if there is a political and economic profit behind it. There are people in this society that don’t fit the normal status quo. No one has the right to take another’s life because they offend the senses or alters one perception.
The adults, the authority, bear the responsibility for socializing our children. Through our various institutionalized systems we send the images and messages. We provide the tools and skills for love and hate. It is surely the baggage that we inherited. It truly does not have to be the legacy that we give them. We have choices as those before us. We also have additional information that puts us in a position of responsibility and accountability.
Now is the time to take a stand. The time is long overdue for us to educate and re-educate ourselves. There is a great need for our social systems, our health systems, our law-enforcement systems, and our criminal justice systems to come together. A clearer understanding of the issues is necessary. Children are dying in the streets. They are dying in places that were designed to nurture and guide them. That is so sad and it is not acceptable for any reason.
We need to learn and become aware of how the lack of knowledge of human sexuality and gender identification has shaped our environment. It is imperative that we realize that down through the ages human sexuality has been used as leverage to control or even steal the resources of others. It has been used to force belief systems, instill fear, cast damnation, and to commit cold blooded murder.
The school officials, teachers, counselors, parents, and the community residents were all running around as if “Chicken Little” had paid them a visit with his timeless message. This incident brought many things into focus for all involved. It was abundantly clear that none of them really had the tools necessary to handle such a situation. In the face of this tragedy they began to work hard to protect themselves by transferring the responsibility to anyone who would take it. Due to their lack of skills they were truly at their wits end with this situation. Their own biases against homosexuals lead them to overlook the one person, the lesbian staff person, who may have had useable information to deter such an incident.
If the story reads right, and there is no reason to think it doesn’t, then the issues operating in this scenario to be addressed are clear. They are bullying, sexual harassment, gun violence among our youth, pre-adolescent and adolescent identity exploration, and guidance for straight parents in particular with children openly exploring gay identities, campus security. and hatred against diverse groups. Persons who have charge over children for six or eight hours a day or longer should be equipped with information and skills relative to these issues. This is core course work and training that should be mandatory. It should be mandatory for persons from many others disciplines and fields whom make decisions reguarding the youth.
How many wake-up calls does it take?