Op-Ed: Stop the Bullying, Stop the School Shootings

What was the atmosphere at STEM School Highland Ranch?

May 12, 2019

Teague Bohlen

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After the shootings at STEM School Highlands Ranch, this is the new plan?

To stop a school shooter, some teenage boy or girl needs to throw their body in front of the shooters, sacrificing his or her life to save the lives of other children. Have we lost our minds? That is not a solution. It is a failure.

Stop the bullying. Stop the humiliation. Stop the humiliation that creates the anger that makes these angry children go to a school and want to kill. Stop the anger before the humiliated bullied child gets a weapon and goes to the school to get revenge. Why can’t you see this?

Children who aren’t bullied don’t go to the school with a weapon to get revenge.

Some bullied and humiliated children become angry, and try to get revenge.

I suggest you read those last two sentences until you understand what they mean.

You don’t need 100 armed teachers with weapons. You need to find some humanity in your hearts and stop the bullying. Why can’t you see this?

Learn the lesson of every school shooting. Learn the motivation behind almost all violence. It is humiliation, bullying and the perceived injustice that it causes.

Take away the bullying and you take away the hatred and the anger.

Read it. Think about it. Learn the lesson.

Please.

Randy Brown is a Columbine parent.

Westword occasionally publishes essays and op-eds on issues of interest to the Denver community. If you'd like to submit one, send it to [email protected].

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