South Hadley High

[djeter]

A story taking off now thanks to coverage by Fox News and Bill OReilly is the scapegoating and bullying story that has come out of South Hadley High School in Mass. The details are here:

masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/south_hadley_high_school_may_f.html

It is a terrible story but more than anything else forms a narrative from which Rene Girard’s theories of mimetic violence and the gospel become a truth that all parents and children ignore at their own risk.

If you are unfamiliar with Prof. Girard and his theories start here:

payingattentiontothesky.com/2010/02/04/rene-girard/

And if you would like to read an amazing article that will show you the how schools like South Hadley fail gospel truth, read here:

payingattentiontothesky.com/2010/02/05/is-christianity-indistinguishable-from-other-%e2%80%9cpagan-myths%e2%80%9d/

dj

 

[whatevergirl]

*Wow…thank you for posting this. I can’t believe these girls…’‘the mean girls’’ are still attending school? No punishment? Where are the parents in all of this…on either side? If my kid were coming home day in day out exhausted and beaten down from bullying…I’d pull her from the school. Girls used to be cruel when I was going to school…nothing like this. Not to the point where someone would want to take her own life. How tragic! Prayers for the family and for those ‘‘mean girls’’ to get some professional help, because they clearly don’t comprehend the damage they did. They were even mocking her on facebook AFTER her death? Sadly, these cases are popping up more and more…kids that bully other kids to the point of suicide.

I also liked learning about Rene Girad…interesting thread, thank you.*

 

[whatevergirl]

*The other thing too …is what is happening with our youth? There was a story in Florida not long ago…last year…teens lit a boy on fire here in Florida…burning about 80% of his body, over the boy delaying payment for a video game. I mean, what is going on here? Why are kids so angry? I think of my own kids, I have teens. And their dad and me try our best to show them love, concern, nurturing…give them what they need to succeed. I can’t imagine them bullying someone or hurting someone like this, we would be devestated. I can’t help but think are these kids getting the attention and love they need at home?(referring to ‘‘the mean girls’’) If so, why are they acting out like this? This girl who commited suicide, made them that anrgy? It’s mind boggling.

I pray for all of society’s youth, so many teens are so angry these days, and it’s so very sad to me. *

 

[djeter]

*The other thing too …is what is happening with our youth? There was a story in Florida not long ago…last year…teens lit a boy on fire here in Florida…burning about 80% of his body, over the boy delaying payment for a video game. I mean, what is going on here? Why are kids so angry? I think of my own kids, I have teens. And their dad and me try our best to show them love, concern, nurturing…give them what they need to succeed. I can’t imagine them bullying someone or hurting someone like this, we would be devestated. I can’t help but think are these kids getting the attention and love they need at home?(referring to ‘‘the mean girls’’) If so, why are they acting out like this? This girl who commited suicide, made them that anrgy? It’s mind boggling.

I pray for all of society’s youth, so many teens are so angry these days, and it’s so very sad to me. *

The sister who taught me in RCIA once told me she had a friend and everytime something like this happened they would say to each other “It’s happening again.”

I guess that’s why I enjoyed working on the Girard stuff so much because his theories of violence are timeless and we can see that this is nothing new. The trap (I think) is convincing yourself that the kids today are somehow different or “new.” I really don’t buy that. The acts or depravity may have some new twists but the motivations are as old as original sin, IMHO.

dj

 

[whatevergirl]

The sister who taught me in RCIA once told me she had a friend and everytime something like this happened they would say to each other “It’s happening again.”

I guess that’s why I enjoyed working on the Girard stuff so much because his theories of violence are timeless and we can see that this is nothing new. The trap (I think) is convincing yourself that the kids today are somehow different or “new.” I really don’t buy that. The acts or depravity may have some new twists but the motivations are as old as original sin, IMHO.

dj

*I don’t know about that though. I agree to a point with what he says, but not completely. I remember after school ‘‘fights’’ …two boys would throw a few punches, and that would be it. I remember certain kids being bullied…I was even bullied by this one boy for years in middle school. But, to the point where they are relentless and so mean…to the point where the victim would want to commit suicide…it’s different, to me. I think kids are angrier these days. Yes, there were ‘‘mean’’ kids back in the day…but, they are angrier…genuinely angry about something these days. I just think that they have a lot more negative stimulus coming at them, than back say 50 or so years ago. I dunno…it’s so sad though, any way you slice it. Prayers for our youth…may Jesus heal their angry minds, and hurting hearts. People who hurt others are hurting inside themselves…typically. *