It's ten minutes long, and I was only able to survive a few minutes. Since the video went viral, there have been several news shows that have interviewed the victim in the video. A 68 year old woman named Karen Klein. As a result of the exposure, a large sum of money has been raised to "give her a vacation or help her retire." More than half a million dollars was raised for her. There's no word yet as to whether she'll accept the money. Honestly, I believe she shouldn't accept the funds. I think it would be best if she donated that money to a group that helps inner city kids with self esteem or a group that helps kids become better adults. We'll see what actually ends up happening.
Lots of blogs have popped up on the internet in response to this atrocity. Folks have focused on where the blame lies. Parents? The kids themselves? What sort of punishment is proper for the kids that were in the video? Surely, we've all got our opinions as to what should happen.
One blog posted on Yahoo caught my attention and quite frankly irritated me. Here's the article: read it here
This frequent Yahoo contributing blogger criticized Mrs. Klein, stating she wasn't doing her job. It is the blogger's opinion the 'adult' in the situation should have taken control of the kids and shut them down. My question is: What would you have done?
The hostility of the kids in the video is appalling. They said some incredible things that in all truth were best left ignored. If Mrs. Klein has decided to engage the kids, I believe it would have only made the scenario more (though hard to imagine) grotesque. These kids threatened her with violence. They used such obscene language, it actually made me uncomfortable. How do you diffuse that kind of behavior?
I think she was incredible for not enduring the length of ridicule without losing her cool. The only thing she said was, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." To which the kids told her to, "Shut the f**k up." To me, that was all I would have needed to hear to realize any further interaction would be counter productive.
She probably could have placed the kids at the front of the bus, and put an end to the direct fire of their behavior. Obviously, she did nothing but sit their and take blow after blow instead. As a result of her endurance, we as the public have been given a huge window into the behavior of kids. A microscope has now been placed on the ever growing issue of bullying. For a while, we've been focused with child on child bullying. How often have we thought about these kids having such a total lack of respect for other people, age doesn't matter. Nor does an individual in a place of authority.
The greater focus to me, how involved are these' kids' parents? In one interview with Mrs. Klein, she believes the kids that attacked her most likely behave a completely different way in front of their parents. While that is very valid, I have to wonder how present their parents are. I certainly behaved differently at school than I did at home. I'll tell you why.
My dad would have whipped my ass if he ever caught me talking anything like those kids. No adult at school would whip my ass. Now, I was also respectful of my teachers and those who oversaw me. Did I talk about the ones I didn't care for? Absolutely! But never in a million years would you have seen or heard me attack a superior like that. Because I was taught to respect my elders and those responsible for my safety outside of the home. So, what are the parents NOT doing with these kids?
Turning the other cheek during this incident was the BEST possible choice for Mrs. Klein. I applaud her for not reaching out and smacking the kids. I hope this whole thing has created an opportunity for parents to discuss with their kids, the proper way to behave. If any one of those kids were mine, you probably don't want to know what I would do as punishment. Nothing physically violent. But they'd more than likely need therapy by the time I was done. Which I would gladly pay for.
The Yahoo blogger that thinks Mrs. Klein wasn't doing her job, is a moron. Her job was to ensure the safety of the kids. How rare is it that situations like this arise? So, Ms. Ayers: Go volunteer for a week on a bus full of 12 years olds. Get some perspective and I'll await your retraction.
No comments:
Post a Comment