Another school shooting in America, this time close to home in Sparks.
Shooter was 12 years old.
Just 12 years old.
The man he killed, Michael Landsberry, died as a Marine should die, protecting the weak.
We understand the shooter was bullied.
Having been a 12 year old boy and having raised three 12 year old boys ourselves we can understand just how bad bullying can be for some.
What we find impossible to get our head around is the response to bullying would be to bring a gun from home and go on a killing spree.
What happened to throwing a punch?
We threw punches with the approval of our father, our boys threw punches with our approval.
We took a look at our son’s handbook, fighting in school can result in expulsion.
So too can bringing a weapon to school.
And a weapon can be defined as just about anything from a gun or a knife to scissors or a toe nail clipper.
Thankfully we have always dealt with very common sense principals who have understood the concept of boys will be boys.
With brains half developed, emotions out of control they can be violent and should be controlled.
But in this age of ‘zero tolerance’ for violence have we gone too far?
There once was a Chinese general who believed in strict and harsh discipline.
One day three soldiers returning from a leave were as soldiers returning from leave are wont to be a little late.
‘Brothers!’ One asked. ‘What is the penalty for being late?’
‘Death,’ replied the two.
‘What is the penalty for rebellion?’ He asked.
‘Death,’ they answered.
And so began a civil war.