Thursday

Thoughtful Thursday: My Heart Weeps

Today on my Facebook news feed, I discovered a video of a group of middle school children from New York belittling and harrassing a monitor on the bus to the point where they make her cry.

I am posting the video for you to view if you haven't seen it, but please be aware that there is bad language. I could only watch about one minute of it before I was so upset that I had to stop it.



My heart weeps for this woman. She is somone's mother, someone's grandmother, someone's wife, someone's friend, but more importantly she is a human being. When I watched this I thought of my grandmother who looked a lot like this woman. I tried to imagine what I would be feeling if someone had treated her like this. I couldn't. I just couldn't let my mind go there because the anger and the rage started building up so quickly. I don't think that I could have held myself in check as well as she did.

My heart weeps for these children. I don't know their background, I don't know their family situation, I don't know their religious affiliations, but I do know that at some point these children received a message that everything is all about them. Other people do not figure into the equation at all, especially if others cannot "give" them anything. They verbally abuse this woman so severely that I cannot even imagine the lack of conscience these children displayed. The lack of empathy and the lack of respect for a fellow human being.

My heart weeps for the parents of these children. I hope and pray that they are just as horrified by their children as I am. I hope and pray that not only do they find this behavior shocking, but that they bring down swift and severe consequences. However, I would not be the least bit shocked if none of the above happened. I dealt with too many parents when I was a teacher who were in denial about their children's behavior. Their precious child could not possibly have done what was being claimed. It must have somehow been someone's elses fault, some circumstance that cause their child to act that way. And as parents we need to be aware that our children are surrounded every day by children who act just like this. Do not be so naive as to think that your children do not have the opportunity and potential to participate.

My heart weeps for everyone else on the bus. While only a handful of children actually participated in the harassment, all of the other children on that bus did NOTHING. No one tries to stand up for the bus monitor. No one tells the other kids to back off. They just ignore it. While I hope and pray that my children would never participate in such ugliness, I hope and pray even more that my children would say something. That they would call out injustice and hatefulness. That they would stand up and say something or walk over to sit beside her. I would be so disappointed and upset if my child chose to remain silent. I feel so frightened for my children if the world they are entering chooses to keep their mouths shut at evil and it's heart callous to abuse.

Realizing that I need to be even more focused on teaching and living compassion in the tree house,

Chelli

6 comments:

  1. Very good analysis of the situation. It's so, so sad.

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    1. It is one of the most awful things I've ever seen.

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  2. I didn't even make it a minute before my anger flared up for this woman. I totally agree with what you said. If I were a teacher at this school, I would definitely ensure that these students face some sort of punishment & possible request a public apology for their behavior. After all, this is now viral, so it's public humiliation. Thank you for reminding me that staying silent is not the answer. May I teach my children to stand up for others. .

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    1. Looks like pretty much nothing is going to happen to them via the school, and the parents are already making excuses, "It wasn't my child's fault. He was just following the others." Unfortunately, I'm not shocked by either of these responses. I know you are teaching your kids to have a bold spirit, Steph!

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  3. God bless you for your sensitive spirit and compassion! It sounds like you are using your anger about the situation to stand up for what is good and right.

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