Following the unthinkable shootings at Virginia Tech, on Monday April 15, 2007, the large headlines in the Albuquerque Journal read, "WHY?" Educator's; parents; students; school administrators; judges; social scientists; statisticians; and employees all across the nation are asking the same question...WHY?

Here in Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA), where I live, we had a similar incident happen a few years ago, only not on the scale of the tragedy at Virginia Tech. But, it's a tragedy if only one human being is slaughtered senselessly! What happened in Albuquerque was televised on Dateline NBC on Sunday night April 15, 2007, as five people were murdered here, including two policeman, by John Hyde, a mental patient!

Only three blocks from where I live, on the corner of Gold and Ash streets, a small memorial was placed in the concrete, and I have walked by there several times! And, every time I walk past there, I stop to give a little prayer for the fallen officers and I stop to reflect...WHY? What are we doing to ourselves as a People?

The school shootings of recent years are a big black eye for America, as innocent children have been murdered in our schools! Because of this, many of our schools have increased security and look like fortresses, which is a shame! In my view, the finger for all this bad behavior and violence has to be pointed at the parents of these kids, who are not teaching these kids manners; values; and two of the most important words...mutual respect!

There are people out in society, who should have never become parents! Hate, racism and bigotry has to start someplace...and it usually starts in the home and in the streets! Kids are taught to hate!

Parents are not all-together at fault either, in my view, because of the way things are today in this society, and it all revolves around GREED! Greed by corporations, who only look at the bottom line, and so many people are strugging to make ends meet, while many in the corporate world are basking in the sun, with huge salaries! Greed is fueling some of this bad behavior! That's because both parents have to work to make ends meet, and one parent can't stay home to raise the kids, etc.

Kids at a young age need guidance and discipline, and sadly, for the most part the guidance is not there im many families. As a nation, we are turning out latch-key kids, who come home to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and the streets...and THIS is where the kids are getting their guidance!

A couple has a child today, and the first thing that happens, is the child goes to a baby-sitter to be raised, in part, by somebody else, etc. Children need their parents, especially at a young age and in their formative years. Children learn from adults...good things...and bad things, too!

If a child is raised by a stranger or a negative person...a racist, bigot, or a person of put-down...that child is going to learn from that adult, and I don't care if that person is a family member or not! Ever wonder why the suicide rate is so high among young people?

Parents get themselves in huge debt...many times debt they can't handle with a large mortgage; a couple of gas-guzzlers in the driveway; credit card debt; furniture and "trying to keep up with the Jones'which means longer hours at work, and less time with the kids! They probably should not have had kids in the first place...they are only damaging the kids! There are millions of bad parents out there!

One of the toughest jobs in this society is to be a good parent!

Surveys conducted today are pretty accurate. I saw a national survey recently, that asked the question to parents, "If you had it to do over again...would you have children?" I was surprised at the answer...a whopping 72% said they would NOT have children if they had to do it over again! Amazing! And, here lies part of the answer to a national problem...there are many kids out there who are just not wanted...they're here because of accident or for other reasons, etc.

I was standing in a concert line one time, waiting to get tickets and I had a conversation with a woman who was waiting for tickets too. And, we were talking about these very issues, and she told me that her top priority in life, was to raise her children and grand-children in the proper way, teaching them respect for others; manners; values; and the importance of integrity.

This woman had her priorities and goals in the right place. But, there are many parents who don't have the priorities like this woman has. They're more concerned about themselves; their projects; money; materialism; keeping up with the Jones' and the time they devote to their children in nothing more than tokenism, etc. Some parents can't wait to take their kids to the mall, and let the mall baby-sit them! (Shameful)

My ex-wife of nineteen years, has been a social worker all her adult life, and she worked in the Human Services Department of the state of New Mexico. Here, she has seen the horror of new-born babies thrown in dumpsters, like they were trash! Children beaten black and blue by their parents, and otherwise abused by their parents or someone in the family.

There aren't enough foster homes to take these abused children, and this is a big black eye for America! Teasing; put-down; rejection! This killer at Virginia Tech, was probably such a kid growing up...unwanted from the beginning...and rejected by society! As with the other killers in this society, they learned to hate from somebody, or mabe he learned their wicked ways form a hateful society!

The breakdown of the American family...divorce; child abuse; senior abuse; domestic violence...a big black eye for America! Why? Does the answer lie in here someplace?

Or maybe the answer in in here someplace: materialism; money; selfish; greed; power; status; keeping up with the Jones' and the Chavez's, priorities in life all wrong, etc. Why? Another of the latest national tragedies came in Pennsylvania in the Amish community where five little girls were murdered one by one, by another mindless individual who had no place in this society! What makes this story even more tragic, is the fact that this mindless individual was going to rape the little girls before he killed them, but police came in too fast, and interupted his wicked ways!

Just when you think you've seen the ultimate crime, that can't be topped by another crime...another crime comes along that leaves you asking...WHY? What are we doing to each other as a People?

Here in New Mexico, bad behavior is everywhere! Corruption; scandals in state government; in the schools; in the state Treasuers office where three were convicted of fraud. DWI arrests of prominent people occurs all the time...judges; school administrator; athletes; television people; corporate people; teachers, etc.

Another large coruption scandal involving constuction of the County Courthouse, in which a couple of courthouse empoloyees are involved; a former Mayor has already pleaded guilty, and a powerful state Senator, etc. With five job layoffs over a decade, I have spent my time as a temporary employee, and I have worked at over 25 different companies.

At one company, a memo came out from the company, saying the the gossip and put-down of others had to stop. At a bank I worked at, a woman was crying in the lunch room, and she told us that there was a clique in the building and she was getting harassed. She was never seen again! This is the type of thing I'm talking about, not only in the schools, but in the work place as well. Make no mistake about it, students and employees can be hateful to each other!

When I was in school, I was teased and put-down, because I didn't speak the English language well. Because of this, I refused to give oral book reports and participate in class discussions. It had quite a negative effect on my education in the future!

On the front page of the Albuquerque Journal dated April 22, 2007, the headline reads, "Army Guard Unit Claims Racism." And, just below that, reads another headline, "Arrests Kick Off Anti-Gang Sweep!" The question remains the same...What are we doing to each other as a People?

Recently, we've seen national radio; television, and movie people get in trouble because of their mouths and/or their actions, with never-ending apologies! Are these are people we want as mentors or role-models for our children? I don't think so! There's general bad behavior everywhere in America!

The senior President Bush was right...we do need a kinder and gentler nation! Whether the hate crime be in Albuquerque, Pennsylvania or at Virginia Tech or anyplace else...we are all asking...WHY?

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(April 22, 2007) Mental Illness Causing More Concerns on Campus; This is the headline of an article written by Matt Krupnik, of the McClatchy newspapers, and was published in the Albuquerque Journal. (The aftermath of Virginia Tech) "Berkeley, Calif...The numbers are startling: Four of every ten students have been so depressed at some point in time in the past year, they were not able to function!"

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