Okay, now I’ve heard everything, or I guess I should say “read” everything since I read about it in today’s The Advocate (Wednesday, April 02, 2008). Perhaps you read about it as well in your local paper, or else you heard about it on the six-o’clock news. What I’m referring to is the incident in Waycross, Georgia where students plotted to bind and stab a veteran teacher.

According to the article by Russ Bynum of the Associated Press, the students conspired to bring a steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape, a crystal paperweight, and other potentially harm-inflicting items to school and, moreover, actually assigned one another tasks, “including covering the windows and cleaning up afterward” (Advocate, 2008, p. 10A).

Granted, we hear much about school violence today; and, recently, it seems as if some kid is always conspiring to do bodily harm either to his or her fellow classmates or to teachers and/or administrators. However, what makes this case so particularly disturbing is that the students involved were third-graders. Yes, that’s right, third-graders; and if that’s not a scary thought, I don’t know what is.

But that’s just the beginning, for Waycross Police Chief Tony Tanner said that the plot “involved as many as nine boys and girls at Center Elementary School” and “was a serious threat” (Bynum, 2008, p. 10A). Furthermore, as Tanner added, “The students planned to knock the teacher unconscious with a crystal paperweight, bind her with handcuffs and tape, then stab her with the knife” (Bynum, 2008, p. 10A). Why? Well, it seems that the children, who range in age from 8 to 10, “were apparently mad at the teacher because she had scolded one of them for standing on a chair” (Bynum, 2008, p. 10A).

On the bright side, however, for what it’s worth, the plot was foiled because not all of today’s children are heartless little monsters; and one child who overheard the diminutive fiends conspiring told a teacher what he had overhead and that someone had brought a weapon to school (Bynum, 2008, p 10A).

Then again, on the dark side, so to speak, I can hear the outcry building already; and you can just bet that somewhere, at this very moment, parents are saying, “But they’re just children. They weren’t serious. They would’ve never gone through with it and actually hurt the teacher.” And my response to that is “What dream world are you living in?” After all, according to Tanner, “We (the police) feel like if they weren’t interrupted, there would have been an attempt. Would it have been successful? We don’t know” (Bynum, 2008, p. 10A). No, the police don’t know what the outcome would have been, and neither do those parents who are going to come to the defense of those little cretins; however, I am certain of one thing; the outcome would have been far from pleasant for the poor teacher involved.

Of course, the question this incident raises is this: What on earth is wrong with today’s children? When did they become so cold-hearted, calculating, and violent? In other words, when did they cease being children? And don’t try to tell me they’re still children. Eight-year-olds do not sit around plotting with one another to kill their teachers. I should know, for I was once eight-years-old, and I can attest that had far better things to do with my time than sit around plotting to inflict bodily harm on some teacher. For one, I was preoccupied with childish things. I played games with my siblings. I collected horse statues. I rode my bike and climbed trees. I read Walter Farley’s series of books about The Black Stallion and Flame. I played with paper-dolls. I loved to draw and color.

Then again, I will admit that also enjoyed pretending to be Dale Evans or Annie Oakley; and when I was in one of these modes, I would ride my stick-horse and blast away with my cap gun at the “bad guys,” who were usually my brother Bud and cousin Terry. But I’ll tell you one thing: not once did I ever even dream of firing a real gun at them or, for that matter, stabbing them with a knife or beating them senseless. But then, I did not grow up being inundated by violence and profanity from all quarters. Nor were my heroes scantily clad, pill-popping bimbos or gutter-mouthed Rap stars. Neither was I allowed to dress like a miniature adult. In fact, I wasn’t even allowed to wear lipstick until I was 14. More important, my parents established rules of conduct and then strictly enforced those rules. I was punished when I misbehaved or erred. In other words, I was treated like a child because I was exactly that—a child. And today’s so-called children are anything but.

Russ Bynum (2008) “3^rd-graders’ plot: Bind, stab teacher.” Associated Press. The Advocate. April 2, 2008. p. 10A.