I recently watched an episode of Freaks and Geeks. It was frustrating to watch this long ago ( and maybe forgotten) comedy/drama, aka soap opera, work through the story lines. It was a popular series when my children were younger.
What the actors show, as irritating as it is, is that teenagers make bad decisions and parents and teachers can be clueless and ineffective. Some of the actors have become famous, one rather infamous. This all white cast performed behaviors demonstrating some intelligence, a little wisdom, bullying, mean girls, hormones off the rails, criminal behavior, docile mother, some good parenting moments due to listening and availibility, promiscuity, violent parenting, and some reconciliation or remorse. Conflict was the theme, friends who make wrong decisions and lying.
If you have been a parent, teacher or a teenager at any time, or currently serving in those roles, watch one episode. If it doesn't cause some sort of visceral reaction, then, well, you are Clueless (of which mean girls are stars.) Laughter is visceral, but I did not laugh.
Even Hallmark has teenage angst. Most characters do not visbibly drive recklessly, egg houses or show someone beating friends and enemies, school yard extortion, or death. Girls can be mean though, maybe not as well acted as in Freaks and Geeks.
Does Hallmark Murders and Mysteries show any school violence story lines?
Teenage angst on the screen is one thing, in real life it can be deadly. In Freak and Geeks one episode is as angsty as the next but no body died of anything but embarassment in the episode.
Since I deal with school violence discussions, I try to write related to school aged issues. Although quite frankly, I absolutely understand how adults in schools can make deadly decisions. Sometimes their deadly decisions are because of what they have done, others,because, of what they have failed to do.
I post links to podcaster commentaries.
The KA trial is currently trending on the social media sites. Everyone has an opinion, even long after juries have rendered verdicts. Some opinions are based in fact, some spin cloth.
A lot of the banter, in the KA drama, draw on lines of color. The stories tell: lies, partial truths, conjecture, wisdom, details, generalizations, and perceptions. The truth is that a someone died at the hands of another. Not everyone knows the truth except the teenager who drew the weapon. He did not speak under oath so lawyers do their interviews after the fact.
The KA supporters have brought in the race card. And, as a result brought in a court case involving a white, 18 year old teenaged adult to compare and contrast fairness. They may be comparing one type of apple to another. Two apples raised in different environments but eventually making deadly decisions. Bad decisions by said apples can spoil the whole lot.
The script in trials is often well rehearsed and the story boards are not original.
Listen to the commentators. The setting of these two real life dramas are school scenes located in Texas. The scenarios involve fighting, death, knives, challenges, victims, perpetrators, witnesses, trials, media, mothers, fathers, and self defense arguments. I see dead students, do you?
As you listen, compare the decisions of all the characters, then back track. "Rewind" to what the students (all of them) could have and should have done before knives were plunged into the hearts of another. Hindsight review may help someone tomorrow with yesterday's news as a backdrop. None of the past should be rewritten by anyone.
Although any angsty behavior or commentary will not bring the dead back to life, and no rewrite is possible for the two dead teenagers, the two in jail could write chapters that turn their current stories into a happier ending. Maybe appeals will help change their current housing arrangements but will it change their hearts that are still beating?
Hopefully, the adults will keep their commentary peaceful and the parents base their claims in reality. Lawyers are lawyers, they will as argue either side depending on who is signing the paycheck. (Ask a lawyer on that, they train to argue both sides.)
The summary of the CA case does explain school protocol. In my opinion, school safety protocol in an emergency was not followed in the KA case. Listen to the reporters following the CA case. Less angst by reporters in the CA case than from the KA case which was covered by many podcasters.
https://youtu.be/cZnBgZrMD9A?is=Nu40VPQsgUjLIvUu
https://youtu.be/fUuSeIdvYdk?is=G1UY73gBIqaYt4Yk
https://youtu.be/zXWLayzVX-A?is=VS1ovwslW7gctqp8
Belton High School and Frisco High School are on the list of failures and two mothers added to the lists which they are now part of because of deadly actions by their sons. Two mothers because of actions against their sons.
Both teenagers found guilty. No winneres. No one called for race wars in the CA case, although the victim was hispanic and the convicted murderer is white.
The KA parents and handlers went public. A gag order was put into place because of the pre-trial rhetoric. Fundraisers and money became a flashpoint for KA.
I had not heard of the CA case before the KA supporters brought it to attention. Self defense? Unfair trial? Why compare? Some have odd ways of handling conflict.
Some pondered how the CA case would impact the KA trial. I wonder how the CA case that happened in May 2022 did not have an impact sooner than a trial in June 2026.
https://youtu.be/u_a342QAjlU?is=m2HjLqF01E7yKwp-
https://youtu.be/nPN-h5azt_Y?is=7Z4mLplR9khiB5Ep
https://youtu.be/kHAVcGzofWc?is=RrKqLOv2-jxjmWhp
CA trial was in April 2025. KA used the knife on April 2. 2025.
Some murderers never have to face a jury, they get killed or committ suicide All dead victims can not tell their sides. School related deaths are always suspect to me even with videos.
Sentences, 10 years, 35 years. Knives kill. Juries discern and decide. Parents weep.
No one is advocating for knive laws although some are arguing the size of knife and right to carry one.
Do the research on these cases. Draw your own conclusions. Hopefully, you are not blind to teenage angst.
Unalive means dead.
Both convicted murders brought knives to school and used them to kill someone. There ought to be a law.
Both CA and KA have appeal in waiting.
Everyone has opinions.
Kids are dead and they died on school property. Evidently, the Golden Rule is interpreted differently by the main characters. What would Columbo do?
Marian R. Carlino
June 27, 2026