The terms imply periods of time referring to life before and after the birth of the very important Son of God. Whether one recognizes this man as a prophet, rabbi, or King, this man had a significant impact on society even to this day.
I have a similar use for the term "b.c". I sometimes casually use the term to mean my life "before children". Before I had my own children, I did not really know how much goes into loving another person. Parental love (not necessarily biological) is something very special. It is self sacrificing and most rewarding. So is the love many teachers have for the children under their care. Some teachers have literally given their lives to protect children.
I have a similar use for the term "b.c". I sometimes casually use the term to mean my life "before children". Before I had my own children, I did not really know how much goes into loving another person. Parental love (not necessarily biological) is something very special. It is self sacrificing and most rewarding. So is the love many teachers have for the children under their care. Some teachers have literally given their lives to protect children.
In the news, on a regular basis, I am reminded of another personal meaning of the terms BC and AD. I was a teacher in the BC era-" before Columbine". Columbine is the high school where a terrible tragedy took place, well planned by two students, who killed with guns, but wanted greater destruction by bringing homemade bombs into the school. The bombs did not go off. A friend of the students issued a warning to authorities, but the friend was shut down and not believed. The massacre was executed, but not completely as planned.
As a teacher, I was working professionally during a very violent school year- 1997-98 but it was "BC- before Columbine". My desire for more intense intervention for a violent child was met with ignorance, fear of the truth, and fear of a lawsuit by one set of parents. (The fear should have been of lawsuits by teachers and all the other parents.) A school board attorney, "BC- before Columbine" was ignorant of the School Violence Act of 1982, ignorant of intervention techniques, and ignorant of "copy cat" effects. The school board attorney was not alone in that thinking in 1998 even though that school year recorded many school shootings across the country in "white picket fence" areas. Even a district attorney got it wrong. He was not aware of the need for intervention and the rights of teachers and students to be safe even from threats.
After the Aurora, Colorado shootings, the "copy cat" effect should have been considered particularly for this current school year. People are always looking to "out do"someone else. A lone shooter succeeded on December 14, 2012 at a school in Newtown, Conn. to "outdo" Columbine and the Aurora shooters. Virginia Tech holds a record at 33 dead.
After the Aurora, Colorado shootings, the "copy cat" effect should have been considered particularly for this current school year. People are always looking to "out do"someone else. A lone shooter succeeded on December 14, 2012 at a school in Newtown, Conn. to "outdo" Columbine and the Aurora shooters. Virginia Tech holds a record at 33 dead.
Now we are in AD- "after the destruction, damage and devastation" of several mass shootings at our schools. School board attorneys should be awake by now. They should not be counseling anyone to remain silent when intuition, observable behaviors, or threats indicate a "Columbine-style" attack could happen at their school. District attorneys need to be awake to cover ups and the lack of intervention. (They are in Aurora, Colorado.)
Columbine, with all its "We are Columbine" chants is still remembered as one of the worst mass shootings in the world. It was a "watershed event." The tragedy initially brought people together but the shootings, the cover ups and the lack of a timely response by the authorities to enter the building left anger, loss and lawsuits. Although the shootings at Virginia Tech and SandyHook Elementary surpassed the death and injury toll of Columbine, "Columbine-style" attack is still used to explain plans for massacres at schools.
Columbine, with all its "We are Columbine" chants is still remembered as one of the worst mass shootings in the world. It was a "watershed event." The tragedy initially brought people together but the shootings, the cover ups and the lack of a timely response by the authorities to enter the building left anger, loss and lawsuits. Although the shootings at Virginia Tech and SandyHook Elementary surpassed the death and injury toll of Columbine, "Columbine-style" attack is still used to explain plans for massacres at schools.
A recent newspaper article describing a planned "Columbine style" attack by bombing demonstrates how far at least one attorney has come since 1998- "BC"- "before Columbine" In an Oregon household, bombs and detailed plans designed for an alleged attack on a school were found hidden. The attorney is thankful for intervention- that someone reported the plan before it took place. The 17 year old is facing very serious charges.
When we study mass shooting, we should study what is done beforehand for intervention. Rescue and recovery in the AD phase- (after destruction, damage, and devastation) are costly to all of us. School board attorneys, especially, should always be aware when advising the administrators, teachers, and parents that, in building a better school environment, prevention and intervention save lives and cost far less money than rescue, recovery and court dates. Our schools, by law, are to be safe havens for our children. But, we do see, on a regular basis, death and destruction. Other times, with someone stepping forward, we learn of planned plots but no execution of said plot.
The Oregon area district attorney:
"I can't say enough about how lucky we are that there was an intervention," the district attorney said. "When I look at the evidence in the case, I shudder to think of what could have happened here."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/26/oregon-teen-planned-to-blow-up-his-school-in-columbine-style-attack-authorities/#ixzz2UOUXlNVA (or any other national newspaper on May 26, 2013
Sometimes teachers are ahead of the curve. It was not easy being ahead of the curve "BC"-" before Columbine'. But that is why I write and speak up. I was tired of the violence....and loved the children as any parent or teacher should. There was no luck involved in my situation. There was insight and acknowledgement of serious problems while dealing with a violent child.
As always, I write in memory of Shannon Wright, who on March 24, 1998, gave her life for a student as she used her body to shield a young girl from a bullet. She loved the children more than her own life. She raised the bar for me. I hope the statement of the attorney in Oregon raises the bar for all attorneys- especially school board attorneys.
Luck has nothing to do with prevention. No one says an executed plot is "dumb luck".
Luck has nothing to do with prevention. No one says an executed plot is "dumb luck".
Oregon School district employee:
"I've been doing this job for a while, and this was probably the scariest moment I've ever had as a school resource officer," Sgt. Alan Lynn told CNN affiliate KPTV.
"Luckily in this incident, somebody had the courage to come forward and say, 'This is what I know,' reported that to us, and we were able to investigate that. And because of that information, we were able to stop a horrific event (from) occurring in our community."
Washington State: February 14, 2013
(CNN) -- Two fifth-grade boys armed with a stolen semi-automatic gun, ammunition clip and knife plotted to kill a classmate in Washington state but were thwarted when another student informed a school employee, authorities said Thursday.
I continue to write because I know from personal experience, that people still meet with resistance and get called names when concerned about children or adults. Do we always have to catch the person "red handed"? In many of the successful massacres, "the handwriting was on the wall". But, the perpetrators were not stopped until the blood was spilled. Then, we solve the problems by instituting more laws..knowing that a new law won't do anything to stop a killer. People stop killers- some do it by laying down their lives.
I really don't care if the student from Oregon is mentally ill. He has no rights to plan a massacre "Columbine style".
(For a related post see- "Send in the Swat Teams")
"I've been doing this job for a while, and this was probably the scariest moment I've ever had as a school resource officer," Sgt. Alan Lynn told CNN affiliate KPTV.
"Luckily in this incident, somebody had the courage to come forward and say, 'This is what I know,' reported that to us, and we were able to investigate that. And because of that information, we were able to stop a horrific event (from) occurring in our community."
Washington State: February 14, 2013
(CNN) -- Two fifth-grade boys armed with a stolen semi-automatic gun, ammunition clip and knife plotted to kill a classmate in Washington state but were thwarted when another student informed a school employee, authorities said Thursday.
I continue to write because I know from personal experience, that people still meet with resistance and get called names when concerned about children or adults. Do we always have to catch the person "red handed"? In many of the successful massacres, "the handwriting was on the wall". But, the perpetrators were not stopped until the blood was spilled. Then, we solve the problems by instituting more laws..knowing that a new law won't do anything to stop a killer. People stop killers- some do it by laying down their lives.
I really don't care if the student from Oregon is mentally ill. He has no rights to plan a massacre "Columbine style".
(For a related post see- "Send in the Swat Teams")
Marian R. Carlino
May 26, 2013 (updated May 28, 2013)
