By now everyone in the county has heard about the rash of bomb threats that have plagued our school system. It seems to be a weekly occurrence. in fact we have had six in the past four weeks. As the editor of the Times (and the only reporter) it is my job to cover news events like this. So I have dropped what I’m doing to go, just as each student, teacher, staff member and administrator has done so to evacuate the buildings.
Let us not forget the police officers and fire personnel who come to the scene. Just last Friday some of them had to leave the scene of an accident to respond to another bomb threat. The fire departments are volunteers, so many have to leave what they were doing, some were working, to come to the schools. It is their job and they will not complain. I do my job and I will not complain.
But enough is enough!
The “cry-wolf” syndrome will settle in and people will get complacent. But they will still do their jobs. They have to because in today’s world you have to take each one seriously. I have to admit I was complacent this past Monday. With an office full of politicians wanting to take out ads I could not make it to the latest threat. But even if I could have, I probably would not have. To put it bluntly, it’s getting tiresome. In fact there are no stories in this week’s paper about the last two, no more publicity in this paper. I am not going to feed their egos.
Now I know many of you will not like this column this week and it is my first since Sarah left the Times. (There’s no one here to read this first and try to keep me civil, so to speak.) But if you don’t want to hear it like it is, or read it like it is, you may want to stop here and turn the page.
Are you still reading? Here we go.
It appears that it does not matter what gender it is or the age. We have had boys and girls involved, from elementary school age to high school age. The reasons they do it are unknown to us, but I would venture to say that some are doing it just to seek attention or try to be someone important.
They have failed on both counts.
Sure they get a little attention, then its off to the Breathitt Regional Juvenile Detention Center for anywhere from four to nine days. The school system may give them some attention and try ro expel them. But let us look at these two reactions.
Of course, those responsible need to face the courts since they have in fact committed a crime and yes the schools should consider putting them out. But those involved most likely don’t want to be at school anyway and as for a record – its a juvenile record that no one will see.
So what is the deterrent?
Now I’m not an expert in child raising, but mine knows better than to do such a moronic thing that affects so many other people. If that offends you, what else would you call writing on a wall and threatening your classmates?
Not being an expert, however having some experience in corrections and using peer pressure/public scrutiny to help police a situation, heres a few ideas on how to handle this.
First, when the guilty party is caught, and our officers have caught them all so far, let  the court do its thing. But don’t let it stop there. For every 15 minutes the school is evacuated, make that a day of summer school the party MUST attend. Failure to do so should be a contempt order from the court holding the parent responsible as well. Let’s see if that doesn’t get a few people’s attention.
Another idea, how about the court and schools agree to not let the person out of school but they could wear a nice bright yellow t-shirt each Saturday, under the supervision of a jail employee or juvenile court worker, maybe even a volunteer the court agrees upon, and pick up trash throughout Stanton or Clay City (preferably Stanton near the main intersection). The t-shirt can have on it “I like to disrupt school so now I have to pick up trash!”
Sounds too harsh? I don’t think so. Since paddlings are no longer allowed, the threat of going to Breathitt doesn’t seem to be working, how about a little simple public humiliation to help a kid see that acting this way has consequences.
Of course, I do not believe anyone out there will take up these ideas. Some courts in other states have done so to adults, but not to kids. We might damage their egos or something. But if you want to get someone’s attention, pull them out of their comfort zone and place them into the realm of the public eye doing something like trash pick up and lets see if they wish to continue such behavior.
It’s just an idea. Who knows, maybe a good old trip to the wood shed might take care of it.
I’m just saying . . .