Monthly Archives: January 2018

Schools In Literary Bullying: He Was Weird

31 Wednesday Jan 2018

Posted by in books, Bullying, School Shootings, Uncategorized

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Keeping with tradition, whenever I write a series of posts about books dealing with bullying and school shootings, I always save my book, “He Was Weird,” til last. I realize that the continuity of the series of posts on the school’s role in literary bullying was broken last week due to my post on my thoughts on my mother in law’s passing. However, I make no apologies for that as I felt the need to write that post right then and there. So with no further interruption, here’s my post on schools in “He Was Weird.”

In an ideal world, I would love to tell how the schools in the story were absolutely useless in dealing with the bullying that Mark went through and led to him shooting up the school. However, this is not an ideal world and if I’m honest, the schools in the story were not useless, they tried. During an incident early in the book, which I call “The Episode,” where Mark is beaten up and his bicycle wrecked. The school does its job and taking the two boys responsible to task. Furthermore in the story, when Mark is bullied in middle school, the school does its best to deal with the pain that he is suffering.

The best example of the above is “The Smiley Incident,” when Mark is indecently assaulted by a substitute teacher. The school does its job in bringing the perpetrator to justice and cannot be faulted. Likewise, when the bullying becomes unbearable, the school does its best to remedy the situation. So, for the most part, the school really isn’t to blame for the bullying Mark suffers and results in murder.

What you might be asking yourself is “Why did Mark shoot up the school if the school isn’t responsible?” Let me point out a sad truth when it comes to bullying in school. The school can’t be everywhere. Furthermore, it isn’t able to extend its authority beyond school. While some bullies leave Mark alone in school, they make sure they get him outside of it, especially now that he had gotten them in trouble. Plus, he is bullied so much that not every instance of school bullying he is a victim of gets reported. Otherwise, he would practically spend his school days in the office reporting bullying. There is also the added fact that some bullies, like David Fitzpatrick, wear their punishment for bullying Mark as a badge of honour thus making him feel that going to the school hasn’t worked. It is facts like these that eventually drive him to carry out his school shooting.

One ironic and unique part to “He Was Weird” is that I as the author, don’t hold the school responsible in being unable to stop Mark’s bullying, some of the victims of his shooting spree do. At least their parents and the lawyers do. As a result of the shooting, the school is sued by several of the parents of the victims on the grounds that it did not sufficiently deal with the bullying of Mark and this led him to shoot their child.

If you been following Peaceful Rampage for some time, you will know that my book is drawn from actual experiences. I was bullied as bad as Mark was and the school did do its best in trying to stop it. Also like in the story, the school dealing with things only made matters worse for me on most occasions. So, I can’t blame the school either although some teachers did play a role in exacerbating the bullying. It is also why whenever I read about a school shooting, my first thought is always: “This could have been me.”

To buy He Was Weird go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/He-Was-Weird-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1909740942/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517430554&sr=1-1&keywords=he+was+weird

 

 

 

 

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DAMP And Death

24 Wednesday Jan 2018

Posted by in Autism, books, Parents, Religion, Uncategorized

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Going to my mother in law’s funeral last week has led to much contemplation on my part, especially at the viewing the day before it. For most people, seeing their loved one’s body, no matter how nicely it’s laid out, will be an upsetting experience. My wife, youngest stepdaughter and youngest stepson were all visibly very upset at seeing their mother/grandmother laid out, knowing that she is no longer with us. My stepson had to leave the room and I went out to keep him company. However, he did go back into the room a few minutes later. So, I can see how upsetting the whole affair surrounding death can be.

I didn’t feel upset at the viewing. Now, I’m not some sort of heart of stone person but looking at her body, which looked very much at peace, I didn’t feel the need to be outwardly sad. While I loved my mother in law, especially her barmy sense of humour and I did feel some sadness, all I saw was someone who was now at peace. She did suffer for the past few months of her life and her rapid deterioration, brought on by dementia, was agonizing for all to see. Now that she’s gone, that pain and suffering is over and now she is at peace. That was what was going through my mind the entire time I was in the room viewing her body. Also, I would like to think for my own well being that she has gone onto a better place.

Thinking back to the other two times, I’ve been to a viewing, I realize that I felt the same way. Though I can’t say much about my cousin’s viewing as I was only sixteen at the time, I know for a fact I felt the exact same way when my grandfather passed away in 1983. While many people in the church were shedding tears, I saw that my grandfather was now at peace. Am I being strange to think like this?

The thing about DAMP is that people who have the condition do see things from a different perspective. I wonder if this is what I’m doing. That instead of seeing the fact that a loved one is no longer with us, I am seeing them at peace and believing that their spirit has now gone to a better place. There is part of me who thinks that by doing this, I am somehow disrespecting the memory of the deceased but most of my mind rejects this thought. I don’t really think I’m having evil thoughts by feeling this way. If anything, I’m just trying to see the good in it all.

For the most part, this part of my DAMP or Asperger’s Syndrome may be considered a blessing and I’d like to thing it is. However, there is another aspect of those conditions I have where in this case it’s a curse. Most of the time, my ability to recall and retain obscure facts is beneficial but not here. I don’t really like the fact that I’ve noticed that within the last two years that my mother in law and ex mother in law have passed away. I’d rather not have known that.

Maybe this is why that when I wrote “He Was Weird,” I made Mark’s body appear to be so at peace at his funeral. People in attendance saw a peaceful young boy and found it hard to believe that he had carried out such an atrocity. Actually, I had no debate in my mind as to whether or not to portray it any other way.

In closing, I would like to just say: Rest in peace Josephine Camps and Rest in peace Ann Williams

To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/He-Was-Weird-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1909740942/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516823247&sr=1-1&keywords=he+was+weird

Schools in Literary Bullying- We Need to Talk About Kevin

15 Monday Jan 2018

Posted by in books, Bullying, School Shootings, Uncategorized

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Here’s where I go 180 degrees in the other direction in this series of posts about how schools handled or mishandled bullying in books about school shootings. The last two books I covered, “Endgame” and “Rupture” were both damning accounts of how the school did nothing to curb the bullying and consequently led to a mass shooting. In the book, “We Need to Talk About Kevin” by Lionel Shriver, there is little evidence that the school could have done anything to prevent the events that led up to Kevin killing seven pupils and a teacher and wounding two more.

The main issue in this case is the fact that Kevin wasn’t bullied. If anything, he might have been perceived as the bully. In his mother’s account of Kevin’s life, she states that the other students at school gave Kevin a wide berth. Furthermore, he did nothing to make himself stand out or draw any attention towards himself whatsoever. As far as the school is concerned, Kevin Katchadourian was just another student.

Some circumstantial evidence that arises in the story could be introduced. For one, there’s the false accusation by Kevin and his friend against a female teacher whom Kevin claimed made inappropriate advances towards him. The teacher ended up being placed on administrative duties. However, that didn’t ring any alarm bells with the school in the story and I doubt it would have done so in real life. Kevin wouldn’t have been profiled or have been seen as a potential troublemaker.

One way the school could have prevented the shooting was if they knew about the fake awards ceremony Kevin masterminded. All of his targets, none of them had any issue with Kevin, were assembled into a school gymnasium to rehearse for this awards ceremony. The recipients of these ‘awards’ including the teacher, were told that under no circumstances, were they to reveal the awards in case it made others jealous. Still, it’s still a little surprising that no one leaked it out or even the teacher discuss it with the principal in private. Instead, they all fell into Kevin’s trap.

The shooting scene from “We Need to Talk About Kevin.” There’s not much more to it.

As a result, Kevin’s school, while possibly might feel they looked a little stupid by being fooled by Kevin’s plan, could not have done anything to prevent bullying because Kevin wasn’t.

To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/He-Was-Weird-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1909740942/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516051525&sr=1-1&keywords=he+was+weird