If There Was a March For Our Lives in He Was Weird

Tags

books, bullying, D.A.M.P., guns, He Was Weird, mass shootings, mental health, Politics, protest, school shootings, Second Amendment

My weird and wonderful mind has been at work since I posted about the “March For Our Lives” last week. I have no shame in stating that the original intention behind starting Peaceful Rampage was to get all of you to buy copies of my book, “He Was Weird.” These last two sentences fused together shortly after I posted about the march. The thought entered my mind, “Would the children of Ramsgate, New Jersey have done a similar thing after their school was shot up?”

Knowing the town where my story was based, (Ramsgate, NJ only exists in my mind and now in print), I earnestly believe that they very well might have done so. After the shooting occurs, the town goes totally into victim mode. Of course everyone in the town tries to deflect the bullying hell, they inflicted on the main character, but the tragedy felt by the people of the town is definitely real. Genuine sympathies are shown in this light by the media, local, national and international as the report of what has happened is spread around the world. Still, the main issue with many was the fact that a thirteen year old boy was able to get his hands on a gun and carry out such a bloody rampage.

When writing “He Was Weird,” I only mention the gun debate in passing as I wanted to focus on the issues that made him ‘snap.’ The point of the story wasn’t to debate the Second Amendment but instead, other issues like bullying, DAMP, and the other mental health issues Mark, the main character, might have had. However, this would not have stopped the children of Ramsgate, many of whom were very academically gifted, from organizing and staging a march on Washington DC. In spite of what I wrote in the book, I can easily see them doing it and it would have been very much like what the students in Parkland, Florida had done. There would have been more media focus on those students and the debates in favour and opposed to the march would have bounced around the mass media as it had done with the Parkland shooting. In fact, everything to do with the march would have been pretty much the same, only the name of the town have been different.

March For Our Lives Protest in Washington DC

So, why didn’t I write about a march in “He Was Weird?” The answer is that I have always been more of a reactive person than a proactive one. I knew of no marches after a mass shooting so the idea of writing about one never entered into my noggin. Still, it might have been cool if I had written one in because I am sure that the children who survived the shooting would have definitely marched on Washington.

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=1523264617&sr=1-1&keywords=he+was+weird

 

 

 

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He Was Weird Would Not Make a Good Show for Active Shooter

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Active Shooter America Under Fire, Americans, books, He Was Weird, Michael D LeFevre, police, school shootings, television

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been watching a television programme called “Active Shooter- America Under Fire.” The programme is about mass shootings in America and how they happened, why the happened and how the police responded to them. I missed the very first episode of the series but have watched the three since.

Programme two was about the San Bernardino, California shooting where a Muslim couple went into a office where the husband worked and shot 36 people, killing 14 of them. The couple were later killed by police in a shootout after a car chase.

Programme three was about the Charleston, South Carolina shooting where a white supremacist went into a church and shot and killed nine African American people and wounded a tenth. Dylan Roof, the shooter, was arrested a day later and sentenced to death for hate crimes and also to life imprisonment for the nine counts of murder due to his guilty plea.

The latest programme, which I watched this morning, was about the the shooting at the Washington Naval Yard in 2013. A lone African American man went into one of the buildings with a shot gun and shot and killed 12 people and wounded three others including a police officer. It is also reported that he took a pistol from one of the security officers he had killed and began using that when he ran out of ammo for the shot gun. He was eventually killed by police officers in a shoot out.

While I was watching the latest episode, I was wondering about how such a programme would be made for the shooting that occurs in my book, “He Was Weird.” In the story, the shooter, Mark Leversee, my main character, goes into school one day with an Uzi and a nine millimeter pistol and opens fire on his classmates in the school playground. After causing many casualties, (you’ll have to read the book for exact numbers), and all possible targets either down or cowering in their classrooms and hearing the sound of police sirens, Mark carries out the final objective of his plan going out on his own terms. Because of the above, there would have been no car chases or no shoot outs. The reader does get to experience the account of the first police officer to arrive on the scene and his inner battle at the prospect of an armed confrontation with a thirteen year old boy, but that confrontation never happens. Therefore, the police officer arriving at the scene and finding the shooter already down, may not make for exciting television.

Of course, after the shooting as in the story, there would be much lamentation of how and why such a tragedy happened. How a boy of thirteen could get a hold of such high power weapons and what made him do it. The bullying hell Mark went through would have been mentioned and loosely linked to why he did it. Although many would be quick to try to downplay it. More would be made of his Asperger’s Syndrome and DAMP conditions, much more so than before he took up arms and did the deed. Then of course, there would be the ones who used the shooting to cash in, they would have definitely hogged the limelight in any TV programme.

On the other hand, the planning and method in which Mark carried out his shooting might have been more interesting. During their investigation, law enforcement officials all agreed that he had received some marksmanship and military training, even if the latter was inadvertently. Probably why I say that the true innocent victim of it all was Mark’s mother’s boyfriend, Ted Ziminsky, who taught Mark how to shoot. Also, a recreation of the carnage that followed as a result might have been an interesting view too. It would have to be a recreation because I never say that there are any cameras around the school to show the event. Even if it had, some of those who read “He Was Weird,” stated that the shooting would be too brutal to show live, especially if the camera should happen to catch Mark when he double taps some of his victims.

All in all, as much as I find it amusing that my shooting in “He Was Weird,” could appear on “Active Shooter- America Under Fire,” I’m glad that it’s just fiction and never will. Still, I’m not convinced that it would have made for good ratings anyway. However, the best way to find out for yourself is to read the book.

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=1518441942&sr=1-1&keywords=he+was+weird

 

 

Schools In Literary Bullying: He Was Weird

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books, bullying, He Was Weird, lawyers, school shootings, schools

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

 

 

 

 

DAMP And Death

Tags

anxiety, Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, books, D.A.M.P., death, He Was Weird, Jesus Christ, Mothers, religion

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

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books, bullying, Endgame, Lionel Shriver, Rupture, school shootings, schools, teachers, We Need to Talk About Kevin

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schools in Literary Bullying- Rupture

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books, bullying, Endgame, Nancy Garden, Rupture, school shootings, schools, Simon Lelic, teachers

Now that the holidays are over and I hope you all had a happy one, I can return to my theme of how schools in the novels I post about handled the bullying mentioned within them. When I visited the story “Endgame” by the late Nancy Garden, I stated that had the story been real life, it would be the most damning of any school in its failure to tackle bullying within it. Since refamiliarising myself with “Rupture” by Simon Lelic, I think that “Endgame” has a competitor in the most damning of the school sweepstakes.

For those new to Peaceful Rampage, “Rupture” is about school teacher Samuel Sajikowski, who is so badly bullied by both another teacher and pupils, that one day he snaps and goes into his school and shoots three pupils and a teacher dead before turning the gun on himself. As the story unravels, we find that Sam may have been driven to commit his crime by all the bullying he was subjected to.

First, let’s look at the teacher. The PE teacher made Samuel’s life a misery from day one after Samuel insists his name is Samuel and not Sam. After that, the PE teacher plays all sorts of tricks on him and does everything to make Samuel’s life hell including getting him in trouble with the Head by telling Samuel that teachers were allowed to wear jeans on Friday. The bullying only gets worse after that.

If a bullying teacher isn’t bad enough, most of the pupils also bully Sam. The chief of these pupil bullies is a boy named Donovan Stanley, whom the Head has already written off as someone who will leave the school, get a girl pregnant and live in a council house off the public purse. Stanley leads his fellow pupils to wreck Samuel’s bike and poo in his briefcase. The fusion of teacher and pupil bullying come together when at a student-teacher football match, Stanley and another pupil intentionally break Samuel’s leg. After the deed is done, the boy who recounts the story says the PE teacher gave them both a sly wink.

This is a good place to start about the school’s lack of concern over the bullying. Here we have a clear cut case of assault, even grievous bodily harm and the school does nothing about. The one boy thought he’d at least get a detention but didn’t even get that. Instead, there’s no mention of the school doing anything, not even an investigation. Then there’s the case of the ‘Bum Blog.’ This is an invention by some pupils who set up a blog intentionally created to humiliate Samuel. The school does nothing with the Head citing free speech. Even when Samuel does try to get help, the Head basically tells him to man up and get on with it offering him no support. My conclusion is that the school is just as responsible for the events that led up to Samuel going into an packed assembly one day and shooting three pupils and a teacher dead.

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=1515440811&sr=1-1&keywords=he+was+weird

 

 

 

 

Song Lyric Quotes: A New Change for the New Year

Tags

Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, Bible, Bill and Ted, christianity, films, holidays, music, religion

First, let me wish all of you a Happy New Year for 2018! Now, I am going to tell everyone about a new change to Peaceful Rampage for the new year which will continue on indefinitely. I’ll be posting more but with a difference. I’ll still make a weekly posts about things on my mind, experiences from my past which relate and I’ll continue to highlight injustices against victims of bullying. However, in between those posts, there will be shorter, very short posts where I’ll be quoting song lyrics that have been chiseled into my mind or have relevant meaning at a particular time.

Ever since I can remember, even through my most dedicated religious periods, song lyrics have stamped their presence in my mind. When there is stress going through my mind, it’s a line from a particular song that comes to mind to combat the stress. When there is a point to be made, I can usually find an appropriate lyric to help me make it. It has come to the point now that there are so many lyrics dancing around in my mind, I feel the need to share them with the world. Who knows, there may be a time when a particular lyric might be beneficial to you.

My Asperger’s affected mind now has visions of religious zealots being horrified at the thought of my mind being influenced by musical lyrics. They’ll say that Satan has corrupted me through evil rock music. I say that’s all a lot of bo**oks! During my religious periods, I did sometimes have Bible verses and later Book of Mormon verses and sometimes they helped. However, in accordance with my view on all religions, they didn’t solve the problem. On the other hand, I know that song lyrics won’t solve any problems but they can be just as uplifting and stress easing as any religious verse. Also, I must point out that no song lyric has ever encouraged me to sacrifice a goat, commit mass murder or hate America. That too is something the religious people got wrong.

Susan Boyle- one person with Asperger’s who has definitely benefited by song.

That’s enough of me prattling on. I thought I start this new addition with some lyrics quoted very well in the movie “Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey.” This is when they came before God and had to quote the meaning of life.

Bill, Ted and Death stand before God

“Every rose has its thorn

Just like every nighttime has its dawn

Just like every cowboy sings a sad, sad song”

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School in Literary Bullying- Endgame

Tags

Americans, books, bullying, Endgame, guns, Nancy Garden, school shootings, schools, teachers

If the occurrences in the novels on bullying and school shootings had actually happened in real life, then what happens in “Endgame” by the late Nancy Garden would be the most damning of any school in any of the stories. In “Endgame,” the bullying starts almost straight away as the protagonist, Gray Wilton and his friend are set upon by senior football players, led by alpha-male, Zorro. However, when Gray reports the bullying to Mr Vee, the PE teacher, the teacher’s response is “sticks and stones.” Later on the story he tries to further justify his lack of action on Gray’s plight by saying, “Boys will be boys.”

Sadly, this seems to be the state of affairs in American high schools. The jocks are mollycoddled and patted on the head for abusing the “freaks” and “weirdos.” Like in so many cases, Mr Vee didn’t want to get involved in the situation because it involved his boys, the football players. However, Mr Vee isn’t the only teacher guilty of doing nothing to stop the bullying hell Gray was going through. Later on in the story, Gray conveys to his lawyer how teachers would stay in the classrooms so they could remain oblivious to any bullying happening out in the school halls and therefore not have to deal with it. Furthermore, when Gray comes to school in the mornings, there are no teachers in the area giving Zorro and his cronies carte blanche to do whatever they want and they do make Gray’s life hell. Eventually, he takes back ways and hidden passages into school so he can avoid the bullies. What we have here is a school that pretends they don’t know that bullying is going on in their school because of the fear it might get the star football player into trouble.

There is one teacher who shows Gray some support, that is the music teacher who tutors him because of his ability to play the drums. However, this teacher’s efforts are limited. One reason is because Gray’s father thinks his son playing the drums are a waste of time. The other is when Gray’s drum kit is destroyed before the big Christmas music show, he immediately knows that Zorro is responsible. The teacher seems to believe Gray. However, when Zorro is exonerated, he gets his revenge on Gray by forcing him to drink paint. No teacher is anywhere to witness this and the music teacher is powerless to do anymore.

R.I.P Nancy Garden

The multi-million dollar question is: With no support from the bullying by a school that doesn’t seem to want to know, is it any wonder that Gray took matters into his own hands? I’ll be the first to say that going into a school with a gun and shooting those who have wronged him was not the solution to the problem. Taking a life never is. However, if I was one of the victims or their parent, I would be tempted to sue the school on the grounds that their non actions in preventing the bullying contributed to the later atrocity. The school knew about the bullying and did nothing by pretending it didn’t know. That’ just not acceptable and though this is a book, I can see it happening out there in the real world.

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=1513883369&sr=1-1&keywords=he+was+weird

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Look At Schools in Literary Bullying: Part 1- Nineteen Minutes

Tags

19 Minutes, books, bullying, Jodi Piccoult, school shootings, schools

In my reviews of books about school shootings, I’ve looked at the shooters, the parents, the bullies and even explored how much an influence music was in the story. So now, I’m going to take a look at the schools in each case and ask, “Could the school have done more to prevent the bullying and possibly stop the tragedy that resulted from it?”

In this post, I will begin with “Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult. In this story, the protagonist, Peter, is bullied from his first day of school until the fateful day nearly twelve years later when he goes into the school with two pistols and two rifles and carries out a shooting rampage that kills ten and wounds eight. Could the school have done anything?

Early in the story, when Peter is Kindergarden, the teacher sees he’s getting bullied and her answer to the problem was to teach him how to stand up for himself. As we see it doesn’t work and Peter’s life continues to be a living hell. After that, there is practically no evidence of any school trying to deal with Peter’s bullying. Yes, school staff seem to know it’s going on but don’t seem to want to do anything about it.

The most damning evidence against the school comes at Peter’s trial. First, the gym teacher is called to the stand and he states that he is familiar with the school’s bullying policy but he never sees the need to address it. Jodi does leave the reader, at least me anyway, with the impression that the teacher’s lack of concern for Peter’s plight is down to the fact that the bullies are the top jocks in the school. Therefore, he turns a blind eye to his boys while they make their victim’s life a misery.

Second is Peter’s friend, Derek, who is called as a witness for the prosecution. He testifies under cross examination the bullying he and Peter went through in school. When asked why he didn’t tell the school about the bullying, he says that the school wouldn’t have done anything and it would have made the bullying worse. Now, you are probably thinking that the school would denounce Derek’s statement but there is no indication of that in the story.

From the evidence Jodi produces in her novel, I am left to conclude that the school did nothing to halt the bullying of Peter. In reality, the school would have tried to hide behind the excuse that it was never officially reported to them but everyone knew it was going on. Plus, the fear of the victims or further reprisals from the bullies if they told on them is even more damning of the school. Therefore, the school is just as guilty for the deaths resulting from the shooting as the person who carried it out.

To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Was-Weird-Publisher-Generation-Publishing/dp/B00SLVHRFG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1512983398&sr=1-1&keywords=he+was+weird

Are the Schools At Fault?

Tags

19 Minutes, books, bullying, communication, Endgame, He Was Weird, Jodi Piccoult, Michael D LeFevre, Nancy Garden, Rupture, school shootings, schools, Simon Lelic, teachers

Protest Outside Norman High School

Reflecting back to events of the past couple of weeks and over the entire time I have been writing, I believe that its time to venture forth and ask, “Are the schools at fault when it comes to bullying?” Looking at the recent event in Virginia where a mother was arrested and nearly charged with a felony for putting a recording device in her daughter’s bag to find out if she was getting bullied, I would say yes in this case. The mother did try going through the correct procedure of informing the school that her daughter was being bullied but had no response. Therefore, she did what she did out of exasperation. It might not have been the right thing to do as there are lots of privacy issues here but the school failed the mother, plain and simple.

I have no doubt that if the school intervened, there would have been no need for the mother to put a recording device into her daughter’s bag. But why are schools seem to be slow or inactive in dealing with bullying? As a teacher myself, I know how overworked schools and teachers are. In many cases, they aren’t simply ignoring a bullying instance, however, they are so stressed out over their workload that it gets pushed to the back-burner. BTW, I am not using this to excuse schools for not dealing with the bullying, far from it. Bullying cases should be fast-tracked to the top of the school’s attention so it can be dealt with before too much suffering happens.

Other reasons for schools not seeming to handle bullying is the simple fact that they don’t know it’s going on. Many victims are afraid to report bullying for many reasons like looking weak, worried the school won’t take them seriously or reprisals by the bullies outside of school. Of course, some school officials and teachers bury their head in the sand because they don’t want to have to deal with it, so they pretend to know nothing about it. Then they play dumb if pulled up on it. This is wrong and what should happen more is that victims should be totally encouraged to report the bullying they suffer.

What really grinds my gears, (sorry, I’m a Family Guy fan), is how some schools over react when victims or their parents decide enough is enough and take matters into their own hands. The latest incident in Virginia is a prime example and for another good one, read my ancient post, “A Victory for the Bullies.” I theorize that schools react this way because they have been seen as not dealing with the bullying, so, because they lack evidence against the bullies, use the letter of the law to punish the victims because that victim has just embarrassed the school by highlighting the school’s inability to efficiently tackle bullying. This is lame in my view and in my opinion brings more shame upon the school.

Family Guy

Ideas leading to more ideas about future posts has given me inspiration here. Using the novels I popularly use, “Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult, “Endgame” by the late Nancy Garden, “Rupture” by Simon Lelic and my own novel, “He Was Weird,” all novels where bullying results in a school shooting, I will look at each story and see how well the school handled the bullying in it. I tell you now, that I’m not holding out much hope for the schools here but it should make interesting reading.

To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Was-Weird-Lefevre-Michael-Paperback/dp/B00YRC6826/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1512406367&sr=1-3&keywords=he+was+weird