Tags
19 Minutes, books, bullying, guns, He Was Weird, Jodi Piccoult, Lionel Shriver, Michigan, parents, school shootings, schools, We Need to Talk About Kevin
As many of you know, last week there was a school shooting in Michigan in the USA where four people were killed. What I have found interesting about this recent tragedy is that the parents of the young shooter have also been arrested and are being charged with involuntary manslaughter. After all, they bought that boy the gun and from what I have been led to believe had no rules or restrictions on him using it. Therefore, I think it’s right that the parents should be charged.
While parental responsibility has probably been an issue in many school shootings, the Columbine parents were sued by the parents of many of the victims, I am a little surprised that there hasn’t been more examples of it. It seems to be all over the place in books about school shootings. In the book, “We Need to Talk About Kevin” by Lionel Shriver, the mother, Eva, is sued by the parents of one of the victims. While the suit is unsuccessful, the judge orders that Eva is not entitled to recoup legal costs from the other side. She also has do endure harassment and even physical assault. In Jodi Picoult’s “Nineteen Minutes,” while the shooter’s mother is on the witness stand, a grieving father yells down at her for being a bad mother and of course, there is my book, “He Was Weird.”
Getting right to the point, in “He Was Weird,” Mark’s mother isn’t sued, harassed or assaulted. This is down to the fact that there were bigger cash cows for the lawyers to milk and the fact that three days following the shooting, Mark’s grandfather announces to the media that the entire family will be moving out of the town. The people of the town provide much assistance in making the move possible. However, the town turns its anger towards another, Mark’s mother’s boyfriend at the time, Ted. In an effort to bond, Ted teaches Mark how to shoot and even some military tactics. When he goes away for work, he gives Mark his house keys so Mark can look after Ted’s dog. Unfortunately, on that key ring is the key to the closet where Ted keeps his guns and ammo. That is how Mark gets tooled up for his big day.
After the shooting, Ted is sued by practically every one of Mark’s victims. There were 45 in total including 17 fatalities. Furthermore, he is charged with criminal negligence and though he pleads guilty, Ted is sentenced to six months in prison and banned from owning guns for the rest of his life. The town of Ramsgate personally holds him responsible for the carnage.
Parental responsibility doesn’t have to be limited to school shootings. What about bullying? If a child is bullying others, then the parents should shoulder some of that responsibility. Maybe if that was to happen, parents won’t see their child as a bully as something to be proud of, which many parents do.
To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Was-Weird-Publisher-Generation-Publishing/dp/B00SLVHRFG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36I8I1G32U0R4&keywords=he+was+weird&qid=1638905535&s=books&sprefix=he+was+%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-1