Dear editor,
In light of the recent shooting that occurred in Perry on January 4 of this year I’m writing this letter to voice my opinion and deepest thoughts about this and the other school shootings that have happened in our country.
To me, gone are the days of resource officers as well as strong resources that were readily accessible and available for teens and young children. These resources were there for a reason and the resource officers were a vital part of the school system back some 20 years ago.
Also gone are the days when parents were more aware of their children’s needs and played a huge part in their education as well.
Also gone are the days when it was actually more important to stress the importance of mental health and mental illness awareness, especially when it came down to getting the help for a child or teenager, too.
More importantly to me, it has always been a very important topic and one that we, as a society in general, should never stop discussing or talking about, especially when it comes to our children, the next generation of Americans.
To me, it’s the responsibility of parents and/or other adult figures in these children’s lives to pay attention to them and their emotional state of mind and this goes far beyond just asking the simplest of questions, like, “How’s your day going?” and “Is there anything you’d like to talk about with me?”
Yes, these simple questions are highly important questions to ask, but at the same time we need to let them know that are truly there for them, no matter what.
And when they come back with the answer of “I’m fine,” this also needs to be addressed, too, because often times they really aren’t okay and just fine. I’ve seen this too often.
We as parents, aunts, uncles and a community in general need to remember that we are the best choice overall for our children to come to if they are going through any sort of mental health problems, and then we can work with them and their schools to make sure that they don’t get overwhelmed or overlooked and that they can actually get the best possible help for them.
We have forgotten about these issues in general because more often than not we never thought that someday we would have to cope and deal with something of this magnitude.
So to me these issues are highly critical and very important to me. I have been living with advanced complex post traumatic stress disorder for a few years now and I remember how important it was for me to openly talk with people who actually understood what I was going through and not feel like I was facing this alone.
So, please don’t just hide behind a mask or try and put a temporary band-aid on what is going on with our children and just make sure that they know they have your attention and support, especially if they have been traumatized by the recent school shootings. That’s all I’m asking is that we all come together and be respectful and be involved with our children in general.
Thanks.
Respectfully your, MeLinda Madison of Jefferson, concerned aunt and grandma and mother
