While this senseless murder falls under the category of “Parenting in the News,” I am taking this opportunity to share it with you as teachers. You have your own influence on kids, and you also interact with parents. You also have your own special way of seeing the effects of societal violence on children.

In a recent article on August 20, 2013, Erin McClam, staff writer for NBC News, described it this way. “They saw Christopher go by, and one of them said: ‘There’s our target.” One of the boys further explained, “We were bored and didn’t have anything to do, so we decided to kill somebody.”

Christopher Lane, a baseball player, was visiting the town of Duncan, where his girlfriend lived. By chance, he passed the home where the teens were staying and was gunned down at random.

Even bigger news is that murders on the part of teens is increasing.

It is parenting news because we all heard on TV or read in the paper about the pain expressed by Christopher’s parents Peter and Donna Lane.

It is more parenting news because Jennifer Luna, mother of one of the teens said, “I wouldn’t want to be in that position that they’re in right now. I’m always on my kids. I always tell them: If I lost y’all, I wouldn’t be able to live.”

It is even more parenting news because we are all aware of the problem of violent videos and movies and how they affect children, and yet no one is doing anything about that.

In addition, we all know as parents that the first three to five years of life lay the foundation for all later learning and development. We also know that the majority of our parents face difficult conditions during those years and need help.

Where are we? What are we doing?

August! The Month of Dignity

Where did our dignity go?

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