Since then, there have been at least 8 or more copycat threats made in similar ways. I think it's usually lipstick or something like that on the walls or mirrors of the washrooms. While the first one was at a university, I think the subsequent ones have all been in high schools. Schools remain open but if parents do not feel comfortable sending their kids to school, they may stay home.
Yesterday, a threat was found at the school M&M (our 2 international students) attend. Students were told of the threat and also of the fact that they could stay home if their parents or guardians were concerned for their safety. It is now 8:42 AM and there have been no sightings of M or M. Last night they expressed to me their fears about going to school and weren't sure if they felt comfortable attending (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, snicker, snicker). This is all just a big joke. I told Mauricio that he better not tell his parents because they are somewhat overprotective of him. If they heard about this, I think they'd tell him to get on to the next plane to Brazil. Medardo's family worries little about him and his safety and his father, who happens to be a police officer in Mexico, would probably make him go.
So, for now, they are both safe in their beds and will likely remain there until 2:00 PM or until their stomachs cannot handle another moment of emptiness.
I feel like going up to their rooms and kicking them out of their beds. They are not fearful for their safety. They see this as another excuse to miss a day of school. Mauricio could miss some school, his grades are amazing and he seldom stays home. Medardo is another story. We recently received a letter from the school concerning his frequent absences and the fact that he better not miss any more school because he is in jepardy of failing this term. He doesn't seem to be concerned.
I think that:
- the schools should not give students and parents the option of staying away from school.
- the media needs to stop reporting on these incidents
- the kids who are caught doing this need to be seriously disciplined.
- M & M will be doing some housework or something for me today. This is not going to be a fun day at home.
I'm getting too old for this.
5 comments:
I seriously wish that the media would start acting like a responsible player in all this and stop publicizing every threat. If they spent a little more time talking about how the perpetrators are disciplined instead, it might start turning things around.
I think it's great you took 2 foreign kids into your home. Sounds like kids all over the world see any opportunity to stay home from school.
I agree that you should make him work today.. make him work REALLY hard. I also agree the media makes too much of these situations. If anything it shows kids that you can be on the news if you do something bad.
A lot of the so called "threats" in the last little while turned out to be hoaxes. Case in point, there were a number of "racist" incedents at Columbia University in the US where someone hung a hangmans noose in a predominantly black dorm area. When the gulty parties confessed, it turns out THEY were black themselves. They wanted to show how much racism there was and because there wasn't very much real racism, they had to start some of their own.
A day off is probably no big deal, but I would worry about two.
A co-worker of mine was having the very same dilemma over the very same situation..only this involved her teenage daughter. Wouldn't you just love to catch the little bug*ers that are copycatting these messages.
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