What's Wrong?

Several days ago another blogger, Stephen Downes, asked why I did not raise the issue of gun control in my post related to the school shootings in Cleveland. I don't usually ask questions about editorials but today I found one that really peaked my interest and perhaps responds to Mr. Downes' question.

Detroit Free Press columnist and author of the best selling and incredibly powerful book "Tuesday's with Morrie," Mitch Albom writes an editorial entitled, "What Lies Behind a Shooter's Bullet." The editorial states, "Microsoft's Halo 3 video game -- a first-person shooter experience using guns, grenades and other weapons -- earned $170 million in sales on its first day of availability, making it the hottest-selling title in video game history." Albom writes, "According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, one in four children is bullied and 87% of teens say school shooters operate from a desire to 'get back at those who have hurt them.' 'How can these shootings happen?' we ask. How can we ask that question?"

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Children

• Have your students ever felt mad at somebody? Why did they feel this way? Is it OK to feel mad? Why/why not?
  
• Ask students to develop skits/charades in which they demonstrate three or four different feelings as the class tries to guess the feelings that they are demonstrating.
  
• What are your students' favorite video games? What is the goal of these video games? Why do they like to play them?
  
• If these video games are violent, consider asking students to change one part of these video games so that they are less violent. Challenge students to create games that require players to display peaceful behavior not violent behavior.
  
• What do your students think it means to "be good." Do your students think that somebody should always have to tell them what to do for them to be good? Why/why not? Are there some things that students should automatically do without being told to do them? What kinds of things should students just do, without being told to do them, in order to be good people?
  
• Consider asking students to draw pictures of people doing "good" things.
  
• Do your students think that people should be allowed to own guns? Why/why not? Should people be allowed to own knives? Why/why not?
  
• Consider putting gun ownership on trial in your classroom.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Rampage; Atheist; "Columbine Type Attack"; and, Complicit.
• Do your students think that people should be allowed to carry guns? Why/why not? Should all police officers be allowed to carry guns? Why/why not? Should police officers be allowed to carry guns when they are off duty? Why/why not?
  
• Challenge students to find a rhetorical line where it becomes murky as to whether or not people should be allowed to own/carry guns? This exercise might be part of placing gun ownership on trial.
  
• Ask your students to imagine a conversation between President Bush and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in which Ahmadinejad accuses the United States of being a morally depraved nation.
  
• Students might develop these conversations in groups of two or three.
  
• Albom writes, "'How can these shootings happen?' we ask. How can we ask that question?" What point is Mitch Albom making in this editorial? Do students think that his point is valid? Why/why not? Will students continue to play videos such as Halo 3? Why/why not? Do students think that they should continue to play Halo 3? Why/why not?
• These questions might prompt an interesting class discussion.