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Amish Killings
October 4, 2006





I wondered whether or not I should write about the killing of five
girls, serious wounding of five other girls, and suicide of the male
killer, in an Amish school. Then I thought that our students likely
know about this tragedy. So, as teachers we should think about how
to discuss it with them. Furthermore, we can learn some important
values from the Omish. A New York Times article entitled Police
Describe Gunman's Plan in School Siege states:

The police were also investigating Mr. Roberts’s assertion that he had
molested relatives when he was 12, but had been unable to
corroborate it. Moments before he opened fire, Mr. Roberts told his
wife, Marie, who was leading a prayer meeting at a church, of the
sexual assaults. He then told her that he had left four suicide notes at
home, Colonel Miller said, one of which described the lingering
wounds he had felt since the death of their daughter Elise, who was
born prematurely in 1997 and lived only 20 minutes.
Read a related article!!


Discussion Starters

  • According to the article, Mr. Roberts, the killer, was sad and
    lonely. He lashed out in a horrible way. Many of our students
    don't know how to handle deep and serious feelings. They
    don't know what to do when they are sad or lonely. As
    teachers, it is our job to notice when students have serious
    issues. But it is also our job to help them learn how to manage
    their feelings. (At the same time, we must remember that we
    are not professionals in this area. We should refer situations
    that concern us to appropriate resources.) But, to help our
    students learn to manage their feelings, we might simply ask
    students for ideas as to what they can do when they are sad,
    when they are lonely, when they feel down. We can have
    students teach each other. (Throughout my life I have often felt
    incapable...I remember during one stage of my life each
    evening I recounted ten things that I had accomplished during
    the day. This recounting helped be gain confidence in my own
    capability.)

  • Very shortly after the killings, the Amish people realized that
    not only had their world been affected, but the killer's family
    had suffered terribly, as well. They brought over food to the
    family's home. Ask students what it means to forgive. Ask
    them if they think it's possible to forgive a killer? Ask them if
    they think a killer should be forgiven? You might ask students
    to write a thought-piece on this question. They might even blog
    it. Encourage them to share their ideas with one another.

  • The Amish are truly a unique group of people within the United
    States. They don't use electricity. Ask students to pretend that
    they are Omish people. What might it be like to live life without
    any electricity. Students might develop skits. You might even
    vodcast these skits.

  • Most students have seen films and read books that contained
    scenes of murder. Perhaps, if books and films did not have
    these scenes in them there would be less murder in society?
    Ask students if they think this is correct. Facilitate a
    conversation in your class as to the extent to which popular
    media influences behavior in society? What should society do in
    response to these influences?
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