FL teacher of the year speaks out on school gun violence

[paul1149]

Kelly Guthrie Raley has been teaching for 20 years and currently educates kids at Eustis Middle School in Lake County, Florida. Just last month she was named the 2017-2018 Teacher of the Year.

Okay, I’ll be the bad guy and say what no one else is brave enough to say, but wants to say. I’ll take all the criticism and attacks from everyone because you know what? I’m a TEACHER. I live this life daily. And I wouldn’t do anything else! But I also know daily I could end up in an active shooter situation.

Until we, as a country, are willing to get serious and talk about mental health issues, lack of available care for the mental health issues, lack of discipline in the home, horrendous lack of parental support when the schools are trying to control horrible behavior at school (oh no! Not MY KID. What did YOU do to cause my kid to react that way?), lack of moral values, and yes, I’ll say it-violent video games that take away all sensitivity to ANY compassion for others’ lives, as well as reality TV that makes it commonplace for people to constantly scream up in each others’ faces and not value any other person but themselves, we will have a gun problem in school. Our kids don’t understand the permanency of death anymore!!!

I grew up with guns. Everyone knows that. But you know what? My parents NEVER supported any bad behavior from me. I was terrified of doing something bad at school, as I would have not had a life until I corrected the problem and straightened my ass out. My parents invaded my life. They knew where I was ALL the time. They made me have a curfew. They made me wake them up when I got home. They made me respect their rules. They had full control of their house, and at any time could and would go through every inch of my bedroom, backpack, pockets, anything! Parents: it’s time to STEP UP! Be the parent that actually gives a crap! Be the annoying mom that pries and knows what your kid is doing. STOP being their friend. They have enough “friends” at school. Be their parent. Being the “cool mom” means not a damn thing when either your kid is dead or your kid kills other people because they were allowed to have their space and privacy in YOUR HOME. I’ll say it again. My home was filled with guns growing up. For God’s sake, my daddy was an 82nd Airborne Ranger who lost half his face serving our country. But you know what? I never dreamed of shooting anyone with his guns. I never dreamed of taking one! I was taught respect for human life, compassion, rules, common decency, and most of all, I was taught that until I moved out, my life and bedroom wasn’t mine…it was theirs. And they were going to know what was happening because they loved me and wanted the best for me.

There. Say that I’m a horrible person. I didn’t bring up gun control, and I will refuse to debate it with anyone. This post wasn’t about gun control. This was me, loving the crap out of people and wanting the best for them. This was about my school babies and knowing that God created each one for greatness, and just wanting them to reach their futures. It’s about 20 years ago this year I started my teaching career. Violence was not this bad 20 years ago. Lack of compassion wasn’t this bad 20 years ago. And God knows 20 years ago that I wasn’t afraid daily to call a parent because I KNEW that 9 out of 10 would cuss me out, tell me to go to Hell, call the news on me, call the school board on me, or post all over FaceBook about me because I called to let them know what their child chose to do at school…because they are a NORMAL kid!!!!!

Those 17 lives mattered. When are we going to take our own responsibility seriously?
​

Florida's 'Teacher Of The Year' Bluntly Explains Why School Violence Is Out Of Control

 

[Yarddog]

She is right in many ways. We do have a need for common sense gun control laws but they will do little to stop the killing. She is right about the bad parenting but it is no worse today than when I was young. There are a lot of good parents and a lot of bad parents today, just as was in the past.

People want to claim that Jesus isn't in our schools and that is the reason but the real reason is that Jesus is not in our hearts as he should be. If parents taught and loved their children as Jesus called us to do, many of these screwed up kids wouldn't be that way.

She is right about the mental health problem in this country but we should also do something to keep guns out of their hands.

She is right about the video games. They may not affect most kids but they do effect many and they need to be eliminated.

I hope that her message gets out because when we have a discussion about violence in our society, all voices need to be heard.

God Bless

 

[redleghunter]

Kelly Guthrie Raley has been teaching for 20 years and currently educates kids at Eustis Middle School in Lake County, Florida. Just last month she was named the 2017-2018 Teacher of the Year.

Okay, I’ll be the bad guy and say what no one else is brave enough to say, but wants to say. I’ll take all the criticism and attacks from everyone because you know what? I’m a TEACHER. I live this life daily. And I wouldn’t do anything else! But I also know daily I could end up in an active shooter situation.

Until we, as a country, are willing to get serious and talk about mental health issues, lack of available care for the mental health issues, lack of discipline in the home, horrendous lack of parental support when the schools are trying to control horrible behavior at school (oh no! Not MY KID. What did YOU do to cause my kid to react that way?), lack of moral values, and yes, I’ll say it-violent video games that take away all sensitivity to ANY compassion for others’ lives, as well as reality TV that makes it commonplace for people to constantly scream up in each others’ faces and not value any other person but themselves, we will have a gun problem in school. Our kids don’t understand the permanency of death anymore!!!

I grew up with guns. Everyone knows that. But you know what? My parents NEVER supported any bad behavior from me. I was terrified of doing something bad at school, as I would have not had a life until I corrected the problem and straightened my ass out. My parents invaded my life. They knew where I was ALL the time. They made me have a curfew. They made me wake them up when I got home. They made me respect their rules. They had full control of their house, and at any time could and would go through every inch of my bedroom, backpack, pockets, anything! Parents: it’s time to STEP UP! Be the parent that actually gives a crap! Be the annoying mom that pries and knows what your kid is doing. STOP being their friend. They have enough “friends” at school. Be their parent. Being the “cool mom” means not a damn thing when either your kid is dead or your kid kills other people because they were allowed to have their space and privacy in YOUR HOME. I’ll say it again. My home was filled with guns growing up. For God’s sake, my daddy was an 82nd Airborne Ranger who lost half his face serving our country. But you know what? I never dreamed of shooting anyone with his guns. I never dreamed of taking one! I was taught respect for human life, compassion, rules, common decency, and most of all, I was taught that until I moved out, my life and bedroom wasn’t mine…it was theirs. And they were going to know what was happening because they loved me and wanted the best for me.

There. Say that I’m a horrible person. I didn’t bring up gun control, and I will refuse to debate it with anyone. This post wasn’t about gun control. This was me, loving the crap out of people and wanting the best for them. This was about my school babies and knowing that God created each one for greatness, and just wanting them to reach their futures. It’s about 20 years ago this year I started my teaching career. Violence was not this bad 20 years ago. Lack of compassion wasn’t this bad 20 years ago. And God knows 20 years ago that I wasn’t afraid daily to call a parent because I KNEW that 9 out of 10 would cuss me out, tell me to go to Hell, call the news on me, call the school board on me, or post all over FaceBook about me because I called to let them know what their child chose to do at school…because they are a NORMAL kid!!!!!

Those 17 lives mattered. When are we going to take our own responsibility seriously?
​

Florida's 'Teacher Of The Year' Bluntly Explains Why School Violence Is Out Of Control

A bygone era. We live in a nihilistic desensitized society.

 

[redleghunter]

People want to claim that Jesus isn't in our schools and that is the reason but the real reason is that Jesus is not in our hearts as he should be. If parents taught and loved their children as Jesus called us to do, many of these screwed up kids wouldn't be that way.

Bingo!

 

[OldWiseGuy]

And if more people would control their passions there would be fewer unwanted, unloved, uncared for deeply troubled kids in this country.

 

[FireDragon76]

All the evidence is that Nikolas Cruz had alot of psychiatric problems. For all we know, Lynda Cruz did the best she knew how to try to raise her adopted son. But she's dead now and can't answer her accuser.

Ms. Guthrie should stick to teaching kids their ABC's and polishing apples, and leave gun policy to people with actual expertise, armed with actual evidence, and not just right-wing talking points.

 

[Ancient of Days]

All the evidence is that Nikolas Cruz had alot of psychiatric problems. For all we know, Lynda Cruz did the best she knew how to try to raise her adopted son. But she's dead now and can't answer her accuser.

Ms. Guthrie should stick to teaching kids their ABC's and polishing apples, and leave gun policy to people with actual expertise, armed with actual evidence, and not just right-wing talking points.

So you can have an opinion on gun policy but she cant? The right to free speech affords her that opinion.

 

[redleghunter]

So you can have an opinion on gun policy but she cant? The right to free speech affords her that opinion.

She was also speaking from her experience with unruly and violent students. Which I saw as quite on subject.

 

[FireDragon76]

There were plenty of callous attitudes back in the 80's and 90's when I was growing up. And the "traditional values" that the Right would have us embrace are not necessarily compassionate- in fact I find that idea not only laughable but contemptible. This nostalgia for the past may be a staple of the right but people of intelligence will not fall for it.

 

[redleghunter]

There were plenty of callous attitudes back in the 80's and 90's when I was growing up. And the "traditional values" that the Right would have us embrace are not necessarily compassionate- in fact I find that idea not only laughable but contemptible. This nostalgia for the past may be a staple of the right but people of intelligence will not fall for it.

You mean like parents actually disciplining their own children and even putting neighborhood kids in line?
Getting disciplined for acting out or not following teachers instructions? Respecting the rules is what she talked about. She also stated her parents taught her to respect other people.

So follow the rules and respect others....sounds familiar. If not you faced parental discipline.

 

[iEye]

A soldier of the civil authority must be taught not to kill men and to refuse to do so if he is commanded, and to refuse to take an oath. If he is unwilling to comply, he must be rejected for baptism. A military commander or civic magistrate must resign or be rejected. If a believer seeks to become a soldier, he must be rejected, for he has despised God.

— Hippolytus of Rome[14]

 

[Liza B.]

All the evidence is that Nikolas Cruz had alot of psychiatric problems. For all we know, Lynda Cruz did the best she knew how to try to raise her adopted son. But she's dead now and can't answer her accuser.

Ms. Guthrie should stick to teaching kids their ABC's and polishing apples, and leave gun policy to people with actual expertise, armed with actual evidence, and not just right-wing talking points.

Oh please.

 

[Thomas1987]

Yea disarm America so they can be finally attacked by China because some retarded kid tried to play GTA in school .

 

[paul1149]

And if more people would control their passions there would be fewer unwanted, unloved, uncared for troubled kids in this country.

Yes. It all starts with love of God, and duty toward Him and His word. If people loved Jesus, and cast off the decadent dominant culture the West has been marinating in, we would begin to value faithfulness, truth and mercy. Marriages and families would begin to be restored, and kids would be spared the personal destruction that comes with absentee parents and divorce. They also would be spared the heartache of sexual entanglements far beyond their ability to cope with.

All this, under the aegis of the healing grace of Christ, would to a large extent obviate the present absurd need for dubious and unreliable chemicals to prop up our behavior.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

There were plenty of callous attitudes back in the 80's and 90's when I was growing up. And the "traditional values" that the Right would have us embrace are not necessarily compassionate- in fact I find that idea not only laughable but contemptible. This nostalgia for the past may be a staple of the right but people of intelligence will not fall for it.

The 80's and 90's are part of the present. The real "past" was pre 60's and before the sexual revolution. Our moral decline has accelerated (and has been institutionalized) since then.

Our mass shootings are more the result of unsound or reprobate thinking, and just plain evil, than clinical mental illness.

 

[brinny]

Yea disarm America so they can be finally attacked by China because some retarded kid tried to play GTA in school .

i agree partially with the first 9 words of your post. However there is some controversy regarding whether Cruz was involved in, and/or shot any firearms at all.

Do research on this, my friend.

 

[redleghunter]

Yes. It all starts with love of God, and duty toward Him and His word. If people loved Jesus, and cast off the decadent dominant culture the West has been marinating in, we would begin to value faithfulness, truth and mercy. Marriages and families would begin to be restored, and kids would be spared the personal destruction that comes with absentee parents and divorce. They also would be spared the heartache of sexual entanglements far beyond their ability to cope with.

All this, under the aegis of the healing grace of Christ, would to a large extent obviate the present absurd need for dubious and unreliable chemicals to prop up our behavior.

Indeed. We are seeing the results of the greed and counterculture collide. We now have an armed nihilistic society. Dangerous combination.

 

[Archivist]

The 80's and 90's are part of the present. The real "past" was pre 60's and before the sexual revolution. Our moral decline has accelerated (and has been institutionalized) since then. Our mass shootings are more the result of unsound or reprobate thinking, and just plain evil, than clinical mental illness.

I love when people look and talk about how wonderful things were in the 50s and before, how we have declined since then. Have we? From the end of the Civil War until the 60s more than 4000 black Americans were lynched because they tried to stand up for their civil rights. Thousands of Japanese-Americans were wrongly interned during World War II. Women were, and in many cases still are, treated as second-class citizens. We broke treaties and stole land from the Native Americans. Are you saying that wasn't "unsound or reprobate thinking"back then?

 

[FireDragon76]

Indeed. We are seeing the results of the greed and counterculture collide. We now have an armed nihilistic society. Dangerous combination.

Was/is the counter-culture nihilistic? It seems to me the society that birthed the atom bomb had to be at least as morally compromised, as a true "culture of death", as the ones that preached "peace, love, and rock and roll", if not moreso.

 

[paul1149]

Indeed. We are seeing the results of the greed and counterculture collide. We now have an armed nihilistic society. Dangerous combination.

Years ago, kids brought their rifles to school for gun club. They were taught to hunt at a young age. They were also taught personal responsibility and the value of life. Was it perfect? No. But it was far better than the recipe for destruction we have now. Humanism, especially on the Left, has stripped us of values, which plays very neatly into their totalitarian designs. Because as chaos reigns among the people, there will be a more forceful call for government to provide answers. But government has few answers beyond what the original Founders envisioned the role of government to be.