The media is still filled with coverage Jeff Weiss and the Red Lake tragedy. The pattern repeats itself; tragedy, outrage, and wonder about how it happened and what should be done about it.
A special national Swat team of psychologists has been flown into Red Lake to deal with grieving students.
In a few weeks the TV and Newspaper coverage will die down and we will go on to the next tragedy and repeat the process.
It pains me that there are no serious discussions about the mental health issues that create these violent tragedies or the steps that could be taken to help seriously troubled children cope with their problems.
As a long time guardian ad-Litem I see the sadness, depression, and mental health issues that seriously affect so many children. Our culture does not recognize or help these kids. While psychotropic medications are everywhere, the kind of therapy that makes a difference is sadly lacking. I have not seen it in any of the cases I have worked on at Hennepin county.
I have two GAL children who have been with me for over six years (Alex and Nancy). I profile their lives in my book INVISIBLE CHILDREN.
Had my young friends received mental health counseling when they were young, they might have been able to lead normal lives. Instead, they are full of self-loathing and dangerous behaviors, prescribed Class II stimulant drugs (like Prozac), and they have both tried suicide. In these respects, they are just like Jeff Weiss.
Jeff let many people know his homicidal/suicidal thoughts. There was simply no help available for a very troubled young man. The suffering of the living will go on for many years. If you know anyone that has lost a loved one to violence you will understand this.
How a little care might have prevented this awful tragedy could be a lesson. I am always hopeful.
Have something to add?
Mike,
Thanks for your painstaking work to put this together. The Red Lake tragedy evokes many thoughts. Obviously a complex problem. Your post indirectly calls out the roll of communication in a person’s life. Clearly one form of mental health we can all participate in is simply to have meaningful dialog with our own children and the children in our neighborhood. Just remembering and greeting a child by his or her name can make a difference — perhaps helping to help a child feel significant instead of invisible that day.
Incredibly useful. I like the way you write. Do you currently have an RSS feed?