Funny Guy & Suicide - What Message Is Being Sent to Our Kids?

Funny Guy & Suicide - What Message Is Being Sent to Our Kids?

 

As I sat here in my chair for the past two days listening and watching the coverage of the death of Robing Williams (couldn't walk long health story) I couldnt help but wonder if I along with the rest of the world, needed a reality check. It is without a doubt a tragedy for his family, fans, and the world to have lost him the way he decided to check out. He will be truly missed and Nan Noo  Nan Noo has been permanently etched into what little of a brain I have left for the rest of my life.

Robin was given the gift of making anyone who heard him over 10 seconds in no matter what the situation the ability to laugh.  He used that gift far beyond what most of us are able to use ours as we are here for a very short time.  Think about how many laughs you got out of him? How many you will get in the future and your children’s children will receive. It will be a bunch you can count on that.

 

During the past few days someone him as the “Bob Hope” of our life time or, the baby generation’s Bob Hope. I would have to heartily disagree with you on that one.  Are we sending the right signal to our kids and grandkids that what Robin did is okay? No, we aren’t because, we aint doing it. The media has blown this totally out of control for every parent, grandparent, pastor, educator, or another mentor of children the wrong message.  You don’t use great, wonderful, revered, great, and suicide in the same sentence. It just ain’t the right message to send by anyone.

 

Robin Williams was a great man. He should be revered and praised and honored. His conduct does not condone the fact a suicide 40 seconds in the world.  60% of those were teenagers give or take a kid. Now what message do we need to send?

Who is Ultimately in Charge?

The now known snow-freezer-roadway jam-school screw up of the 21^st century to date is slowly winding it is time for cooler heads to come together. There is a lot of blame to be thrown out there. However, let’s make this constructive not destructive. You learn from mistakes. This is my list:

1.       The meteorologist were reporting the day before that the forecast changed and it would be coming north instead of south with accumulations of 1-3 inches. Furthermore, they admitted that it was rapidly changing and they were unsure when it would start.

2.       Leaders should have begun the process of implementing the NIMS system set up through FEMA for disasters. From what I understand this was not put in action until mid morning give or take 6 hours. By that time all coordination efforts were useless.  I taught the system they use to government employees across the south. If you do not implement the system immediately you have lost momentum to run the disaster right. That was a lesson learned from the flood of 2009.

3.       School officials –. School administrators normally will close at the drop of a hat without guilt or conscience and I as a grandfather now appreciate it. You dropped the ball on this one miserably. In 37 years of law enforcement experience I can never recall seeing school buses stuck on roadways and kids having to stay at school all night long.

a.       How much will this cost the taxpayer in school salaries, bus fuel, and damage to the buses? 

b.      What about the kids who were injured in accidents? There were some. We have a saying in law enforcement – there is a lawsuit in there somewhere.

c.       The trauma to some younger kids staying away from parents

d.      ATTA BOY to the school administrators and SRO police officers that stayed with them all night.

 

4.       City of Atlanta. You all had your stuff together as a matter of fact too well. The streets were clear which flooded the interstate system.  ATTA BOY! To those naysayers Mayor Kaseim Reed was right on target and the city nailed this one.

5.       GDOT where were you? Sounds like you all did not co-ordinate with Atlanta.  You all should have been prepping for this at the same time. The pre-freeze solution Atlanta had was initated at 0900 on the streets you all were hours behind.

6.       First responders and I can’t name them all you do what you do best clean up the mess. You all get the Rider ATTA BOY for the incident. Thank God we have come through this safely and no serious injuries.

7.       Parents we failed horribly.  We are going to have to change our ways. It is evident that some folks we depend on cannot be trusted to take care of our kids screw up. If you see something like this coming keep they home. Take the hit whatever it may be and use your judgment. The old gut feeling is what got me by alive for 37 years as a cop and I tend to use it with my grandchildren. We can replace buses, buildings, and physical facilities but, you can’t replace my grand-daughters.

8.       We deserve NIMS after action plan report. This is the report turned over to FEMA for reimbursing of cost used during the storm. Since the Governor declared an emergency the county and city may receive some reimbursement. If FEMA comes in they will pay 80% of cost and may pick up some civilian expenses. You should demand to see it.

Well, that is my two cents worth. Get active in the community. In the condition I am in all I can do is writing and encourage folks to step up to the plate. We can have a safe environment for everyone here. You just gotta push the right buttons.