What is wrong with the youth here in the South Valley? That
’s a question many people will be asking after two potentially
deadly pranks within weeks of each other, one in Morgan Hill, one
in Gilroy, and a bomb threat Monday at Martin Murphy Middle
School.
What is wrong with the youth here in the South Valley? That’s a question many people will be asking after two potentially deadly pranks within weeks of each other, one in Morgan Hill, one in Gilroy, and a bomb threat Monday at Martin Murphy Middle School.
Our Morgan Hill Police Department acted with very commendable promptness and circumspection after panic-stricken residents called 9-1-1 to report four teens with guns involved in commando-style activities at Jackson Elementary on April 26. One officer fortunately noticed that at least one of the guns was not real, and the teens were not killed, even though they fled when asked to drop their weapons. The four – and their parents, who police said seemed more concerned with whether the replica weapons would be returned to them – should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars or giving thanks they are alive.
Next, we have Friday with Gilroy High School in lockdown for three hours after three teens apparently thought it might be funny to play a prank.
Disbelief. Anger. Sadness. That’s the emotional trail many in Gilroy traveled when the three dialed up chaos by making a cell phone death threat to a high school teacher.
Any 17-year-old in this day and age willing to call 9-1-1 and tell emergency dispatchers they have a gun and are on campus intending to shoot a teacher, needs more than a head examination. They need the book thrown at them.
There’s not a shred of humor in it.
Even the Martin Murphy bomb threat, while not potentially dangerous to whomever was stupid enough to think it was a good idea, was a big waste of time and effort: the police department’s, taking officers away from other potential calls, the school officials’ and the students’.
We know, there were probably not too many students complaining about being marched out of class to the athletic fields for little more than an hour while San Jose police searched the buildings. And police don’t like these incidents publicized because they have to take them seriously, and some kid without much common sense, or compassion, might just decide it’s a good way to get out of an algebra test.
What, people will say, is wrong with our youth that they don’t think these are bad choices? At least some of the blame, in the Morgan Hill incident anyway, lies with the parents. If their attitudes toward the event are so cavalier, it is easy to see why the kids thought it was no big deal. Still, kids with “perfect” parents make bad choices. All kids make bad choice from time to time, though usually not this bad; it’s their job, they’re kids, and hopefully they learn from them.
We also must point out, as was eloquently written by one of our Live Oak High seniors, Cindy Hernandez, that we cannot assume that because these seven teens made extremely poor choices, that all of our teens stand on the brink of committing dangerous folly.
On the contrary, there are many examples, in both of our communities, of “normal” teens, who make mistakes on a much smaller scale and have many successes.
But for those seven, who put their communities through a great deal of distress, how do we make them understand the serious nature of their actions?
Reportedly, the three Gilroy teens were giggling as they sat in the police station. Let’s hope it was nerves. Perhaps they should be required to make a public apology.
In the case of the Gilroy teens, why not invite the community to Gilroy High’s Mustang Stadium where the three would make a public apology to their fellow students, the GHS staff, the parents, the emergency medical personnel and the police, who responded with their guns drawn and, no doubt, their hearts in their throats.
And then what? Should the seemingly mindless 17-year-olds be tried as adults? Should the parents pay full restitution for the emergency response – regardless of ability to pay? Should the students be named publicly and subjected to the shame that comes with such irresponsible action?
And how about the “commando” teens in Morgan Hill? Though the incident they created was not nearly as lengthy, it nevertheless caused a great deal of stress and worry for the officers and community members, and sheer terror for the mother picking up her child at the afterschool program, and its teacher.
How can we impress upon the students – and their parents – why their war games were a really, really bad idea? How, in today’s world, could anyone think that playing with any kind of gun on a school campus, even after school hours, is acceptable?
The Gilroy students who created such an grotesque scene – a high school campus ringed with police carrying high-powered weapons – need to understand the reality they unleashed, and feel the revulsion we all feel.
A judge will take control now. Our hope is for a just mix of heavy hand and wisdom. It will not be an easy line to walk.
Meanwhile, kudos to everyone involved at the high school, from secretaries who fielded calls from frantic parents to teachers in the classroom who kept students calm during the three hour lockdown to all rescue and law enforcement personnel who skillfully handled the incident.
The Gilroy Police Department responded quickly, with precision and professionalism – truly, a textbook performance under difficult circumstances, as did the MHPD during the “commando” incident. We are thankful our communities have such well-trained, well-directed police forces.
