Shocked Mom Asks Why Her Black Son Was Put On Front Line During Shooting Drills, Doesn’t Expect This Response
In the wake of the mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida, parents are having tough conversations with their children about how to prepare for the unthinkable. One of them, Tanai Bernard, a teacher from Texas, had an exchange with her son Dezmond, asking him about safety drills in his school. The single mom wanted to make sure that her 10-year-old boy was taking them seriously and wasn’t using them “as a time to socialize and goof off.” His, answer, however, shocked Tanai so much, she just had to share it on Facebook. Scroll down to read Dezmond’s words that have accumulated over 310K reactions and 150K shares, and let us know what you think about them in the comments!
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Meet Dezmond, a 5th-grader who shocked his mom by describing his school safety drill
Their exchange has accumulated over 310K reactions and 150K shares on Facebook
And it’s a perfect example of parenting done right
Moved by his words, people applauded Dezmond for his bravery
1.3Mviews
Share on FacebookIt's so sad, disturbing and disgusting that children growing up in what is considered one of the most advanced and important countries in the world have to be trained on how to react in the even of mass school shootings. Things have gotten out of hand when the fear and the possibility of it happening are so real that teachers must prepare their students. When I was little and growing up in Southern California, we had fire drills and earthquake drills, but drilling for the (ever more likely) chance of having a psycopath break in and gun children down? Chilling.
Yeah, I'm from around Austin, Texas, but I grew up in the 90's and early 00's and I don't remember having anything like this happen. :(
Load More Replies...While your son's selflessness is beautiful and commendable, the fact that kids in the US even have to do such drills is so tragic. The U.K. is faaaar from perfect, but there's some things we have got right: And not giving everyone a constitutional right to bear firearms is one of them.
Technically, (as I understand it), the Americans don't have that constitutional right, either. What they have is the right to form and arm a local militia (and not even specifically guns). Somehow through public misunderstanding and continual support of that notion through precedence in courts, it has morphed into being nearly the same thing.
Load More Replies...There is something fundamentally F-ed up in the mentality of the average american! Sorry but if this an example of 'the greatest country' in the world I can't imagine the worst. Such drills were typical for countries that are actively involved in military action on their soil. To put a black paper over the window, to cover it.... What?! This really sounds like they are expecting this to happen every day. What about gun control and not sell M16 to everyone? The rest of the world is doing just fine without the "constitutional rights" or "patriotic thoughts" (laughable things in this context) being violated.. ;)
It's effed up for sure. As an American kid, it's ridiculous I have to worry about this stuff. I'm going into highschool next year, and this stuff is honestly insane. It stinks we have to prepare for this, but with an unstable president (to say the very least), and no immediate action being taken, it seems like it's probably the best thing to do. It's horrible we've had SO many shootings this year, it's unexceptable. The amendment people are using as evidence to prevent gun control laws is outdated and was made in a very different time. It allows Americans to have "a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State" which is also the "right to bear arms". Its outdated doesn't exactly apply to today. Our president is more interested in the financial benefits than the lives of kids like me, and it's scary. I feel like we've been desensitised to these things, because in any other first world country, one incident like Columbine or Sandy Hook or Parkland would be
Load More Replies...He's 10 and he's thinking of how to protect his friends instead of watching cartoons and eating candies. That's heartbreaking.
Meanwhile in my "third world" country, the only drill we ever had was for fires.
I live in pakistan which actually is one technically we did these when i was younger
Load More Replies...It would be, but thank god she did not and decided to question as to why he was out front pushing the table to protect his mostly white friends. Good parenting prevents racist children.
Load More Replies...As a fellow Canadian I don't understand how the US can be so different from us. We're far from perfect but we don't have children killing each other and we can go to the hospital without bankrupting our families.
Load More Replies...Phenomenally American of us to teach how to react to a shooting instead of preventing them. F**K this country, nobody cares about fixing problems before they arise anymore. This is BOTH a gun control issue AND a mental health issue. None of this would be necessary if we had empathic proactive politicians. Its full of crooked sociopaths voted in by uneducated masses. And by uneducated I mean people who are too lazy to seek truth, too scared to confront it when its in their face, and too stubborn to listen anyway.
Murderers don't follow the law either, but we still have laws against committing them. Imagine that.
Load More Replies...how many children have to die to get the gun laws changed in america?
22,357.333 the decimal point continuing of course. But the number has to be exact. Any more or less than that and the laws won't change.
Load More Replies...What a corageous young boy! It's truly tragic that he must do this, however. America is really fricked up. I'm ashamed of my country, to be honest. That young boy, on the other hand? I'm as proud as ever of him! He's such a brave soul. I wish him the best.
And another thing. If we as Americans cannot control crazy and disturbed people from getting guns and using them on innocents. Then we don't get to have them. When my kids prove they cannot be carful and take care of things that are expensive or important. Then they don't get to play with those things. As much as I want to have the right to own and practice with any gun that I plan to use responsibly. If the whole class cannot play nice and and be responsible. Then no one gets them. We need to step back and look at this issue like the US is a bunch of 5 year olds. If the whole group cannot play nice. Then no one gets to have play time anymore. I think this has been lost on us. If people were randomly shooting each other and when the amendment was being considered back in the day. I think they would have agreed that it was more important to protect the children than worry about a government taking over.
If you believe guns should be taken away, may I ask, do you think someone that would shoot up a school, would willfully hand in their firearm? I see how that would help, but it would also leave innocents defensless, wouldn't it?
Load More Replies...It's sad that in this country we have to do lockdown drills and lockout drills.
Yes, in my day, it was ducking under the desk for Nuclear attack drills. And no one complained about it, not the Parents, not the Teachers, and no the Politicians.
Load More Replies...As much as I'm so proud of this kid, it's absolutely disgusting that ANYONE would have to volunteer for that. Dezmond, I hope someday I see your name on the news for doing something amazing, not as a name on a list of victims of gun violence.
The most surreal thing about this is that in The Greatest Country of The Universe the children have to participate to a lockdown drill.
Are you sure about that greatest country comment? As a brit it doesn't seem that great, soon you'll be sending kids to school in Kevlar!
Load More Replies...Heartbreaking that kids have to face this in the USA. It's really tragic and unthinkable everywhere else. Nra destroying so much in the name of money...
Back up to the lockdown drills. Is there anywhere else in the world where kids prepare for school invasions? Sad.
2 stupid things here. Why do children in america have to do an active shooter drill? Fire or earthquake drill, I understand. U.S. keeps putting guns in front o their children. Why can somebody carry a gun but not have a kinder egg? The other stupid thing is: why was this mother making this a racial problem?
All I can say is that I teared up reading this. What The the f**k am I sending my kids in to everyday. I can't afford to not work and protect them every second of the day. Why the f**k should I even be thinking about this. Where the f**k is the world going to when little kids have to be prepared to put themselves on the line to save others they may cherish. This is all utterly insane.
Ile5s get the guns off of the street. We don’t need ten year old heroes. Dez needs to focus on being a child and getting his grades, not protecting his classmates from a terrorist with a semiautomatic weapon. Having said that, what a beautiful child. I’d be proud to call him my son. Get rid of the NRA puppets.
He is a kind, selfless kid, but no child should have to make those kinds of decisions
My mind refuse to comprehend this. I have a 12 years old and his biggest concern right now is to prepare for test. I don’t understand why a 10 years old child has to be prepared for an armed attak in a country that is not a war.
What the f**k is wrong with that country? Why are we not putting sanctions against the US?
In Canada we don't have these problems. Most countries don't except the states and maybe two others in Europe and Africa. Why is that? Because of some stupid right that was written in the 1700'S. You don't wear clothes from the 1700's. You don't cook and clean up like in the 1700's. You don't wash clothes in a stream somewhere. For God's sake, change the gun law. Make it tough to get them. Background checks, proper training, written tests etc. etc. It's time for change.
It's beyond disgusting that the kids in the States have to deal with this. At schools in NZ we have earthquake drills! I don't know how your politicians dare allow this to continue, and why you keep voting for them. Every single public official who did nothing to deal with this in the last 20 years should be jailed.
As a director of a preschool, I have envisioned myself being placed in the position of protecting our students with my life. But, I burst out crying after reading about Dez and feel humbled by his selfless bravery at the young age of ten. I remember the days when we had drills in case there were threats from across the ocean, but my classmates and I never felt threatened. Now our largest threat is from those among our midst, and those threats are very REAL. Why our children are even having to feel threatened by assailants in their own neighborhoods and towns is every concerned parent's heartache. The fact that our nation also has to contend with One. More. Minute. of ineptitude in leadership and the complicity of self-serving politicians to continue to do absolutely nothing to mitigate this siege in our own nation, is beyond the pale.
What and awesome kid and "human being". Too bad the parents make everything about race. EVERYTHING
He is going to grow up to be a beautiful adult. Yes it is sad that any child has to think that way. America you need to change your gun laws. You should hang your head in shame America. Until you do unfortunately this will continue to happen.
It makes me sad that children have to deal with the possibility of being shot whenever a stranger is out of their mind. But at the same time his response is overwhelming, thoughtful... I don´t know.
God bless you baby you have a BIG HEART. May the Lord walk with you every day of your life
I read it and wondered why she thought he was chosen cuz he was black. I know that they go through things like that on a day yo day basis though. So maybe that is why she jumped to that conclusion.
It feels like it was mostly because he said it was him and other 2 boys, and that's the exact amount of black kids in his class, so it really sounded like it might be the reason.
Load More Replies...That is a terrible lockdown procedure on the part of the school or the school board. The children in no way should be participating in the protection of other children or staff. All humans in the room should be moving to the "safest" area in the classroom. The door should be locked at all times. The truth is that I had a child who could actually breakthrough my door lock and did . Lockdowns are not the answer to children's or the staff's safety (yes, we matter as well). When I hear of anyone in a school situation dying to protect others, I get very mad. It is amazing hard to keep people out of school as there is so much going on there. Keep the guns out of people's hands.
What would you say the answer is when there is a danger on campus, other that locking down the classroom? While I agree that having certain children stand in front sounds weird, having participated in many lockdowns and drills throughout my time in school, I think it should be expected for students to participate in securing a classroom, rather than leaving one staff member to attempt to fully secure it alone.
Load More Replies...One question? If the teacher locks the door and 4 kids push a table in front of it where exactly is the teacher? Does he lock them in and leave them to fend for themselves? Not criticising, just I am in the UK and didn't know such things were practiced in US schools.
As a US student who's been through lockdown drills and actual lockdowns, anarkzie is pretty right! The teacher will lock the door from inside. Generally the whole class will participate in turning off lights, creating a barricade, and closing and covering windows (because the teacher alone would take far too long to secure the whole classroom).
Load More Replies...take christianity out of school. it would cause less problems to keep self entitled bible thumpers in check/
WOW!! Just.....WOW! I cannot even imagine the amazing relationship this mother must have with her children. Woman, you are the best.
And these are the times we live in now a days that school kids have do do drills for s**t like this! So sad!
With all Rhode poisonous critters Croce and dingoes! Lol
Load More Replies...Oh the end took me off guard. For a moment I thought they choose him on purpose because of his colour. When I reached the end I shivered! He's so brave and kind I wish all the people were like him and mostly I wish presidents were like him!
Wow! After reading all the comments I knew this one would hit a nerve and rightly so. Growing up, we never had to worry about a "school shooter" Times has def. changed and not for the better. I think it stems from a couple of key issues, one started when they took religion out of the schools. Two, the low age of buying guns. You cant even vote at 18 why should you be able to buy guns? Three, assault rifles should not be legal as they only reason the exist is to kill humans (as opposed to hunting animals). Forth and last is Mental illness. Since Regan, back in the 80's, shut down thousands of mental illness institutions, we have seen a huge up tick of the untreated mentally ill grow to be a huge problem here in the US. Maybe there are even more problems that need to be addressed. This shooter had been reported to the FBI as he posted on Facebook that he was intending to doing a school shooting but was ignored by the FBI! Again, HE WAS REPORTED BEFORE THE SHOOTING BUT WAS IGNORED BY FBI
In Australia, my childrens school doesn't even do drills. I couldn't imagine starting to do them because you may get shot. We have strict gun laws.
Desmond is going to accomplish great things in his life. He is a leader, not a follower!
That's amazing you raised a good son brave and thoughtful but I do agree children of that age should not in this day and age should not have to think like that that definitely should not be of any thought in there minds
Good job mama! Your boy was raised right & has such a beautiful heart & smile. he's going places!
What a brave boy! such a same that young children have to experience this! :C
Why is my black son in front??? Your son is brave, but you are a bit of a racist for your thoughts. That is being real!
No. She's not racist. Assuming other people are being racist isn't racist. The world we live in, unfortunately, judges people of color different than white people.
Load More Replies...whyd she say ‘my black son’ and not just ‘my son’? is she racist towards her own kid??
Instead of parents fostering hate of anyone different from themselves and making excuses for their kids' bullying behaviour, how about we stop the hate, stop pushing the patriarchy agenda, stop pushing a pro-breeder society, and let people live in peace to make their own lives. Stop condemning women and non whites for trying to build a career and a successful life, stop treating women like breeding stock and walking sex toys for men, stop treating non-whites like pest animals to be controlled, sterilized, and exterminated, stop treating non gender binary people like they are diseased or mentally ill, stop treating people with different spiritual beliefs than yours like satanic monsters to be forced to convert to your religion or die, stop trying to make excuses for your bad behaviour and take responsibility for your actions and choices, stop using other people as scapegoats so you can rob people of their rights and freedoms, and stop trying to foster tyrannical control through fear.
What I think is sad is the first thought the mother had was that the white teacher picked her black son to be in the front lines to protect the majority white class. She immediately went to racism and it wasnt even about that. Its not always about that. I am glad her son humbled her showed her it was more than skin color but the actual heart of her son that is the reason why he is in the front. Beautiful boy and I hope he never has to sacrifice himself in that situation for his friends and classmates.
So, she automatically assumed her son was picked because he was black? Isn't that kind of racist? Oh, wait. It was.
That just makes me incredibly damned sad. And, I feel old. All we had to do were fire drills, not "active shooter" drills. At the same time, I feel very proud of him. I just never want his bravery to be tested. I want all of them to just get a chance to GROW UP and get toegther, twenty years from now, and talk about how boring school was. Not this.
What a beautiful child (and a beautiful family). Good job and much love, Tenai!!
What an amazing young man! Mom you are raising him right! Such a scary thought that the young people of today have to even think about these things! Gods blessings to you and yours!
Being thoughtful like that, this little boy is going to become a hero at some point in his life. It's sad that he has to think of such things at 10 years old, but it has helped make him a good person. I hope she's proud. I'm proud of him and I don't know him.
As a mother of a son who was killed in a shooting (wrong place at the wrong time, not a school shooting, nor an active shooter situation), I can't listen to the school shootings, nor any other kind, when they come up in the news. I know what it's like to lose my children (daughter died at birth), and I know the hideous grief of losing one to a bullet. Nobody should ever die that way, and the survivors should never have to go through the agony of wondering why and how.
I was expecting to get angry, but instead I am so impressed at the bravery and selflessness I saw. The world needs more people like Dezmond, he is an outstanding kid, and I get the impression that his mom's doing a great job.
I hate the idea of voting this post up or down...there is so much wrong with that young man needing to think such a thing through at that age. I am impressed by the young man's love of his classmates as well as the courage and the strength his parent(s) have helped him develop.
I think the young man is very "BRAVE". And deserves all of our respect. Stay Brave young man, and you'll do alright in life.
Dez is absolutely amazing ! You must be a wonderful mother to have instilled such integrity and bravery in this young man, but my heart breaks to think of this being even a possiblity. I am 58 and never once had thoughts of anything even remotely close to this when I was in school and not even when my own children were in schoo. Hugs to that brave beautiful boy !
I Absolutely Salute YOU, Young Man! It is a real shame that people as young as you even have to think about those situations, let alone make the courageous decision that you made!
This young man is alert and wise beyond his years. He should be held up as an example to all. To his Mama, you have raised an amazing son. God Bless...
Your son is a reflection of you. He didn't learn that at school. He learned it at home. What he may see or hear outside is no match for what you've taught him. Even though the first thing that popped into your head was the ugly snake of racism it is not what he learned from you. Your young man is going to be a leader for all.
He is a beautiful child with amazing words.... He is a bridge over very troubled waters. It is not about the color of your skin, it is about the content of his wonderful character! Thank you.
What a great young man,to be so selfless and caring for others that at the tender age of 10 he is willing to lay down his life so others would be safe. I applaud his parents for raising such a courageous young man. My prayers are that he never will be put in that situation. Too all the people who are fortunate enough to be in this young mans life know that you are very lucky to be in such great company..
I don't have anyone I really consider a hero........I do now. Thanks Dez. I am also glad I am Canadian and my kids do not have (out of necessity) this mindset. I hope your day of bravery never comes Dez. Stay safe.
I was living overseas in 1968 and I can remember feeling so shamed by my country when MLK Jr got killed. And then RFK was killed I was so embarrassed by my country. For God's sake we were suppose to be smartest and best country on the planet! It became a real wake up for me.
That young man's selflessness and love for his classmates brought me to tears. I also cried thinking that 10 year olds have to even think about this.
It is sad to me what is happening in a place that should be safe for children. That this young man has to think about giving his own life while at school. He is an amazing example of courage and I believe could be a great leader one day.
This mad me sob for so many reasons. Beautiful child, beautiful mother and beautiful family. Yes it is horrifying he has to think like this at 10 yrs. old. And what an amazing mother you have been to have this child not think twice about being there for others in such a courageous way. Wow! If we all had mothers like this there would be no school shootings.
Made me shed a tear, if we all just volunteered for each other more often......
Tanai Benard, You are an educator. First, you have the sense to talk to your children and find out what is going on in their lives. Yes, the school taught your son what to do in case of an emergency, BUT, they did not put his thought process in his brain. Where did that thought process come from, Tanai, now you can breathe a sigh of relief because with that kind of thinking at home rather than school is where it should start. People should not complain about the teachings at schools, but they should complain about what goes on in the home. Stand tall and stand proud Tanai, you as a parent should be cloned.
This completely wrecked me this morning. I am sitting here sobbing at the sick reality we live in now where elementary school children have to practice "active shooter drills". I am balling my eyes out over this brave young man and my heart is aching for his mother who had to hear this from her young son. This world is awful, it's chilling to hear a child that has a plan in place to place himself in front of others to die.
Ten- year olds are not ignorant babies. They're capable of having very rational thoughts.
Im not gonna go on and on like people. yes its a shame blah blah blah but fact is we have to so Ill say that this kid is a hero. Straight up.
What a wonderful, caring, brave young man. I cried when I read this. I am so sad for our country and so sad that nothing has changed after all this time. You son and the students from Parkland, Fla give me so so much hope. Can't wait for these young people to take control of our government. Hopefully, I will be voting for your son !!! Bless him.
I think that you have raised a hero who already knows how to demonstrate true grace and love!
In the early 90's I was forced to leave high school and get a GED, literally running for my life to get away from a place that was far from safe. My school housed members from three different gangs that all hated each other and I would be faced with frequent incidents of gang violence - guns and knives pulled on each other, knock-down drag-out fights blocking the classroom door, bullies and thugs gunning for anyone they could make flinch, etc. Add to that the issue of bigotry, hate, and violence against anyone who is a different ethnicity, culture, gender, sexuality, religion, social or economic status, etc than "you" (general collective, non specific you) and you have a powder keg just waiting to take out half a city.
I'm proud of him volunteering but should have asked you first and if you said yes he would be a
What an amazing young man. I hope for all of our children's sake we finally sit down and figure out HOW we are going to protect our children when they are at school. We certainly cannot allow our schools to remain soft targets, or have law enforcement that does not take reported threats 100% seriously.
Is this the same Tanai Bernard who gave an interview about living in the United Arab Emirates? https://bossip.com/1259797/could-you-do-it-single-black-mother-of-3-moves-family-to-the-uae/
This is all about what is wrong over in America...sadly enough that any child has to practice this stuff...I will never understand...our children can be children and not practice how to stay alive in school....so sad and so wrong at the same time...change the gun policy!
It is really sad that there are children as young as them prepare themselves against gun violence IN SCHOOL - a place where children should feel safe while learning! I am from a developing country and is actually well-known for terrorism, as media puts it, but we have never ever done this at school!
This little boy is more man than most grown "men" I know. Great job Mom and Dad!!!
Sounds kind of weird that school has safety drills that involve 10 year old kids volunteering to die first. Maybe they should invest in some kind of safety doors instead.
May God bless you and those children that care about others instead of themselves. God gave his life that we may live and serve Him. Your son already secured his place in Gods arms as did you for raising a son of this caliber. I would stand in front of him and my children if I could. I am old but their lives mean more to me than my own. Thank you for raising him in service to God.
It's not way to young to be thinnking in this manner. This young man has already assumed the role of protector, exhibiting the first stages of manhood. He is already becomeing situationally aware of how the real world is, not the make believe world, and how he will react ot it and make his way through it successfully. I applaud this young man and his mother for teaching him that he is not the only person in room as most young people believe today.
He is a very brave boy!! A Badge of Honor!!!! When I was growing up we had drills of dropping and crawling under our desks. That was during WW2. Will it ever cease!!!!! We hope he will never have to do it.
With all our problems in the USA, his comment about protecting others (even possibly with his life) is incredibly brave and what being an American means to me. Nobody country or person is perfect but that kid has what it takes to lead. Encourage this child into serving others and he will be successful.
You're doing a great job. I hope it never comes to that. You can't "pick" someone for this "job." He volunteered. What a great heart he has. God bless you!
Dez you are an exceptional young lad, if we had a lot more like you we would be in a much better situation than we are at this time. God Bless you today and always. Thanks to the parents for raising such a brave and thoughtful child. <3
Yeah because the title had to be "black kid get's put in front" and not something like "fifth grader puts himself infront of others during shooting drill" :/
I'm trying to reply to Marlowe about breaking your arm and losing your job. That exact thing happened to me in Dec 2016. I also was evicted. I never saw a doctor, just the ER. No money. I also took my splint of after 4 weeks to look for a new job. I got a labor job and was too weak in my right arm to lift a hammer.
This young man has wonderful values and a great mom. HOWEVER, after reading many comments here, I must remind folks that school violence is not new. It has just evolved. I grew up in New York in the 1950's. (yes, I'm old) There were dangerous gangs who committed crimes and attacked individuals both in and out of school. When they fought each other nothing on the street was safe, not cars, not buildings, not people, and they had guns then too. So now we also have mass shooters. My point is that this is not a new problem but an extension of an old one. We have a problem in our society that must be resolved before we worry about removing guns. Those who are intent on causing suffering to make a statement will always find something to use as a weapon.
She's racist and judgemental. Her son is brave, and will be a honorable man.
She admitted she was incorrect. That's kind of the whole point of this article...!
Load More Replies...There are many things about this country that are unique from the nations of the world. Chief among them is our democracy. Tyranny from ones country was and remains the single greatest oppressor of all people yearning to be free. Great Britain, France and indeed all the world is indebted to the U.S. for their freedom and survival. The tragedy in Florida is unfortunate but guns are no more at fault than a knife, a car or truck when they are used to bring harm to people. These evils are brought to our schools, not because of they are crowded but because they weakest and most vulnerable. Making meth illegal hasn't slowed its use nor made it hard to get. Where are the marches by high school students to get something done about meth? When will they join hands and call upon their leaders to get rid of drugs? Guns are scary. I know. Fear of them is dangerous. And that's terrifying.
Beautiful. But how can she be an educator and not know the difference between then and than?
It greatly depends on where you are in this country, and as a point of fact, there are greater numbers of violent crimes in high population urban areas, cities, than anywhere else. Why? Overpopulation and nature flips a switch in some people to turn violent. It's called population control. Biologists and zoologists see it in animal populations all the time when there are too many in an area unable to support them all. First they try to disperse the population into smaller groups to spread out to other areas, and when that doesn't work or they are forced to remain in a closed or limited environment, the violence escalates. Yes, we are social creatures, but 8.5MILLION people in an area that should only support 1/10th that number, is it any wonder people go crazy?
I applaud the mother of this young man. It is sad that children don't feel safe in schools and churches, but this young man could be the one to bring a change to the purpose of one's life. I believe that he values his life and that the statement he made should make others open their eyes and heart.
Wait wait wait, am I the only one who is thinking that the mom has got some serious issues? The first thing she can think of is why the school is being racist? Come on, that's not good parenting. She jumped to conclusions and planted thoughts in his head. Good parenting and good people skills is to get the facts, and don't jump to conclusions. Great for the kid, but the parent is disturbing.
It's great that this ten year old is showing the bravery that most of us only wish we could have I a situation line an active shooter. It's really nice to know that the younger generation is showing such intelligence. That being said, however. Why was race even brought up in this story? It doesn't have anything to do with the story. It's a great eye opening story and it doesn't matter if the kid was black, white, brown, or any other color of the rainbow. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. But, the race card didn't need to be shown here. Unnecessary really.
Well dang, mommy wanted to play her race card... and then boom, plot spoiler. Ha ha.
Perhaps this is getting down voted because the mother's first assumption being a racist one? I think the kids explanation was a beautiful one but was sadden by the mother's first thoughts. Sad because it shows that (not just her) that racism is still so prevalent in the US. I wouldn't have thought that at all, but then, I am not her. I know this prob. wont be well liked, but it is just my opinion and what I thought when I read her response.
The fact that her first thought was that her son was a victim of racism, is not in itself racist(that's a stupid assertion), but it is an indication of the insecurities that some people and groups feel within American society. American is no doubt a good country but it's a country that does not seem to take critism well, rather than ask why do certain people feel that they're discriminated against because of their skin colour, sections of it's society(Fox news types) construe those people raising their grivances as an attack and go on the defensive.
Load More Replies...I think every mother in America should look at this mother and her beautiful family as what can make america great again
The adult assumed race immediately. Guns don't scare me. So called adults do.
Shame on her for jumping the racism card right off the bat. Seems to be the trend these days though, unfortunately.
It is so wonderful and disturbing at the same time to hear a child saying that he would rather die than have his whole class die. Children shouldn’t be thinking about that at such a young age. But what a gracious and holy being you have raised. God bless him.
Let's put the God she prayed to back in school where He can watch over them.
She was all ready to use that race card and her son showed more integrity in his little finger.
Kinda F'ed up that the mother is racist in this post. What the Kid did was brave, what the mother thought and jumped to conclusion about was super racist. In the same scenario, a white male would have been persecuted for being a white supremacist thinking the exact same thing. If I put my self in this SAME situation and my daughter told me the exact same thing, I would have never thought, "Why is my white daughter, standing in the front line." I would have thought, "why is my daughter standing in front of the class" like any normal parent. But I guess it isn't appropriate for me to call this mother a racist because i'm white.
This isent parenting done right....she though it was rasisim before even considereing her kid wanted to protect his friends...its more like somehow the kid turend out fine while you are a a bad human.
As lovely as this woman's child is, I'm more concerned with her instant reaction to him on the front line - why did she instantly jump to 'the teacher is clearly a racist' before hearing the whole story? Soaring gun crime rates aside, why is America still so backwards with race relations that this is her first thought?
It's clear she was assuming racism even thought racism wasn't there. Her son just happens to be a brave kid.
She corrected herself, and quickly. But of course, you're more concerned with that than the welfare of children.
Load More Replies...F**k that. She should tell her son no way. None of the students should be expected to volunteer to be the first to get shot. That’s sick. And I guarantee none of those other kids are worth losing your life for. Parents always tell kids, “You won’t remember the other kids when you’re older,” etc. And it’s true! She should just stick with that. The teacher needs to take responsibility for her students and not expect them to self sacrifice. The mom should pull her kid from that class. Her sons way of thinking is not healthy for a small child.
bet you;d be the first to hide behind the kid if you were there when it happened.
Load More Replies...Please Google "good guy with a gun myth," to learn how very wrong you are.
Load More Replies...Because none of the things you mentioned were designed to kill and only to kill. And notice how when terrorists attacked a plane, we changed ALL the laws regarding plane travel? Your statement is nonsensical.
Load More Replies...Because racism still exists, unfortunately. Thankfully she realized her mistake and admitted her first thought was wrong.
Load More Replies...You don't think that it would be better to do something to stop school shootings from happening, instead of teaching kinds how to react when (not if) they happen?
Load More Replies...But wouldn't it be better if the sickos had to go through more trouble obtaining weapons? No one thinks that stricter gun control will eliminate this problems, but if you make it harder for someone to get the gun, it will deter some of the people from committing heinous crimes.
Load More Replies...Your use of the word libtard shows your absolute lack of intelligence and a clear inability to think for yourself. Isn't it amazing that the "libtards" care about innocent children's lives, while you ONLY care about owning guns? It's disgusting that you're more worried about guns than a child dying, but says so much about conservatives these days. Oh and by the way, no good guys with guns ever save the day and stop this s**t from happening.
Load More Replies...It's so sad, disturbing and disgusting that children growing up in what is considered one of the most advanced and important countries in the world have to be trained on how to react in the even of mass school shootings. Things have gotten out of hand when the fear and the possibility of it happening are so real that teachers must prepare their students. When I was little and growing up in Southern California, we had fire drills and earthquake drills, but drilling for the (ever more likely) chance of having a psycopath break in and gun children down? Chilling.
Yeah, I'm from around Austin, Texas, but I grew up in the 90's and early 00's and I don't remember having anything like this happen. :(
Load More Replies...While your son's selflessness is beautiful and commendable, the fact that kids in the US even have to do such drills is so tragic. The U.K. is faaaar from perfect, but there's some things we have got right: And not giving everyone a constitutional right to bear firearms is one of them.
Technically, (as I understand it), the Americans don't have that constitutional right, either. What they have is the right to form and arm a local militia (and not even specifically guns). Somehow through public misunderstanding and continual support of that notion through precedence in courts, it has morphed into being nearly the same thing.
Load More Replies...There is something fundamentally F-ed up in the mentality of the average american! Sorry but if this an example of 'the greatest country' in the world I can't imagine the worst. Such drills were typical for countries that are actively involved in military action on their soil. To put a black paper over the window, to cover it.... What?! This really sounds like they are expecting this to happen every day. What about gun control and not sell M16 to everyone? The rest of the world is doing just fine without the "constitutional rights" or "patriotic thoughts" (laughable things in this context) being violated.. ;)
It's effed up for sure. As an American kid, it's ridiculous I have to worry about this stuff. I'm going into highschool next year, and this stuff is honestly insane. It stinks we have to prepare for this, but with an unstable president (to say the very least), and no immediate action being taken, it seems like it's probably the best thing to do. It's horrible we've had SO many shootings this year, it's unexceptable. The amendment people are using as evidence to prevent gun control laws is outdated and was made in a very different time. It allows Americans to have "a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State" which is also the "right to bear arms". Its outdated doesn't exactly apply to today. Our president is more interested in the financial benefits than the lives of kids like me, and it's scary. I feel like we've been desensitised to these things, because in any other first world country, one incident like Columbine or Sandy Hook or Parkland would be
Load More Replies...He's 10 and he's thinking of how to protect his friends instead of watching cartoons and eating candies. That's heartbreaking.
Meanwhile in my "third world" country, the only drill we ever had was for fires.
I live in pakistan which actually is one technically we did these when i was younger
Load More Replies...It would be, but thank god she did not and decided to question as to why he was out front pushing the table to protect his mostly white friends. Good parenting prevents racist children.
Load More Replies...As a fellow Canadian I don't understand how the US can be so different from us. We're far from perfect but we don't have children killing each other and we can go to the hospital without bankrupting our families.
Load More Replies...Phenomenally American of us to teach how to react to a shooting instead of preventing them. F**K this country, nobody cares about fixing problems before they arise anymore. This is BOTH a gun control issue AND a mental health issue. None of this would be necessary if we had empathic proactive politicians. Its full of crooked sociopaths voted in by uneducated masses. And by uneducated I mean people who are too lazy to seek truth, too scared to confront it when its in their face, and too stubborn to listen anyway.
Murderers don't follow the law either, but we still have laws against committing them. Imagine that.
Load More Replies...how many children have to die to get the gun laws changed in america?
22,357.333 the decimal point continuing of course. But the number has to be exact. Any more or less than that and the laws won't change.
Load More Replies...What a corageous young boy! It's truly tragic that he must do this, however. America is really fricked up. I'm ashamed of my country, to be honest. That young boy, on the other hand? I'm as proud as ever of him! He's such a brave soul. I wish him the best.
And another thing. If we as Americans cannot control crazy and disturbed people from getting guns and using them on innocents. Then we don't get to have them. When my kids prove they cannot be carful and take care of things that are expensive or important. Then they don't get to play with those things. As much as I want to have the right to own and practice with any gun that I plan to use responsibly. If the whole class cannot play nice and and be responsible. Then no one gets them. We need to step back and look at this issue like the US is a bunch of 5 year olds. If the whole group cannot play nice. Then no one gets to have play time anymore. I think this has been lost on us. If people were randomly shooting each other and when the amendment was being considered back in the day. I think they would have agreed that it was more important to protect the children than worry about a government taking over.
If you believe guns should be taken away, may I ask, do you think someone that would shoot up a school, would willfully hand in their firearm? I see how that would help, but it would also leave innocents defensless, wouldn't it?
Load More Replies...It's sad that in this country we have to do lockdown drills and lockout drills.
Yes, in my day, it was ducking under the desk for Nuclear attack drills. And no one complained about it, not the Parents, not the Teachers, and no the Politicians.
Load More Replies...As much as I'm so proud of this kid, it's absolutely disgusting that ANYONE would have to volunteer for that. Dezmond, I hope someday I see your name on the news for doing something amazing, not as a name on a list of victims of gun violence.
The most surreal thing about this is that in The Greatest Country of The Universe the children have to participate to a lockdown drill.
Are you sure about that greatest country comment? As a brit it doesn't seem that great, soon you'll be sending kids to school in Kevlar!
Load More Replies...Heartbreaking that kids have to face this in the USA. It's really tragic and unthinkable everywhere else. Nra destroying so much in the name of money...
Back up to the lockdown drills. Is there anywhere else in the world where kids prepare for school invasions? Sad.
2 stupid things here. Why do children in america have to do an active shooter drill? Fire or earthquake drill, I understand. U.S. keeps putting guns in front o their children. Why can somebody carry a gun but not have a kinder egg? The other stupid thing is: why was this mother making this a racial problem?
All I can say is that I teared up reading this. What The the f**k am I sending my kids in to everyday. I can't afford to not work and protect them every second of the day. Why the f**k should I even be thinking about this. Where the f**k is the world going to when little kids have to be prepared to put themselves on the line to save others they may cherish. This is all utterly insane.
Ile5s get the guns off of the street. We don’t need ten year old heroes. Dez needs to focus on being a child and getting his grades, not protecting his classmates from a terrorist with a semiautomatic weapon. Having said that, what a beautiful child. I’d be proud to call him my son. Get rid of the NRA puppets.
He is a kind, selfless kid, but no child should have to make those kinds of decisions
My mind refuse to comprehend this. I have a 12 years old and his biggest concern right now is to prepare for test. I don’t understand why a 10 years old child has to be prepared for an armed attak in a country that is not a war.
What the f**k is wrong with that country? Why are we not putting sanctions against the US?
In Canada we don't have these problems. Most countries don't except the states and maybe two others in Europe and Africa. Why is that? Because of some stupid right that was written in the 1700'S. You don't wear clothes from the 1700's. You don't cook and clean up like in the 1700's. You don't wash clothes in a stream somewhere. For God's sake, change the gun law. Make it tough to get them. Background checks, proper training, written tests etc. etc. It's time for change.
It's beyond disgusting that the kids in the States have to deal with this. At schools in NZ we have earthquake drills! I don't know how your politicians dare allow this to continue, and why you keep voting for them. Every single public official who did nothing to deal with this in the last 20 years should be jailed.
As a director of a preschool, I have envisioned myself being placed in the position of protecting our students with my life. But, I burst out crying after reading about Dez and feel humbled by his selfless bravery at the young age of ten. I remember the days when we had drills in case there were threats from across the ocean, but my classmates and I never felt threatened. Now our largest threat is from those among our midst, and those threats are very REAL. Why our children are even having to feel threatened by assailants in their own neighborhoods and towns is every concerned parent's heartache. The fact that our nation also has to contend with One. More. Minute. of ineptitude in leadership and the complicity of self-serving politicians to continue to do absolutely nothing to mitigate this siege in our own nation, is beyond the pale.
What and awesome kid and "human being". Too bad the parents make everything about race. EVERYTHING
He is going to grow up to be a beautiful adult. Yes it is sad that any child has to think that way. America you need to change your gun laws. You should hang your head in shame America. Until you do unfortunately this will continue to happen.
It makes me sad that children have to deal with the possibility of being shot whenever a stranger is out of their mind. But at the same time his response is overwhelming, thoughtful... I don´t know.
God bless you baby you have a BIG HEART. May the Lord walk with you every day of your life
I read it and wondered why she thought he was chosen cuz he was black. I know that they go through things like that on a day yo day basis though. So maybe that is why she jumped to that conclusion.
It feels like it was mostly because he said it was him and other 2 boys, and that's the exact amount of black kids in his class, so it really sounded like it might be the reason.
Load More Replies...That is a terrible lockdown procedure on the part of the school or the school board. The children in no way should be participating in the protection of other children or staff. All humans in the room should be moving to the "safest" area in the classroom. The door should be locked at all times. The truth is that I had a child who could actually breakthrough my door lock and did . Lockdowns are not the answer to children's or the staff's safety (yes, we matter as well). When I hear of anyone in a school situation dying to protect others, I get very mad. It is amazing hard to keep people out of school as there is so much going on there. Keep the guns out of people's hands.
What would you say the answer is when there is a danger on campus, other that locking down the classroom? While I agree that having certain children stand in front sounds weird, having participated in many lockdowns and drills throughout my time in school, I think it should be expected for students to participate in securing a classroom, rather than leaving one staff member to attempt to fully secure it alone.
Load More Replies...One question? If the teacher locks the door and 4 kids push a table in front of it where exactly is the teacher? Does he lock them in and leave them to fend for themselves? Not criticising, just I am in the UK and didn't know such things were practiced in US schools.
As a US student who's been through lockdown drills and actual lockdowns, anarkzie is pretty right! The teacher will lock the door from inside. Generally the whole class will participate in turning off lights, creating a barricade, and closing and covering windows (because the teacher alone would take far too long to secure the whole classroom).
Load More Replies...take christianity out of school. it would cause less problems to keep self entitled bible thumpers in check/
WOW!! Just.....WOW! I cannot even imagine the amazing relationship this mother must have with her children. Woman, you are the best.
And these are the times we live in now a days that school kids have do do drills for s**t like this! So sad!
With all Rhode poisonous critters Croce and dingoes! Lol
Load More Replies...Oh the end took me off guard. For a moment I thought they choose him on purpose because of his colour. When I reached the end I shivered! He's so brave and kind I wish all the people were like him and mostly I wish presidents were like him!
Wow! After reading all the comments I knew this one would hit a nerve and rightly so. Growing up, we never had to worry about a "school shooter" Times has def. changed and not for the better. I think it stems from a couple of key issues, one started when they took religion out of the schools. Two, the low age of buying guns. You cant even vote at 18 why should you be able to buy guns? Three, assault rifles should not be legal as they only reason the exist is to kill humans (as opposed to hunting animals). Forth and last is Mental illness. Since Regan, back in the 80's, shut down thousands of mental illness institutions, we have seen a huge up tick of the untreated mentally ill grow to be a huge problem here in the US. Maybe there are even more problems that need to be addressed. This shooter had been reported to the FBI as he posted on Facebook that he was intending to doing a school shooting but was ignored by the FBI! Again, HE WAS REPORTED BEFORE THE SHOOTING BUT WAS IGNORED BY FBI
In Australia, my childrens school doesn't even do drills. I couldn't imagine starting to do them because you may get shot. We have strict gun laws.
Desmond is going to accomplish great things in his life. He is a leader, not a follower!
That's amazing you raised a good son brave and thoughtful but I do agree children of that age should not in this day and age should not have to think like that that definitely should not be of any thought in there minds
Good job mama! Your boy was raised right & has such a beautiful heart & smile. he's going places!
What a brave boy! such a same that young children have to experience this! :C
Why is my black son in front??? Your son is brave, but you are a bit of a racist for your thoughts. That is being real!
No. She's not racist. Assuming other people are being racist isn't racist. The world we live in, unfortunately, judges people of color different than white people.
Load More Replies...whyd she say ‘my black son’ and not just ‘my son’? is she racist towards her own kid??
Instead of parents fostering hate of anyone different from themselves and making excuses for their kids' bullying behaviour, how about we stop the hate, stop pushing the patriarchy agenda, stop pushing a pro-breeder society, and let people live in peace to make their own lives. Stop condemning women and non whites for trying to build a career and a successful life, stop treating women like breeding stock and walking sex toys for men, stop treating non-whites like pest animals to be controlled, sterilized, and exterminated, stop treating non gender binary people like they are diseased or mentally ill, stop treating people with different spiritual beliefs than yours like satanic monsters to be forced to convert to your religion or die, stop trying to make excuses for your bad behaviour and take responsibility for your actions and choices, stop using other people as scapegoats so you can rob people of their rights and freedoms, and stop trying to foster tyrannical control through fear.
What I think is sad is the first thought the mother had was that the white teacher picked her black son to be in the front lines to protect the majority white class. She immediately went to racism and it wasnt even about that. Its not always about that. I am glad her son humbled her showed her it was more than skin color but the actual heart of her son that is the reason why he is in the front. Beautiful boy and I hope he never has to sacrifice himself in that situation for his friends and classmates.
So, she automatically assumed her son was picked because he was black? Isn't that kind of racist? Oh, wait. It was.
That just makes me incredibly damned sad. And, I feel old. All we had to do were fire drills, not "active shooter" drills. At the same time, I feel very proud of him. I just never want his bravery to be tested. I want all of them to just get a chance to GROW UP and get toegther, twenty years from now, and talk about how boring school was. Not this.
What a beautiful child (and a beautiful family). Good job and much love, Tenai!!
What an amazing young man! Mom you are raising him right! Such a scary thought that the young people of today have to even think about these things! Gods blessings to you and yours!
Being thoughtful like that, this little boy is going to become a hero at some point in his life. It's sad that he has to think of such things at 10 years old, but it has helped make him a good person. I hope she's proud. I'm proud of him and I don't know him.
As a mother of a son who was killed in a shooting (wrong place at the wrong time, not a school shooting, nor an active shooter situation), I can't listen to the school shootings, nor any other kind, when they come up in the news. I know what it's like to lose my children (daughter died at birth), and I know the hideous grief of losing one to a bullet. Nobody should ever die that way, and the survivors should never have to go through the agony of wondering why and how.
I was expecting to get angry, but instead I am so impressed at the bravery and selflessness I saw. The world needs more people like Dezmond, he is an outstanding kid, and I get the impression that his mom's doing a great job.
I hate the idea of voting this post up or down...there is so much wrong with that young man needing to think such a thing through at that age. I am impressed by the young man's love of his classmates as well as the courage and the strength his parent(s) have helped him develop.
I think the young man is very "BRAVE". And deserves all of our respect. Stay Brave young man, and you'll do alright in life.
Dez is absolutely amazing ! You must be a wonderful mother to have instilled such integrity and bravery in this young man, but my heart breaks to think of this being even a possiblity. I am 58 and never once had thoughts of anything even remotely close to this when I was in school and not even when my own children were in schoo. Hugs to that brave beautiful boy !
I Absolutely Salute YOU, Young Man! It is a real shame that people as young as you even have to think about those situations, let alone make the courageous decision that you made!
This young man is alert and wise beyond his years. He should be held up as an example to all. To his Mama, you have raised an amazing son. God Bless...
Your son is a reflection of you. He didn't learn that at school. He learned it at home. What he may see or hear outside is no match for what you've taught him. Even though the first thing that popped into your head was the ugly snake of racism it is not what he learned from you. Your young man is going to be a leader for all.
He is a beautiful child with amazing words.... He is a bridge over very troubled waters. It is not about the color of your skin, it is about the content of his wonderful character! Thank you.
What a great young man,to be so selfless and caring for others that at the tender age of 10 he is willing to lay down his life so others would be safe. I applaud his parents for raising such a courageous young man. My prayers are that he never will be put in that situation. Too all the people who are fortunate enough to be in this young mans life know that you are very lucky to be in such great company..
I don't have anyone I really consider a hero........I do now. Thanks Dez. I am also glad I am Canadian and my kids do not have (out of necessity) this mindset. I hope your day of bravery never comes Dez. Stay safe.
I was living overseas in 1968 and I can remember feeling so shamed by my country when MLK Jr got killed. And then RFK was killed I was so embarrassed by my country. For God's sake we were suppose to be smartest and best country on the planet! It became a real wake up for me.
That young man's selflessness and love for his classmates brought me to tears. I also cried thinking that 10 year olds have to even think about this.
It is sad to me what is happening in a place that should be safe for children. That this young man has to think about giving his own life while at school. He is an amazing example of courage and I believe could be a great leader one day.
This mad me sob for so many reasons. Beautiful child, beautiful mother and beautiful family. Yes it is horrifying he has to think like this at 10 yrs. old. And what an amazing mother you have been to have this child not think twice about being there for others in such a courageous way. Wow! If we all had mothers like this there would be no school shootings.
Made me shed a tear, if we all just volunteered for each other more often......
Tanai Benard, You are an educator. First, you have the sense to talk to your children and find out what is going on in their lives. Yes, the school taught your son what to do in case of an emergency, BUT, they did not put his thought process in his brain. Where did that thought process come from, Tanai, now you can breathe a sigh of relief because with that kind of thinking at home rather than school is where it should start. People should not complain about the teachings at schools, but they should complain about what goes on in the home. Stand tall and stand proud Tanai, you as a parent should be cloned.
This completely wrecked me this morning. I am sitting here sobbing at the sick reality we live in now where elementary school children have to practice "active shooter drills". I am balling my eyes out over this brave young man and my heart is aching for his mother who had to hear this from her young son. This world is awful, it's chilling to hear a child that has a plan in place to place himself in front of others to die.
Ten- year olds are not ignorant babies. They're capable of having very rational thoughts.
Im not gonna go on and on like people. yes its a shame blah blah blah but fact is we have to so Ill say that this kid is a hero. Straight up.
What a wonderful, caring, brave young man. I cried when I read this. I am so sad for our country and so sad that nothing has changed after all this time. You son and the students from Parkland, Fla give me so so much hope. Can't wait for these young people to take control of our government. Hopefully, I will be voting for your son !!! Bless him.
I think that you have raised a hero who already knows how to demonstrate true grace and love!
In the early 90's I was forced to leave high school and get a GED, literally running for my life to get away from a place that was far from safe. My school housed members from three different gangs that all hated each other and I would be faced with frequent incidents of gang violence - guns and knives pulled on each other, knock-down drag-out fights blocking the classroom door, bullies and thugs gunning for anyone they could make flinch, etc. Add to that the issue of bigotry, hate, and violence against anyone who is a different ethnicity, culture, gender, sexuality, religion, social or economic status, etc than "you" (general collective, non specific you) and you have a powder keg just waiting to take out half a city.
I'm proud of him volunteering but should have asked you first and if you said yes he would be a
What an amazing young man. I hope for all of our children's sake we finally sit down and figure out HOW we are going to protect our children when they are at school. We certainly cannot allow our schools to remain soft targets, or have law enforcement that does not take reported threats 100% seriously.
Is this the same Tanai Bernard who gave an interview about living in the United Arab Emirates? https://bossip.com/1259797/could-you-do-it-single-black-mother-of-3-moves-family-to-the-uae/
This is all about what is wrong over in America...sadly enough that any child has to practice this stuff...I will never understand...our children can be children and not practice how to stay alive in school....so sad and so wrong at the same time...change the gun policy!
It is really sad that there are children as young as them prepare themselves against gun violence IN SCHOOL - a place where children should feel safe while learning! I am from a developing country and is actually well-known for terrorism, as media puts it, but we have never ever done this at school!
This little boy is more man than most grown "men" I know. Great job Mom and Dad!!!
Sounds kind of weird that school has safety drills that involve 10 year old kids volunteering to die first. Maybe they should invest in some kind of safety doors instead.
May God bless you and those children that care about others instead of themselves. God gave his life that we may live and serve Him. Your son already secured his place in Gods arms as did you for raising a son of this caliber. I would stand in front of him and my children if I could. I am old but their lives mean more to me than my own. Thank you for raising him in service to God.
It's not way to young to be thinnking in this manner. This young man has already assumed the role of protector, exhibiting the first stages of manhood. He is already becomeing situationally aware of how the real world is, not the make believe world, and how he will react ot it and make his way through it successfully. I applaud this young man and his mother for teaching him that he is not the only person in room as most young people believe today.
He is a very brave boy!! A Badge of Honor!!!! When I was growing up we had drills of dropping and crawling under our desks. That was during WW2. Will it ever cease!!!!! We hope he will never have to do it.
With all our problems in the USA, his comment about protecting others (even possibly with his life) is incredibly brave and what being an American means to me. Nobody country or person is perfect but that kid has what it takes to lead. Encourage this child into serving others and he will be successful.
You're doing a great job. I hope it never comes to that. You can't "pick" someone for this "job." He volunteered. What a great heart he has. God bless you!
Dez you are an exceptional young lad, if we had a lot more like you we would be in a much better situation than we are at this time. God Bless you today and always. Thanks to the parents for raising such a brave and thoughtful child. <3
Yeah because the title had to be "black kid get's put in front" and not something like "fifth grader puts himself infront of others during shooting drill" :/
I'm trying to reply to Marlowe about breaking your arm and losing your job. That exact thing happened to me in Dec 2016. I also was evicted. I never saw a doctor, just the ER. No money. I also took my splint of after 4 weeks to look for a new job. I got a labor job and was too weak in my right arm to lift a hammer.
This young man has wonderful values and a great mom. HOWEVER, after reading many comments here, I must remind folks that school violence is not new. It has just evolved. I grew up in New York in the 1950's. (yes, I'm old) There were dangerous gangs who committed crimes and attacked individuals both in and out of school. When they fought each other nothing on the street was safe, not cars, not buildings, not people, and they had guns then too. So now we also have mass shooters. My point is that this is not a new problem but an extension of an old one. We have a problem in our society that must be resolved before we worry about removing guns. Those who are intent on causing suffering to make a statement will always find something to use as a weapon.
She's racist and judgemental. Her son is brave, and will be a honorable man.
She admitted she was incorrect. That's kind of the whole point of this article...!
Load More Replies...There are many things about this country that are unique from the nations of the world. Chief among them is our democracy. Tyranny from ones country was and remains the single greatest oppressor of all people yearning to be free. Great Britain, France and indeed all the world is indebted to the U.S. for their freedom and survival. The tragedy in Florida is unfortunate but guns are no more at fault than a knife, a car or truck when they are used to bring harm to people. These evils are brought to our schools, not because of they are crowded but because they weakest and most vulnerable. Making meth illegal hasn't slowed its use nor made it hard to get. Where are the marches by high school students to get something done about meth? When will they join hands and call upon their leaders to get rid of drugs? Guns are scary. I know. Fear of them is dangerous. And that's terrifying.
Beautiful. But how can she be an educator and not know the difference between then and than?
It greatly depends on where you are in this country, and as a point of fact, there are greater numbers of violent crimes in high population urban areas, cities, than anywhere else. Why? Overpopulation and nature flips a switch in some people to turn violent. It's called population control. Biologists and zoologists see it in animal populations all the time when there are too many in an area unable to support them all. First they try to disperse the population into smaller groups to spread out to other areas, and when that doesn't work or they are forced to remain in a closed or limited environment, the violence escalates. Yes, we are social creatures, but 8.5MILLION people in an area that should only support 1/10th that number, is it any wonder people go crazy?
I applaud the mother of this young man. It is sad that children don't feel safe in schools and churches, but this young man could be the one to bring a change to the purpose of one's life. I believe that he values his life and that the statement he made should make others open their eyes and heart.
Wait wait wait, am I the only one who is thinking that the mom has got some serious issues? The first thing she can think of is why the school is being racist? Come on, that's not good parenting. She jumped to conclusions and planted thoughts in his head. Good parenting and good people skills is to get the facts, and don't jump to conclusions. Great for the kid, but the parent is disturbing.
It's great that this ten year old is showing the bravery that most of us only wish we could have I a situation line an active shooter. It's really nice to know that the younger generation is showing such intelligence. That being said, however. Why was race even brought up in this story? It doesn't have anything to do with the story. It's a great eye opening story and it doesn't matter if the kid was black, white, brown, or any other color of the rainbow. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. But, the race card didn't need to be shown here. Unnecessary really.
Well dang, mommy wanted to play her race card... and then boom, plot spoiler. Ha ha.
Perhaps this is getting down voted because the mother's first assumption being a racist one? I think the kids explanation was a beautiful one but was sadden by the mother's first thoughts. Sad because it shows that (not just her) that racism is still so prevalent in the US. I wouldn't have thought that at all, but then, I am not her. I know this prob. wont be well liked, but it is just my opinion and what I thought when I read her response.
The fact that her first thought was that her son was a victim of racism, is not in itself racist(that's a stupid assertion), but it is an indication of the insecurities that some people and groups feel within American society. American is no doubt a good country but it's a country that does not seem to take critism well, rather than ask why do certain people feel that they're discriminated against because of their skin colour, sections of it's society(Fox news types) construe those people raising their grivances as an attack and go on the defensive.
Load More Replies...I think every mother in America should look at this mother and her beautiful family as what can make america great again
The adult assumed race immediately. Guns don't scare me. So called adults do.
Shame on her for jumping the racism card right off the bat. Seems to be the trend these days though, unfortunately.
It is so wonderful and disturbing at the same time to hear a child saying that he would rather die than have his whole class die. Children shouldn’t be thinking about that at such a young age. But what a gracious and holy being you have raised. God bless him.
Let's put the God she prayed to back in school where He can watch over them.
She was all ready to use that race card and her son showed more integrity in his little finger.
Kinda F'ed up that the mother is racist in this post. What the Kid did was brave, what the mother thought and jumped to conclusion about was super racist. In the same scenario, a white male would have been persecuted for being a white supremacist thinking the exact same thing. If I put my self in this SAME situation and my daughter told me the exact same thing, I would have never thought, "Why is my white daughter, standing in the front line." I would have thought, "why is my daughter standing in front of the class" like any normal parent. But I guess it isn't appropriate for me to call this mother a racist because i'm white.
This isent parenting done right....she though it was rasisim before even considereing her kid wanted to protect his friends...its more like somehow the kid turend out fine while you are a a bad human.
As lovely as this woman's child is, I'm more concerned with her instant reaction to him on the front line - why did she instantly jump to 'the teacher is clearly a racist' before hearing the whole story? Soaring gun crime rates aside, why is America still so backwards with race relations that this is her first thought?
It's clear she was assuming racism even thought racism wasn't there. Her son just happens to be a brave kid.
She corrected herself, and quickly. But of course, you're more concerned with that than the welfare of children.
Load More Replies...F**k that. She should tell her son no way. None of the students should be expected to volunteer to be the first to get shot. That’s sick. And I guarantee none of those other kids are worth losing your life for. Parents always tell kids, “You won’t remember the other kids when you’re older,” etc. And it’s true! She should just stick with that. The teacher needs to take responsibility for her students and not expect them to self sacrifice. The mom should pull her kid from that class. Her sons way of thinking is not healthy for a small child.
bet you;d be the first to hide behind the kid if you were there when it happened.
Load More Replies...Please Google "good guy with a gun myth," to learn how very wrong you are.
Load More Replies...Because none of the things you mentioned were designed to kill and only to kill. And notice how when terrorists attacked a plane, we changed ALL the laws regarding plane travel? Your statement is nonsensical.
Load More Replies...Because racism still exists, unfortunately. Thankfully she realized her mistake and admitted her first thought was wrong.
Load More Replies...You don't think that it would be better to do something to stop school shootings from happening, instead of teaching kinds how to react when (not if) they happen?
Load More Replies...But wouldn't it be better if the sickos had to go through more trouble obtaining weapons? No one thinks that stricter gun control will eliminate this problems, but if you make it harder for someone to get the gun, it will deter some of the people from committing heinous crimes.
Load More Replies...Your use of the word libtard shows your absolute lack of intelligence and a clear inability to think for yourself. Isn't it amazing that the "libtards" care about innocent children's lives, while you ONLY care about owning guns? It's disgusting that you're more worried about guns than a child dying, but says so much about conservatives these days. Oh and by the way, no good guys with guns ever save the day and stop this s**t from happening.
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