I will never forget the first year I started teaching when a troubled student who I had tried to bond with came up to me and asked very matter of factly:
"Mr. S, would you be sad if I killed myself?"Those are words you can never soon forget. I had somebody watch my class and we went around to the back of the building and sat on the ground and just talked. After awhile he felt like he was ready to talk to somebody with more experience in dealing with this as well as telling his mother.
I hope that anybody who is having these types of thoughts will always have somebody available to talk to which is why I feel this campaign is so very important.
I just went to HopeLine.com and donated $25. I now challenge any of my readers - especially my fellow bloggers -to at least match me. I am sorry for being so dramatic but how would you feel if one of your students went through with taking their life because they felt they had no other option and did not have somebody at a helpline to talk to?
Please help.
4 comments:
Hey! I found your spot via PostSecret. Don't call the counselor I am not in trouble, but, I AM a teacher and I HAVE found a note like the one you mention.
How fun, I'll check out you and your blogroll!
The original post was okay until you went and labeled yourself a Reagan Republican -- maybe you'd have changed your mind if you knew then what you should know now... how much his "type" of administration (and doe-eyed followers) has screwed up the country. Not enough "Reagan Republicans" cared enough about their fellow Americans to a) acknowledge the long-term planning needed for the health (strategic/security, economic, educational, etc) of the country, b) help lift people out of the Reagan-initiated (and subsequent) poverty and slashing of social services -- which is why some hard-core republicans left the GOP. Wish people could see how their political following (read morals and values) really affects the other people they say they care about so much.
Anon,
It is a shame how you had to turn such an important message into political hyperbole. The reason I even brought up the whole "Reagan Republican" slant was the fact that Reagan believed (in my opinion rightfully so) that there are many areas that the federal government should stay out of because they tend to make a bigger, redtape-filled, overspending mess of things. This whole issue of Hopeline having to fight off the Feds to do the right thing is a perfect example of the point.
Unlike many Republicans, I do not think that Reagan walked on water. But one thing is for sure, considering how much damage Carter did, Reagan was a blessing and actually did save this country's economy and ensured its security. If you are too partisan to admit that, then you have no clue just how bad things were in the 70's.
You obviously think that the federal government is responsible for solving everybody's problems and that is definitely one view on the role of the government. I on the other hand tend to believe (and I paraphrase Reagan's famous speech) that the government is not the solution to people's problems, the federal government IS the problem.
From the tone of your post it sounds like you are hoping the Feds do take over Hopeline and run it their way. I on the other hand want to help them stay independent which is why I added this post and why I put my money where my mouth is and donated to the cause.