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Thanks for this feature News & Record!

Our entire culture is infected with violence, rage, corruption and impulsivity. Is it any wonder that children are absorbing these messages?

Our leaders at the highest levels of our institutions -- government, news and entertainment media, industry, churches, advertising and, to some extent, education -- teach by example that violence, greed, cheating, and corruption are the solutions to problems.

The top grossing movies are the most violent -- and parents let their kids see them! ("Saw" for eg.) The White House and Congress insist that the only solution to the international crime of terrorism is to bomb and wage war against any nation that doesn't submit to free-market capitalism in the American model. Corporations are rife with cheating and corruption. Church leaders aand spokesmen keep turning out to be the the biggest hypocrites.

Is it any wonder that children are absorbing these messages?

It figures that the only post on here would contain some regurgitated GARBAGE about the violence in American culture. Maybe if schools had taught parents to think 30 years ago, we wouldn't have so many adults who are incapable of completing any sort of intellectual exercise (e.g., Laurie's post).

So, given the audience of these postings, I'll give a short list of the factors creating more fights in school. Do not think that any of these factors are dispositive, rather, think of these factors as combining and working together in any given school environment in Guilford County.

1. LACK OF FAMILY STRUCTURE: Parents no longer act as parents, instead, they want to be their child's friend and protect their FEELINGS. Generally, they enable their children from the age of 2 to understand that if they whine enough, they will get what they want. This creates brats. All 12 of the girls at Southern were the products of such rearing since it is well known that the parents of the children in this fight as well as other fights came running and screaming to the school about how their children were being mistreated...poor little miscreants that they are.

2. LACK OF COMPETENT ADMINISTRATION: The administration at Southern as well as most schools in Guilford County have no clue how to run a school. They disempower their teachers, whimsically enforce rules (e.g., dress codes), and generally show a lack of leadership. In case it hasn't been said already to any of them: INCONSISTENCY creates an unstable culture, and unstable cultures in school create FIGHTS. And, by the way, the parent in the article was correct, there are only a few administrators governing many, many children...maybe you should consider giving more latitude to your teachers to enforce rules, or, God forbid, actually punish kids that teachers write-up.

3. FEELINGS OF ENTITLEMENT: This is primarily a flaw at the government level. Ask yourself (if you've read this far), WHY DON'T THESE CHILDREN UNDERSTAND THAT IF THEY DO NOT GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL THAT THEY WILL BE POOR AND LIKELY HAVE TO LIVE OFF THE GOVERNMENT? No, I'm not trying to trick you, the last part of the question gives the answer. How would you act if thought you had nothing to lose?

4. GLOBAL WARMING: Just kidding...

5. UNNECESSARY INTEGRATION: If you like reading about fights like this, continue to let the Guilford County School Board rework the district lines to evenly distribute all the hood rats in Guilford County. For those who don't know, Southern used be a wonderful country school where kids actually learned. Then, the Board decided that some poor kids in a poor neighborhood didn't have the proper school facilities and funding...as if moving them to a school with more money would fix their problems. Well, that's not quite true, the Board likely thought that High Point Central was having too many fights, and so they decided to move the welfare folk to a school where they could have a brighter future. RESULT: a school that once produced healthy, educated kids now struggles day to day just to keep some sort of order as a result of the hood rats. NEWSFLASH: being poor is not a condition, it's a state of mind, until that is changed, welfare folk will act the same no matter where they go. So, why destroy a perfectly good school by allowing kids to go there that will never appreciate the opportunity they have just so a few goods may benefit while MANY are suffering?

Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. However, I believe this post aptly explains the predominant factors as they most readily present themselves.

My congratultions and thanks to all the teachers in Guilford County who willingly go to work everyday to battle the children, the administration, and the Guilford County Board of Education.

Fight at Southern involves 12 girls

Absolutly love the coments from the Parent / Aunt / What ever she is.

As a former Grad of SGHS and a person that is still very connected with the school and the administration I must say these comments are obserd. This woman is directly connected to 25% of the problem if she did a better job guiding young minds then they would know better than to fight. My parents always said avoid the fights at all cost. If people make threats address them but and move on. School is no place for violence.
I'm only 25 so I feel a true abiliy to say this.
What happened to the good old days when people had respect for their teachers and when you were disrespectful dad put you over his knee and taught you a little respect. (By the way where is DAD in all of this, it does not take a village it takes two parents) Now a child can fight in public then have mom show up and say don't worry it is the administrations fault that you got in to that fight. I'm gonna figure out how you and your criminal record can go to Japan.

First, anyone who remotely compares the war on terror to fighting in school is either misinformed or a simpleton. The former is in defense of our freedom, liberty, and way of life. The latter can be over a boyfriend or girlfriend, or a snide comment, a petty disagreement or maybe something related to a gang. And I think a lot of European Jews are quite happy that the United States chose to ?bomb and wage war.? Regrettably, war and violence are sometimes necessary.

Second, while I concur with Bob in that the lack of family structure and a sense of entitlement contribute to a lot of students? negative attitudes and behavior problems, I have to disagree about the administration at Southern. The administrators at Southern work hard to create and maintain a suitable learning environment. It is true that the student population at the school has changed in recent years and that has presented new challenges. But, many times, when administrators do attempt to severely discipline students (i.e. long term suspension), it is overturned by some insulated administrator downtown who apparently doesn?t want to offend anyone or make any waves for the district. Often, school based administrators? hands are tied.

Decent parents of decent kids need to demand that Guilford County Schools establish a no tolerance policy for students who are constant discipline problems. Why should the school system be forced to deal with these kids when their own parents can?t control them? It offends me that my daughter has to go to school with students who have no respect for authority, their peers or themselves, and many times, these are the students and parents that Guilford County Schools cater to. It?s been said that the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Well, it?s time for the rest of us to start making some noise and let GCS administrators and board members know that we are not going to tolerate their indifference and political correctness any longer.

I was there. There were at least seven teachers, three administrators and an SRO officer on the scene within 30 seconds. Teachers reacted immediately and the fight was contained within 30 to 60 seconds. The administration at Southern is extremely concerned with the safety and well being of students and faculty. They are supportive and efficient. The faculty members are extremely caring and put themselves at risk to protect the young people involved.

I was not there, so I cannot speak directly for the teachers at SOUTHERN, but I also teach in a Guilford County high school. If staff meetings at Southern look anything like staff meetings here, then teachers are receiving lots of instruction and advice on curriculum: incorporating writing into all lessons and raising test scores, but getting very little support on classroom management and discipline. How can I feel safe when I send students to the office (or write a discipline referral) and the student is sent back to my classroom (often the same day), with a verbal slap on the wrist and a "Don't do it again, ok?"

Speaking of "soft on discipline" administration...

One of Southern's most popular gang members, who is no longer at school because he skipped town after getting caught robbing the Dollar General Store (or so I heard from my students), got called out of my classroom one day by an administrator. He grumbled his way out the door, disturbing class and complaining about how he hadn't done "nothin" wrong, "somebody always be tryin to get me in trouble," etc. He came back, after having missed 10 minutes of classroom instruction time, with his mouth full and carrying cookies in a napkin. He was all smiles as he proudly walked back into my classroom, disturbing class yet again. Of course, everyone wanted to know what happened. Guess what?! He was called out of class by an administrator in order to be given cookies and to be praised for not having been in trouble yet during 2nd semester. Give me a break!

Yes, there are some administrators who support teacher's decisions on classroom discipline more than others. But, honestly, when you have one student caught cheating on a quiz and another student caught giving blow jobs in the bathroom during 1st period.... who would you choose to just send back to the classroom with a note "Call parents about this issue."

By no means am I trying to blame the administration, this is a very complicated issue.