Ever thought you would make a decision that could alter the course of a young person's life forever?
Probably not. But I'm sure if you found yourself in a position of that much responsibility you would probably want to spend a great deal of time sorting through all the facts in the case, digging into every detail you thought would help you to familiarize yourself with that person. I'm sure most of us wouldn't make any snap decisions without exhausting every resource available.
So let me give you the facts that I know about a particular scenario unfolding right here in my own little community.
Cole is an 18 year old high school senior. He is an honor student and an Eagle Scout. I do not know him or his family personally, but by all accounts, and there are many, his is a genuinely good and honest kid. And I know that to become an Eagle Scout, you have to be hard-working and committed.
Monday of this week, Cole drove himself to school. At some point that morning, he realized or noticed after he had reached school campus that he had left his shotgun in his truck after skeet shooting the day before. The gun was unloaded.
Cole made the decision to call his mother and tell her it was there, because he knew that there were severe consequences to having a weapon on school grounds.
The law states that anyone who 'knowingly and willingly' brings a weapon onto a school campus is subject to felony charges.
So Cole did not actually willingly and knowingly bring it to school, but by the time he realized it was there he was already on campus. He made a very mature and responsible decision to call an adult, whom he trusted, and try to correct the action. He could have just left it there and went about his day, but in his mind he probably knew that the potential consequences of that decision could be awful. 1- someone might find it and use it to do harm or 2- someone might find it and report him.
Unfortunately, before his mother could take whatever action necessary, a school administrator overheard the conversation and called the police. CALLED THE POLICE.
So Cole was arrested.
It is important to include the fact that in situations such as this, it is at the discretion of school and school board officials to press criminal charges or not.
So just weeks from graduation, Cole has been expelled, will not graduate, and is facing felony charges.
Just like that. All of that happened between Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon.
It may also be important to note that 2 years ago, the assistant principal, new to the school, left a loaded gun in her glove box. She realized it was missing, asked the school officer to look for it. He found it in her glove box and returned it there. He then told her it was there. She did not take steps to immediately remove it from campus, nor did he advise her to. Even better (or worse), she turned her vehicle over to the auto mechanic students that afternoon to work on it, and of course they found the gun and passed it around. It is a very very lucky thing nobody was hurt.
She was then given three days paid suspension and no charges were brought against her.
So the community is in an uproar, because it's a small community. Everyone knows everyone. And the general consensus is that Cole is a good and honorable kid. And parents are fuming over the double standard that is being very publicly highlighted here.
Other teenagers have an opportunity to learn from Cole's mistake. What are they learning? That doing the right thing gets you in MAJOR trouble, so maybe they will do the wrong thing if they ever make the same human error he did.
We all forget things. We all leave things places they do not belong, with every intention of removing them and then we get busy and forget. To a kid who has grown up hunting and shooting his whole life, the gun is just like anything else a teenager would forget to put away.
But the school officials who found themselves in a position to make a very grave decision for Cole's future didn't even think it over a few days. They made a snap decision, a very rash one. Some folks think it's an over-reaction due to all the shootings in the press the last few years. Understandable to be uber-sensitive, but stop, breathe, and think rationally. This is the future of a good kid. With no record of misbehavior. With a lot of friends, and the respect of his church and his teachers.
Cole didn't brag to his friends that he had a gun in the truck. He didn't have a falling out with someone and threaten revenge on his facebook page. He immediately called his mother to report what happened, needing an adult to help him fix his mistake, wanting to do the right thing.
I see no need to bring politics into the argument, but this is the country. Everyone here has guns. Kids grow up learning to shoot things in their yards. Families are relatively quiet and don't cause much trouble. It's the transients in town who commit the crimes. But I know what the neighborhoods look like during an election year. Yards are covered in Republican signage. If I was a betting woman, I'd put money that nobody on this school board will be re-elected, for fear that the interest at heart is to strip people of their second amendment rights. It's kind of ridiculous, but that's how politics work. People over-react to every little thing. Cole's story isn't about politics, it's about doing the right thing. (which almost goes completely against the grain of politics these days.)
If you ever find yourself in a position to determine the fate of anyone, I beg you, please think very hard about your decision. If you pray, pray about it. Be reasonable and fair. Be cautious, but don't allow it to overtake your rationale.
I sincerely hope that someone will help Cole's family to right this wrong. I sincerely hope his family does not have to exhaust their finances to have his name cleared. People say "just hire a good lawyer", but that shouldn't be the answer at this point. That should be the answer if all the signs pointed to Cole being a dangerous kid and bringing that weapon on campus purposely and with malicious intent. You shouldn't have to hire a good lawyer just because you tried to do the right thing after you made a simple human error.
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