A Mother’s Plea: Stop the Violence

Dear Friends and Family,

Some of you know me and my family from Edison Elementary. I have Joey in the 4th grade, Leanna in 2nd grade, Mia in Kinder, and 21 mo. old Miko at Les Enfants. Others of you know us through AYSO soccer, or Bobbysox softball.

Our kids have participated in Seascape activities together, swam at SMC pool, and trick-or treated the streets, mall, and PAL together. We run into each other at school events, and community events. Our families are very much connected, this is why I am sending you this email.

I am concerned about what is happening in our community. The violence that is present amongst the youth in the High School and in the middle schools is also happening in our street and in our homes.

Many of you may not know exactly what I am talking about, or for the few of you who do, may not feel that these issues directly affect you. I have to admit that I too felt that way.

That was, until last Friday. I have chosen to share this experience with you all, because I believe that we are all effected by incidents like this, either directly or indirectly.

On May 9, 2003 at about 9:30pm shots were fired in our neighborhood. As Leanna lay asleep in her bottom bunk bed, Mia fast asleep on my bed and Joey and Miko watching TV in the front room..... one of the bullets went right through our 2nd story CHILDREN'S bedroom!

It came through right above Mia's dresser, at about the level of her forehead. Then it went through the 2nd wall, just above Joey's dresser, entering our bathroom, shattering our glass shower doors, and then landing in our bathroom sink.

We are all okay, but feeling very scared. We are also feeling VERY LUCKY!!!

I am trying my best to turn this negative experience into a Positive one! I was mistaken to think that problems that occur in the middle schools, and high schools didn't effect me. My children are in elementary school. How do the problems that happen in the community and in the upper grades affect us?

The way it did on Friday Night for my family. That's how! After meeting with a group of concerned and active parents from the middle and high schools and members of community and school organizations, I was shocked at what I found out.

It appears that there have been several fights at Samohi, that ARE NOT being dealt with! Just last week there was a fight on campus where a large number of children were suspended. This was not the first fight, but one of many.

How is the high school choosing to deal with this? I am worried that the problems are not being addressed, that these angry and frustrated children are being kicked out of school... to go where??? Out into the streets!!!

Even though my children are in elementary school, this is a real problem for our children and our families. It is VERY LIKELY that the bullet that went through my children's bedroom was a result of the ongoing tension that is going on between our youth in OUR schools, in OUR community.

Are we going to wait until our children get to middle school and high school to find out about these problems? Is this a COMMUNITY problem? A police problem? A district problem? Family problem? Who's problem is this?

Sometimes it takes an incident like this to make us OPEN up our eyes and feel compelled to do something. I am sending this email to all of you, because I believe that you care about our community, our schools, and our families.

This could have happened to any one of us. Please let our family's experience empower you to take an interest in what is going on in our community.

The morning after this incident occurred I ran into an old friend from grammar school at Memorial Park, where my children play softball. She asked me where I was living and I told her, "right down the street from here." Ironically, she stated, " You're so lucky you live in Santa Monica."

Am I ?