To the Editor,

In the wake of the recent school shooting, I can’t help but wonder how many realize that Caitlyn Abercrombie wasn’t the only victim. We, as a community, are quick to point the finger.

“Why wasn’t security tighter?” “Why aren’t police doing more to stop the gangs?” To the 15-year-old old boy, we say “you should rot in prison.”

As we point the finger, however, let’s look at the fingers pointing back at us. We, as a community, may feel we have failed Caitlyn. The fact is, we have failed that 15-year-old old boy. In an age governed by the Internet, our youth are more apt to answer the question “what’s on your mind?” when asked by a Facebook friend than by a parent. And what is on a 15-year-old’s mind when they decide to open fire at a local high school? Where has the community gone wrong when we’ve failed to pick up on warning signs that our children are filled with so much internal chaos they are starving themselves, cutting themselves, even taking their own lives or the lives of those around them?

As as local pastor but the facilitator of the anti-bullying initiative Operation Bullyhorn, I’d like to challenge our community, at a time when we’re tempted to point the finger, to look at ourselves instead and where we might be falling short. Then look at our children and please find out what’s on their minds. For more information on what you can do to help today’s youth, contact operationbullyhorn@yahoo.com.

Katharine Royal

Fayetteville