What that adult did at this child’s school should be criminal! Her actions would be considered manslaughter (at the least!) in most any country of the world. This is a L-I-F-E that is gone. GONE. Gone forever. And all the gifts and talents that went with that life – gone. A life that most likely would have brought honor, pride and recognition to her family, her community, perhaps even her country some day – gone. A young woman who obviously strove to be a good daughter, one who strove to fit in with her peers. And, although apparently not a ‘whiner’ she was one to whom pleasing her elders and those adults responsible for her seemed to be important. You know, most adults would have broken down and taken any short cut available in order to keep from disappointing their teachers in this situation (ie. the cheat sheets) so I’m finding no fault at all in the child under that much pressure finally making ONE mistake that many, many young people this age make in schools all around the world. But again, the real issue here is this: a very talented, eager to please, respectful, hard studying, good daughter, good student, friendly and outgoing child/young lady is now dead. Furthermore, it appears that this young Russian woman, ‘would NOT’ be dead if she had not had the misfortune of ever crossing paths with this woman at her school. A woman who was supposed to be producing educated, capable young people. An adult who is trusted by parents and government alike to ready their young people to become good productive citizens of a future Russia.
As an American, I submit my belief that Russian people are just like Americans in that we want the best education possible for our children. I believe that each of us trusts those adults we turn over the care of our children to each day, that we each believe that most every adult in those schools (certainly those charged with doing so) are prepared to protect, teach and guide our children towards becoming healthy, productive, members of society. I want the Russian people to know that as an American, most every story today that makes it’s way into ‘western’ media, most everything that I hear or read concerning citizens at each and every level, class and segment of Russian society and life today seems to be peppered with stories of people either living in fear of criminals or learning how to live day to day and operate around the criminal element. For those of us who do not live in Russia it appears as though many of the changes and opportunities are good that have come to the individual Russian of today. Certainly I and the rest of the world realize that there is quite a learning curve and a lot of catching up to do as far as how a government learns to deal with the criminal element that is found in any democratic society. However, I believe that most Russians, just like most Americans, desire to live a good and right life in their country, to be good citizens, work, pay their taxes and reap the benefits of a government that believes it has a duty to protect and further the interest of it’s citizens. I believe most Russians are just like us, here in America today, I believe that we ‘need’ absolutely each and every single one of our young people, because crime will flourish in every corner of society it can unless we all fight back with our best – our children’s potential and desire to be good people, good members of our communities and good citizens of our countries. Furthermore, to lose one young person who seemed to have such a promising future as a good, upstanding young woman, who not only had the ability to do so, but also the desire to do well and carry her own weight is absolutely tragic. It is remarkable to see one so young taking on the responsibility to solve her own problems at such a young age, to avoid being a ‘whiner’ or complainer. What future issues or community problems might have been solved by this young woman had she lived? What issues and problems would she have seen as ‘her’ responsibility, not her governments, to solve? How many other Russian young people today are not being encouraged to become like this young woman. Sure there are problems in Russia today, my gosh, there are problems in America today, also! In the end, we are all so very much alike. We all see young men and women just like this in our own communities. Well, I say that even if her country could not protect her, it can certainly honor her by protecting other, promising citizens of tomorrow’s Russia from this woman at that school. I believe that the world as a whole is at such a crossroads and I believe we all must do everything possible to teach, guide, and protect the best our country has to offer our tomorrows, our children. May God Bless Russia and may God Bless America.