School Violence: Teach Respect for All

* Re “Behind the Tragedy, the Despair of an Outcast,” March 7:

Patt Morrison deserves a thunderous ovation for her powerful and insightful column on the tragedy of Charles Andrew Williams of Santana High School. If we truly want to make our schools safer, both schools and families must inculcate in students basic respect for all human beings instead of ridiculing and degrading them, as was done to Andy.

ROBERT H. FERNANDEZ

Granada Hills

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* The triggers of violence are still elusive (March 7)? Are you crazy? The evidence is overwhelming! My stomach drops when I read quotes like “Linda Williams’ neighbors did not even realize she had a second son” and “His dad wasn’t around a lot.” Being from a broken home myself, I can relate to this poor kid’s horrifying loneliness, but I had just enough self-control as a boy to be law-abiding.

When a child is without parents, he’s a ticking bomb. The ticking is becoming deafening. When will parents take responsibility for their children?

GREG REEVES

Los Angeles

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* Youngsters who bully and humiliate others should be a more direct focus of the schools and community. Authorities need to say openly that it is not OK to ridicule or torment another person for any reason whatsoever. We need to support the alienated by our beliefs and actions and expose the bullies for the losers and cowardly people they are.

RUTH GOODMAN

Dana Point

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* I think the only way adults will begin to genuinely do something to assure their children are not a harm to society is if they are scared out of their wits: Your child kills, you go to jail.

CAROL SOUDAH

Sherman Oaks

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* As someone who taught in public schools for 30 years, I was naturally horrified about the shootings at the high school in San Diego. However, as anyone who has spent time in schools can tell you, it is very common for otherwise normal, well-adjusted children to tease, humiliate and torment others who are weaker, smaller or “different.” This pattern begins in kindergarten and continues throughout the grades. Perhaps some of the grieving students, when attempting to assign blame, need to look in the mirror.

CAROLINE SWEITZ

Woodland Hills

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* In a country where too many people worship the power of the gun, these senseless murders will happen again and again.

TOM McKIMMEY

Van Nuys