An article in the Washington Post on Wednesday carried a jarring headline, “Mother says bullying led to slain 16-year-old son’s depression, drug use.”
The story of Woodbridge Senior High School’s Brenden
Wilson is indeed sad. Once a promising
student, athlete and ROTC cadet, his life ended this past Monday when he was
shot down on a wooded path near his school in what police speculate was a
failed drug deal.
According to his mother and other family members,
Brenden fell into a dangerous spiral when he struggled to maintain his weight. This led to insults from his peers at school
which forced him to find escape in truancy, drug use and criminal activity.
“He (Brenden) took on a new personality to camouflage
the wounds from old taunts that never healed,” his mother told the Washington
Post. “He was hurting…to dull it,
Brenden turned to marijuana. Marijuana
is a gateway to trouble. They need to
educate these teens.”
So…there you have it…in rapid fire succession Brenden’s
mother is quick to focus the blame on his classmates and the school’s administration
for failing her son. They are the reason
why he was a teenage drug user and thug.
Brenden is the victim here.
I agree Brenden is a victim and the loss of life at
such an early age is tragic.
Yet, this is the path he chose. Every one of us deals with pressure, stress,
anxiety, adversity, conflict and tension – in our personal relationships,
career, school and athletic pursuits. It
starts early. In fact, I see its adverse
impact on my elementary-aged sons.
The majority of people develop healthy and
productive strategies to manage their environment. We rely on those around us for guidance and
support, but (ultimately) decide for ourselves how to live.
“When you smoke, you are getting involved with a
group of dangerous people,” said Brittni Wilson, Brenden’s sister. “You are putting yourself in a dangerous
position every day.”
I have empathy for the loss his family now experiences. No parent should ever have to bury a child.
The blame here rests with Brenden though. Accountability demands it.
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| I take on a tough issue in this blog about the murder of 16-year-old Brenden Wilson. Photo source: InsideNova.com |
