'Lost Boys' and 'The Muslim Scare'

First, a word about Robert Hawkins. You know, the 19 year old who killed eight people in the mall yesterday. I don't excuse criminal behavior, but I can tell from a cursory reading of Hawkins' teen years that he was a lost boy. His parents were divorced. He had troubles with his stepmother--which is not uncommon, especially for a thirteen-year old. (Many thirteen-year olds have trouble with their birth mothers.) A day after turning fourteen he was placed in a mental institution. The charges were, along with his threats to his stepmother, that he had a short attention span and he was disruptive. He was barely fourteen! He was pretty much an average teen--maybe a little on the wild side, but not a delinquent. Not yet.

In the mental institution he was molested by a roommate. He was placed on antidepressants. When he arrived at his foster home in 2001 he curled into a fetal position. This kid was seriously in need of love and caring. Apparently he did not get it from either of his divorced parents, or from their current spouses.

Teenage boys can be rowdy, disruptive, disobedient, untrustworthy, lazy, unfocused. I've seen many boys who fit that description but, with the right adult love and guidance, grew up to be responsible, caring, hard-working men. Robert Hawkins didn't get what he needed from the people who brought him into this world. He decided to take other people with him when he left.

Parents, please take care of your boys.

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One more note. A Clinton campaign worker has been fired for promoting the idea that Barack Obama is a Muslim. The way the story was worded, Muslim sounded like a dirty word. "Are you or have you ever been a Muslim?" Let's not go back to the McCarthy era. I know a Muslim wouldn't stand a chance at getting into the White House, but most of us are just normal people living boring lives. (Ask my kids how truly boring their Muslim parents are.) I was born during the Red Scare. Are we headed for the Crescent Scare? Please.