As a parent, it scares me to death. He and we should be scared, because a child driven solely by feelings is like a vehicle out of control. What definitely won't guide her is reason, which is why violence has escalated. If people disagree on a certain issue, they can discuss it logically, adhering to facts in order to determine who is correct. If they fail to resolve the issue, they can at least agree that it is rational to respect the rights of others rather than resort to violence.
Rational persuasion is thus the foundation of peaceful co-existence.
Fundamentally, schools must institute a radical reversal of policy. Schools need to encourage individual, independent judgment and to provide the factual knowledge and the reasoning skills that a rational mind requires. The only way to stop students from acting like animals is to regard them as thinking human beings. It's too late to save Reena, but not to late to save future victims of teenage rage and violence. Glenn Woiceshyn is a freelance writer and parent, residing in Calgary.