"Kill List" Normal Behavior?

Recently, in a town about 2 hours away from me, a 12 year old girl was arrested and suspended because her "kill list" was found at school. Apparently, she wrote down a list of people, other students, she wanted to kill, at least in her mind. If that's not shocking enough, a local talk show host posted about this on his facebook page. The responses surprised me. Several adults responded that it's just normal adolescent behavior.

If this is normal adolescent behavior, then we really need to re-evaluate what we consider normal for our children!

Apparently, hate lists are quite popular now, but she gets the hand-cuffs because her list was labeled "kill." This is twisted! On one hand I see the ridiculousness and childishness of it. I'm reminded of the bullying brother in "Quiet Man" who always had his toady write down the names of people who got on his nerves in his book. No one respected him for it. On the other hand, I shake my head at what childhood has allowed to become.

I certainly hope that the people in her life don't just punish the symptom, but get to the root of this and pull it out! This girl obviously has deep issues that need to be addressed if at 12 years old she feels the need to write up a kill list/hate list.

We have got to stop not raising our children. We have got to stop thinking that as soon as they hit an age where they can basically care for themselves that we don't have to parent anymore. We have got to turn off the TV, shut down the computer, get off the cell phone and be with our children!