I grew up near Rochester, New York, not far from where this horrible incident happened, and I am sickened. I’m appalled by where my hometown is heading. I’m heart-broken by how rapidly my country is slipping morally and spiritually. This terrible story is one more piece of evidence, as if we needed anymore, of cultural implosion. But please read it, and share it with others. We need to talk about this — now.

“A profanity-laced video of middle school students in upstate New York verbally abusing a bus monitor is sparking an outpouring of support as strangers worldwide rally to her side,” reports CNN. “Students taunt Karen Klein, 68, with a stream of profanity, insults, jeers and physical ridicule in the back of Bus 784. Some boys demand to know her address, saying they want to come to her house to perform sexual acts and steal from her. Another says, ‘You’re so fat.’ One comment from a boy aboard the bus appears especially painful. He tells her that she does not have family because ‘they all killed themselves because they didn’t want to be near you.’ Klein’s oldest son took his own life 10 years ago, according to CNN affiliate WHAM. The bullying continues unabated for about 10 minutes in the video, as a giggling student jabs Klein’s arm with a book. Recorded on by a student with a cell phone camera on Monday — the students’ second-to-last day of school — the brazen example of bullying went viral and spurred international outrage.”

One outraged CNN anchor said on-air, “We’ve had to edit that down, can I just tell you. This thing went on for 10 minutes. The foul language that came out of these middle schoolers’ mouths — the things that they said to this 68-year old Karen Klein, who, by the way, is a hearing impaired grandmother who’s worked for the Greece Central School District in Upstate New York for 23 years — can’t be repeated. Not on morning television. Not on any television. This from middle schoolers.”

“No charges have been filed against the boys in part because, ‘at this point, (Klein) has decided that she does not want to press criminal charges,’ Greece Police Capt. Steve Chatterton said Thursday. He stressed that the investigation is continuing and that the bus monitor could change her mind. He explained that a juvenile must face a felony or misdemeanor to be charged in family court, while harassment only qualifies as a violation. The police captain said that Klein told police she didn’t hear some threats that can be overheard on the video and furthermore that she would not have felt threatened, had she heard them….The video prompted an outpouring of support and a fundraiser by international crowd-funding website indiegogo.com that had gathered more than $321,000 by 5:15 p.m. Thursday. The site says she earns about $15,000 a year.”

God bless all of those who have come to Mrs. Klein’s aid from all over the country and all over the world. But what is wrong with these children? Who in the world is raising these children? Are their parents mortified? And if they are, do they have any idea how to change their children? Because let’s be clear: no law can fix this. This is a much deeper problem. There is a spiritual crisis amongst our children. A darkness of the soul is steadily creeping into our young people. And if we don’t stop to recognize it, and deal with it — and soon — it’s going to be too late.

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