[RR] Kids that Kill- Kip Kinkle

[Duane Wheeler]

*First.. I understand what you said Cdr.Jen *and.. it does not require "courage" to commit a sin. Courage is a virtue and a point on our Royal Ranger emblem and Code... Kip Kinkle suffered from the inability to manage life! Killing your parents is "Cowardly" and a gross moral failure. Because the act... was so devistateing, Kip Kinkle has been locked away, and we can only pray the Lord becomes his companion and master. We go around and around with "seeing" influences from the devil and condem the peer's we send our children to sit next too daily.  Kip had a emotional problem, a learning disability and the inability to self correct. What we have in our hands is a brief time to *minister  a objective view of  skills to guide our youth, when they themselves are beyond our reach and circumstances are byond the "control" of adults... The story told it all.. there is more than what we see... more than what we hear... going on with our Children. CHARACTER COUNTS!  DO RIGHT WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING!   *WHAT WE CAN DO... ---------------------------   Scale down life... into manageable sections for "testing" judgement. ============================================ By use of the Patrol.. and *Games.. we gain insight into how kids deal with stress- winning-loseing and putting into practice the "words" that represent the Integrity embobied by the Ranger Code- and our Christian testimony. When things go good... *PRAISE THE BOYS! Everyone can "see" the dynamics of the "game"... *It has the "feeling of belonging-building something" and it feels good.. When things go wrong.... *Stop and talk about it! REFLECT! STREACH! go for the "teachible moment" ...keep the circle safe-friendly-open- and filled with WISDOM! *work to get the boys to see what went wrong and what needed to happen and leave them to play with a path to success... Follow this time with a devotion that points to the MASTER RANGER who will never forsake us or leave us alone! *Bringing that saveing grace into the lives of boys... *for them to nurture and grow is key.   Kip Kinkle was "lost" in his secret world... a lot of our kids share that. That's what 'scares" me about the "back-row" as well as just the general public! They remain *Un-REACHED! Royal Ranger Commanders are *NOT EXPERT in matters such as Kip Kinkle or the Columbine killers.. *But we are solidiers in the war against darkness.. and you use the tool to shine light into the dark corners we "see"... I humbly ask the Lord of COURAGE as well as INSIGHT that no young man would slip thru my hands un-touched.. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...and follow the story to young JAKE RIKER, *EagleScout who rushed Kip while shooting to throw him down and disarm him. *Shot thru the hand he  DID THE HEROIC!   Cdr-Jen wrote: Last night on FRONTLINE there was a special on what motivated 15 year old Kip Kinkle into murdering his parents, 2 high school students and attempting to murder 22 other students. The most troublesome to law enforcement officers was that Kip came from a well-to-do family and was raised in a loving home. His parting words to his Mother just before he shot her in the back of her skull was, "I love you Mother". In his taped interview with the police after his arrest he sobbed, " My parents were good people, I loved them, but I had to do it...." Then he yelled, "Damn these voices in my head...." What struck me about Kip was that he was NOT the teen with the weird hairdo or leather jacket and chains. He was NOT the teen that drank and smoked pot and swore and had a outward tough attitude, rather, Kip was a shy, clean-cut, small in stature and withdrawn teen. He had a fascination with guns and knives and explosives. His father in trying to find something in common with him purchased a gun and he and Kip would go shooting - ironically this weapon would be the one that would end his life. In retrospect, everyone has an opinion about why Kip did what he did. By his own confession he was filled with despair, sadness, doubt and fears. He wanted to die, yet lacked the courage to kill himself. A life without Christ is hopeless. If there be ANY virtue in life, anything that is beautiful, and pure, honest and good - think on these things and thank Jesus for HIS mercy and grace. Our joy is our strength, remind your Rangers that only Jesus can set us free. What about Kip? Kip has been sentenced to 110 years in prison without parole...... Cdr-Jen