A Response To Tragedy At A Track Meet
Tragedies such as the recent stabbing at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas on Wednesday reveal to us some changes that must take place in America.
Keep in mind that two families have been affected by this tragic stabbing death of 17 year old student athlete Austin Metcalf by another 17 year old student athlete Karmelo Anthony from a competing school at the track meet. Hunter Metcalf, the twin brother of Austin, witnessed the fatal stabbing and tried, without success, to stop his brother from bleeding out.
From eyewitness accounts, the situation was sparked by an argument over Anthony being seated under Metcalf’s track team tent. After being asked to leave the tent, and without any other details, Anthony stabbed Metcalf with a knife causing his death.
The response of the father of Austin Metcalf, the young man who was killed by stab wounds to the chest, is a powerful response under such tragic circumstances. “I already forgave him (Karmelo Anthony). God will take care of me and my family,” said Jeff Metcalf.
There should be several important discussions going on right now around the office, in the school, and at dinner tables in our homes. Altercations like this should not end in the death of a teenager.
5 Conversations
Here are 5 quick conversations that we should be having:
1. The Family’s Responsibility
If we want to see significant change in America, it does not happen in the halls of congress in Washington, DC. All great change in America begins at the dinner table. The most important conversations in a society take place in the home where parents are shaping the character of their children.
Keep in mind that two family’s lives have been affected by this tragic death. Our prayers and response must be for both the Metcalf and the Anthony families.
These kind of discussions are best done around the family dinner table where parents can shape the thinking and the behavior of their children on all types of topics. The loss of the family table has contributed to the lack of upbringing our children need to cope with all kinds of life situations.
2. Peer & Adult Response In Escalations
Put the cameras down. And stop posting physical altercations on the social platforms.
It cannot be stated more strongly, but, the importance of the response of peers and adults in an escalated situation will either help to elevate or quell the disagreement. Unfortunately, in most cases, the first adult or student to enter into an argument or fight ends up being attacked by others defending one of the persons in the altercation.
Furthermore, school teachers and staff have protocol to use verbal tactics first and are expected to follow expectations that can be quite limiting in an escalated situation in the classroom or extra-curricular activity. Maybe we should extend the ‘Good Samaritan Law’ to everyone who is willing to step in and de-escalate an elevated argument or disagreement.
3. Principles of De-escalation
It varies from school districts, but, most of the protocol is to deescalate by calling for school security first, using verbal tactics secondly, to disperse the crowd next, and lastly to try and separate those involved. Obviously, depending on the teacher or coach or adult, separation is often unlikely before the damage is done.
Everyone in the vicinity of a tense situation should be aware of several de-escalation principles:
Stay calm
Respect personal space
Adjust verbal tone and volume
Don’t be a bystander
Involve other peacemakers to gain a majority
Walk people away from each other
Use people’s names
Call immediately for school resource officers or police
Turn off phones from recording
4. Seeking The Facts Before Response
One of the most important things we can do after a situation like this is to stop and take a step back. Before immediate response or action we seek the facts and to pray so that our response will be helpful and hurtful. It can be easy to jump to a political or racial stance. But, any immediate lean into the situation is unfair to all involved without careful understanding of the facts.
The most important thing we can do before immediate response or action is to seek the facts. To make sure that we are not moving to a political or racial judgment that is hurtful and not helpful.
5. The Place Of Prayer In Society
People who minimize prayer in these situations and call for immediate response and action are not people who pray. If they were people of prayer they would recognize the great outcome of intercession.
I would argue that the reason we are in this situation is because we have removed prayer from our homes and the spiritual formation of our children has suffered in the past 4 generations. If you look at the drop in the biblical worldview from The Silent Generation to Gen Z you will see the devastating effects of not passing the faith from one generation to the next in America. ( https://www.arizonachristian.edu/2023/02/28/biblical-worldview-among-u-s-adults-drops-33-since-start-of-covid-19-pandemic/ )
Prayer is our first response before responding.
Finally
We can help minimize these situations with a variety of solutions. Like having parents of minors who commit serious crimes being brought into the legal and the counseling process, having all youth leaders in eduction, government, and faith communities trained in de-escalation principles, and being reminded of the relevant words of Ronald Reagan 40 years ago.
“If we want to fundamentally change America it does not begin in the Halls of Congress in Washington, DC. All great change in society begins at the dinner table…” -Ronald Reagan