Dear Editor,
It had been four months now since the Oxford High School shooting. Almost $2,000,000 has been raised by caring onlookers, for distribution to victims and their families. People harmed should always be our first concern.
However, now is time to especially recognize the four who left us permanently as a result of this tragedy. By all published accounts, the departed were all good students whose love for life went well beyond the classroom. Through their individual pursuits towards excellence, they quietly left a message for the rest of us. The successful attainment of happiness and fulfillment are greatly enhanced when actively interacting with others, in either organized or informal activities taught outside of the classroom.
Ironically, each of the four were partaking in such activities, better preparing themselves for a mentally, if not physically balanced adulthood. Each of them lived life long enough to pass on words of wisdom to each of us, as to how they were achieving happiness and a sense of fulfillment in life. The families and friends of each student are still around to pass on their major beliefs, which perhaps can be reduced to a sentence or two, to inspire present and future Oxford visitors for years to come.
After talking to administrators at Oxford Schools and the Village of Oxford, I have heard of no funds raised so far to memorialize through a physical monument, the four who fell for the last time on November 30, 2021. I personally would like to see a statute of each on the four light posts at Burdick and Washington, with a plaque of their likely messages as agreed to by family and friends, below at eye level. A second alternative might be in Centenial Park, but we should not slowly forget this significant event in our history.
A memorial at Oxford High School would also be fine, but will not be seen by the majority of the community and visitors. If others agree, perhaps a forum could be centralized through The Oxford Leader’s website and editorial pages. If others feel the same, we can get this rolling into reality through a special fundraising effort over the coming months. Thank you for hearing me out.
Sincerely,
Charles Bosler,
Oxford
(Editor’s note: we will conact both the school district and village officials in regards to this proposal. — dpr)
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Mr. Bosler, let me play the Devil’s advocate here for the sake of discussion. Your proposal describes what you would like to see. No where in your letter have you mentioned that you have passed your idea onto the parents of the four students who were murdered. Can you confirm that these parents are in agreement that they are comfortable with being reminded of the devastation wrought upon they and their families by forever being reminded of this tragedy as they pass through town, stop to visit a restaurant, or try to take in a movie just to find two hours of relief from what must be constant pain and heartache? My suggestion is you start there first before you proceed further. Your idea is filled with good intentions, but you’ve missed a critical step along the way, in my opinion.