I’ve read many Letters to the Editor about gun control and bullying, but I rarely see real solutions to the problems.

The problem with school shootings is not the guns themselves, it is the child in question and how he/she was raised. The same thing with bullies; whether children or adults, it falls back on how they were brought up.

Children who are sickly or have spent a lot of time in the hospital aren’t part of school shootings or bullying. Because of what they are going through, they are forced to look at life in a new light. These children are the most compassionate and caring humans on earth.

Not all children need to go through something horrific to be kind and caring, but they should understand the value of life itself.

People should take their children to a local hospital to help out in the playroom or take in books or toys. The parents and children should find a way to interact with others who are not as fortunate health-wise and learn compassion.

Parents should start this practice when their children are young and not wait until they are angry and rebellious and they think this is a form of punishment.

The children who are ill with life-threatening diseases have more of a right to be angry and mean, but 99 percent of the time they are just the opposite.

Do something kind as the parent. Kids learn best by example. Good or bad. Keep that in mind.

Angela Godbout

Readfield