DETROIT – We’re pushed now into the heart of the holiday season and coming up with a reminder of the kind of goodness that exists in our world -- and perhaps an example to all of us about why giving can be as good for the giver as for the receiver.
But up first, as we arrive at the one year anniversary of the shooting at Oxford High School, we continue to be plagued by a terrible after effect. We knew that the healing process would take a lifetime for many -- but we have arrived at what feels like a near epidemic of school closures due to threats of violence. Surely, in most cases, these threats are empty, just aimed at creating chaos. And yet, after Oxford and what we’ve watched play out far too often, what’s a school system to do but take them seriously and send the kids home? I hesitate to call it a fad - that sounds too benevolent. What is this? Are there any remedies for these sad and, frankly, tasteless threats?
Read: Prosecutors seek life sentence for Oxford high school shooter who pleaded guilty
Also, record crowds at the DIA. While Vincent Van Gogh died in 1890, it feels like he’s never been more alive in the art world. As is so often the case in the art world, success didn’t arrive for Van Gogh until after his death. Could he imagine a day when his swirling skies and sunflowers seemed to be everywhere? They’re again at the Detroit Institute of Arts, which was also the first American museum to buy a Van Gogh work so many years ago.
Detroit Institute of Arts: 100 years of the first Van Gogh in the U.S.
You can view the November 27, 2022, episode of Flashpoint in the video player above.