Wes: My 12-year-old daughter and I were visiting the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum exactly two weeks ago to the hour of the recent shooting. It’s the busy season in Washington, D.C., as spring yields to an oppressively hot and humid summer. When we arrived at 8:45 a.m., the line had already formed for same-day passes. My daughter held our place while I got us bagels at the museum’s café across the alley. It’s the only café I’ve visited with an X-ray and metal detector at the door.

Our early Metro ride paid off. We got 10:15 passes and entered at the start of the day. I made my second run through the metal detector — this time at the museum entrance. My daughter impatiently wondered why they needed so much security. “Who would hurt a museum?” she complained. I reminded her that this was not her first visit here. She should remember what this museum stood for — a tribute to 6 million people who were murdered by a sovereign state just 18 years before I was born. In that context it would not seem shocking for someone to do something crazy now and then to this particular museum. As we left in the afternoon I asked if she now remembered why security was so tight. She did.

Entering that morning, guard Stephen Johns ushered us out of the way so the 10 a.m. group could line up and the incoming crowd could file through security. He was firm but polite. No nonsense. Very professional. I only know his name because I saw his face this week on MSNBC. He was the officer killed at this same forward post he held that day.

There are so many issues I’d like to raise with this story and so little space.

Take your kids to this museum, because Mr. Johns’ death reminds us in no uncertain terms why such a trip is necessary. Take them soon if only to peacefully protest his death. While my kid is a museum addict and thus not a valid measure of its broad appeal, I can safely say that I’ve never seen a bored teenager in attendance there.

Talk with your kids about the meaning and impact of racism, intolerance and social injustice — not just as it has impacted our society historically but as it impacts us today. It’s easy to write off this 88-year-old man as some kind of an isolated nut case. He was in fact a longtime purveyor of hatred, and he is certainly not alone. Our best defense against this kind of thinking will never be legal statutes, wars, the surrender of our civil rights or mindless panic. The Good Book tells us that “wisdom is protection just as money is protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors” (Ecclesiastes 7:12). Our defense is thus to educate our children about the roots of extremism in all its forms and to stand tall against its oppression. It shouldn’t just be our soldiers or law enforcement officers who stand bravely against those forces. We should stand along side them to deny the terrorists their terror.

Finally, I’ll close with the same point I made after the Virginia Tech shooting two years ago. Of late we’ve seen several such acts, none of which had anything to do with faraway countries, foreign political movements or “Islamofacism” (whatever that is). These events happened in Wichita, in Washington, D.C., in Little Rock, Ark. During that same time hundreds of millions of people did not act out in murderous rages, did not post vicious manifestos, did not justify murder, did not take their toll on our collective peace. As we pause to mourn the dead and prosecute their killers, let’s be especially thankful for that vast majority of humanity who are humane and spend each and every day teaching our children to stay always in their ranks.

Kelly: Socially our culture has been deemed the melting pot of the Western Hemisphere. Yet, in all the diversity there still remains those who wish to degrade others, especially through their own selfish demeanor, not fully aware of how it may truly impact the people around them.

It’s hard to think that in today’s society we’re still struggling between the goods and evils of what life has to offer us. Some who are unsatisfied with the current status quo decide to take matters into their own hands, leaving behind bloodshed and tears. Those who have committed such heinous and unimaginable crimes leave our society with unanswered questions, forcing us to seek our own conclusions.

As much as parents may attempt to shelter their children from the outside world, chaos seems to seep through the cracks of our schools, churches and even popular tourist attractions like museums. Yet even from these incidents we can gain acknowledgment and insight. We learn from these atrocious crimes and realize no one can truly take away our joy. As Wes noted, it’s important to expose kids to the intolerance that society still faces and help them find their own answers. We must inform them of the troubles that may lie ahead while reminding them that there is still a lot of good things life has to offer. Blooming among our society are new doctors, lawyers and teachers. People still care for each other and are willing to show compassion. As you raise your children, use these same beliefs and show them the positive things as love, kindness and honesty.

Wes’ story reminds me of the Greek tale of Pandora. Pandora was given a sealed box full of all the evils of mankind. Her unfortunate curiosity led her to open the box, unleashing its sinful power. Yet, within the box remained one thing: hope. It is this same notion that we must and can utilize through life’s struggles. We must persevere to have hope and faith in our peers and to work together to keep peace.

Next week: teen unemployment. It’s as bad as you think.

— Dr. Wes Crenshaw is a board-certified family psychologist and director of the Family Therapy Institute Midwest. Kelly Kelin is a senior at Free State High School. Opinions and advice given here are not meant as a substitute for psychological evaluation or therapy services. Send your questions about adolescent issues (limited to 200 words) to doubletake@ljworld.com. All correspondence is strictly confidential.