Life After Columbine

It’s been twenty years since two teenage boys stormed a local school with weapons, ammo, and a murderous (cowardly) intent. Columbine made international news and shocked the world, but to me it’s always been a very real, very raw, and horrifically painful event. And I was one of the lucky ones-- I did not say goodbye to my son or daughter for the last time that day, although I (through family and friends) know some parents who did. I did not have to endure the terror and confusion of a brutal coordinated attack, or get shot with a sawed-off shotgun, or watch my friend bleed out next to me. I don’t have to live out my life in a wheelchair suffering bladder infections and a host of other ailments from bullet wounds and the subsequent surgeries (and the cost thereof) like the young man I met many years ago. But that horrific day remains an indelible blot on our community, on the nation, and has impacted more lives than we’ll likely ever know.

The twelve teens who died that day would have been grown by now, and some would’ve had children of their own. So entire generations were lost. At least one suicide was logged in the wake-- the mom of a wheelchair bound victim. My friend’s cousin’s parents divorced after the death of their son. Their marriage couldn’t take the wrenching loss. The tragedy is exponential, and though I only caught a glimpse of it, it was an overwhelming and life changing perspective.

And then, when one thinks that Columbine is held as some sort of sick goal for the demented school shooters who have come in their wake, and how the atmosphere of a school is now forever changed, and how nowadays any parent, any where, has that small but nagging worry when dropping his/her child off at school, the truth is almost too hard to bear.

As you probably have heard, a Columbine-obsessed woman shut down Denver schools yesterday. And, honestly, it was real real hard taking my little boy in to school today. And real hard deciding how much I wanted to tell him about why the schools are closed. So I asked him, “So, you’ve had lockdown drills at school? What are those like?” And he started to rattle off the different drills and what to do-- a robber comes into the school and the kids get under their desks. If a dangerous creature is outside, the school goes into lockdown and if there are two teachers, one goes to guard each door (our first line of fire-- mostly young women), if they’re outside and a person comes with weapons, they run inside…
So I just told him what was up. Why school was cancelled, all of it. But it really broke my heart to do so. When I was in Kindergarden, my biggest worry was getting a bloody nose.

But I think it’s time we really, really did face this horror reality we’ve created and find a way to confront the issue.

I have some ideas and they really involve the WHOLE community, whether a person is a parent or not, we all have something to offer each other. But I’d really like to hear ideas from you all. I’m so emotionally spent from writing this that I might not be so active in this thread for a while (considering it gets any attention).

Sorry for the very bleak thread. BUT it doesn't have to be bleak if we can start making some real changes in our community.

We should reverse the Smith-Mundt Act.

Too many questions with all these shootings.

Columbine was a covert op. If we were serious about stopping school shootings we would take the CIA and splinter it into a thousand pieces.

a reply to: zosimov


I can imagine it's been particularly awful all things considered.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Thanks my friend. Yeah.

a reply to: Mandroid7

People love propaganda. If they don't get it from CNN or FOX, they'll get it from Alex Jones, etc.

But yeah. I'm with you that the DOS's use of "public dipomacy" is a crime.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

On second thought, this may have been the worst place to bring this type of discussion (facepalm).

I've had great discussions about community issues here before and am hoping to hear from some of those members. Let's wait and see!

I still think the antidepressants are a huge factor in this sort of thing.
But hey, let's blame marilyn Manson.

a reply to: Bluntone22

I really think you might be right about that. The correlation is creepy, as is some of the testimony from people who started having suicidal/homicidal thoughts after taking certain drugs.

There's always the Catch 22-- people who are suicidal/homicidal might be more likely to be prescribed the drugs. It's so hard to say which came first in many of these cases.

I am much more for treating mental health issues (or attention/behavioral especially) naturally than for using any kind of medication on kids.

America could start by not being like Pandora and having "billions of guns", it is a society deeply obsessed with guns in all forms. It leads to people with mental issues having access to firearms, it leads to twitchy finger policing. I know full well I will be labeled some leftist gun thief, but IMO which is all these lines represent, guns and humans are not a mix for a productive society, if someone feels hard done by they grab a gun and try to rectify the situation as they see fit.

There will always be crime, having guns has never stopped crime equally not having guns does not stop crime, but not having them stops innocent people of all ages, race and gender being gunned down at school.

The last school shooting in the UK was in 1996, we moved to ban firearms, that was 23 years ago, no more innocent school children killed or innocent teachers. Have I missed having a gun.....no, no I have not, I have lived both sides of this law and can honestly say it has not made a difference to my ability to feel safe.

During the last 23 years I dredd to think what the total number of people murdered by guns in the US stands at.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
I still think the antidepressants are a huge factor in this sort of thing.
But hey, let's blame marilyn Manson.

I was talking about this earlier.

I remember he was interviewed and asked what he would have said to them.

He said nothing. I would have listened to them.

a reply to: TinySickTears

He makes an excellent point.

I think the whole community has been frustrated in the approach/response. The media went through the gamut to try to make sense of something that really was just senseless. They really did push this tragedy to the max.

a reply to: zosimov

You know how politicians and news media thinks.

Dont let's a tragedy go to waste.

a reply to: UpIsNowDown

Funny you used the term "Pandora," becaue this is a Pandora's Box of an issue you're opening.

I tend to kind of agree with you-- I am certain that, with less guns, we would have less gun deaths.
If I live in a place that houses many and multiple kinds of poisonous spiders, then my chances of getting a spider bite go up.

I go by the concept of Chekhov's Gun (which is literary advice but I think can be applied to life)

‘If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don’t put it there.’

I don't want a gun ever fired in my home so I won't put one there.

However, I FULLY support the right of all my friends I know who own guns, respect their choice to own such a tool (yes a tool, especially for my Alaskan friend who hunts most of her meat), and have seen how responsible gun owners store and handle their weapons.
I wouldn't ever want to disarm. I just wish people were waaaay less cavalier with their weapons. I feel the same way about the drivers here (with their deadly vehicles).

originally posted by: starviego
Columbine was a covert op. If we were serious about stopping school shootings we would take the CIA and splinter it into a thousand pieces.

Got any documentary links or web pages detailing this?

originally posted by: TheGreatWork
Got any documentary links or web pages detailing this?

You bet:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: starviego

I can tell you for a fact, that I know beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Columbine was an actal, real, tragic event.

I'm not claiming it was faked. But there were definitely more involved than they said.

a reply to: zosimov

You were there. Of course, you can.

I can't imagine what it's like on an anniversary this disturbing on a personal level.

a reply to: starviego

You don't have to believe me, but I can tell you I know that's not true.