Columbine massacre - High school shootings

[KiaKaha]

I am in no way condoning the actions of high school shooters, or murdering innocent people, but...

Can anyone at least understand where people who perform these heinous crimes are coming from? I mean obviously one would have to be severely mentally unstable, but mixed with constant bullying and continuous blows to self esteem, one must be able to imagine why these people do these things.

I mean, if someone who is born into an environment where they are nurtured, encouraged and accepted by all as they are growing up, those people in my opinion would have a better and happier life. Whereas those, who, for whatever reason are constantly picked on, abused and rejected by their peers will harbor resentment....

and we all know resentment mixed with a violent/volatile mind is a dangerous concoction.

What I am trying to get at is this....is the reason behind shooting massacres a result of how people are treated? Is resentment the cause of such tragedy? and.... Is it possible to understand at least partially the motivation behind such actions?

I am sorry if this offends anyone...that not my intention. I am simply curious...

 

[Danfalc]

I don't think your being offensive.I think you bring up a good point.While you can not condone these sorts of events..I think too often people fail to see what drove the people to do them in the first place.

Some of the bullying which go's on is life destroying and the damage it can do is well known,so it's not surprising some people snap in this way sadly :: I think too often they blame the video games these kids were playing and assassinate their character and don't pay enough attention to situations which caused it to happen in the first place.

Sorry I'f I'm rambling and not making much sense.I have suffered abuse from my parents as a child and a little bullying at school,so I can relate a little to someone who has enough at one point.

 

[fitftw]

It's not videogames fault. It's the parents fault partially, and the kids had issues that went un-treated.

I was bullied throughout school up until college when I got pretty buff and stopped dressing like a punk/goth kid. I know how it feels. I've thought of doing some crazy stuff. I was arrested when I was 15 for terroristic threats at school. We had to end up moving to another town because nobody in that town felt safe with me there anymore.

 

[LookingForward]

I've suffered **** most of my life but there is no way I would take anothers life. I think that kind action is either in you or it is not. I guess in some way I could understand the hell their heads were in, but I could never understand someone who could think that, that is the right way to solve their issues...

 

[mrb]

I've suffered **** most of my life but there is no way I would take anothers life. I think that kind action is either in you or it is not. I guess in some way I could understand the hell their heads were in, but I could never understand someone who could think that, that is the right way to solve their issues...

i agree with this .......

 

[Jake123]

In middle school everyone thought I was gonna shoot up the school, lol. I was actually suspended once because the principal heard the rumors and thought I was gonna go Columbine on his ass

 

[LookingForward]

I was actually suspended once because the principal heard the rumors and thought I was gonna go Columbine on his ass

I know it shouldn't happen on this thread but, Jake, u just cracked me up, nearly fell off the couch laughing... you're funny dude...

 

[DekKO]

That's why I treat everyone nicely. There really is no reason to make fun of someone though it shouldn't escalate into killing somebody.

 

[KiaKaha]

I've suffered **** most of my life but there is no way I would take anothers life. I think that kind action is either in you or it is not. I guess in some way I could understand the hell their heads were in, but I could never understand someone who could think that, that is the right way to solve their issues...

Absolutely... I cant even begin to imagine what was going on in their heads. Its a shame..because I believe that the overlooked and the forgotten deserve the most attention. Perhaps if someone had the insight to understand what they were feeling, and with treatment... it all could of been avoided....but then again...some people are always going to fall through the cracks and be left behind...

but as an afterthought....some people, are just beyond all hope and are lost causes. Some people just want to see the world burn

 

[agoraphobickatie]

i don't know... but i'm always super interested in stuff like this.. columbine, jonestown massacre, natural disasters, etc etc...

anyway, bullying and whatnot is definitely sh!tty.. it can lead to suicide and mass murders like columbine... however, it happens everywhere, it's just up to the people to decide how they handle it... some people, with mental disorders or extreme anger issues, like to get guns and shoot up the school.. the whole 'pleading insanity' thing is a crock of sh!t to me. a killer is a killer is a criminal. you can't fix insanity, not like that anyway..

 

[guessed]

ShyKiwi,

Thankyou for bringing up this topic. I agree, and I've felt that way from the very beginning.

Ironically Marilyn Manson, who was partially blamed for this incident, gave one of the best responses I've ever heard.

When asked what he'd say to the people at Columbine:

I wouldn't say a single word to them. I would listen to what they have to say, and that's what no one did.

 

[Pookah]

I'm pretty sure I read that they found out the one kid was actually a psychopath who did this on purpose for fame and the other kid was convinced to follow. Hence it had little to do with bullying or being outcasts, the kid would have become this anyway.

Cited article on wiki: On the fifth anniversary of Columbine, the FBI's lead Columbine investigator and several psychiatrists went public with their conclusions in a news article.[34] There they argued Harris was a clinical psychopath and Klebold was depressive. They believed the plan was masterminded by Harris, who they thought had a messianic-level superiority complex and hoped to illustrate his massive superiority to the world. http://www.slate.com/id/2099203/

 

[EscapeArtist]

I can understand where they come from. Though like everybody else is saying, I wouldn't have the heart to commit such an act, I feel guilty for everyday life let alone such a crime! Part of my mind chimes in and says "well... the world IS over populated" but you can't replace a heart with that sort of logic, nono.
More so than Columbine, I understand where the Unabomber was coming from. Is it horrible that I partly respect him for what he did?... Not exactly the path I would have taken to begin the destruction of society but I respect that he practically sacrificed everything to do something that he thought was important, and I respect him for desperately fighting against what was destroying his values.. Of course, you can't assume that anybody is a bad person, not the Unabomber or his victims, we all just have different values and are trying to live up to them. I respect him because followed through with his act with a reason despite revenge (although...that was part of it I believe) and because of course I can relate to the revenge he wanted and the opinions he had.

 

[Pookah]

That's interesting! I find it difficult to believe that a sociopathic kid simply convinced a depressed kid that it would be a good idea to shoot up their school. If bullying was not involved then what incentive did Harris give Klebold?

It is a typical accomplice type mentality. Why did the Manson family do Charlie Manson's dirty work?

It would have more to do with threats or promises from Harris egging Klebold on. They thought they would go down in infamy afterward. Apparently parts of their plan didn't work out thankfully.

 

[KiaKaha]

I'm pretty sure I read that they found out the one kid was actually a psychopath who did this on purpose for fame and the other kid was convinced to follow. Hence it had little to do with bullying or being outcasts, the kid would have become this anyway.

Cited article on wiki: On the fifth anniversary of Columbine, the FBI's lead Columbine investigator and several psychiatrists went public with their conclusions in a news article.[34] There they argued Harris was a clinical psychopath and Klebold was depressive. They believed the plan was masterminded by Harris, who they thought had a messianic-level superiority complex and hoped to illustrate his massive superiority to the world. At last we know why the Columbine killers did it. - By Dave Cullen - Slate Magazine

oops...my naivety is showing...

thanks for the link. Interesting read.

 

[KiaKaha]

My question is this: how did they (the media?) manage to spin this into a bullying issue?

Thats what I want to know... I feel a little bit foolish now..

 

[Pookah]

I think there was video and journal type stuff that they went through. Investigative things we didn't know about at the time it happened. So the initial media spin which was probably conjecture just ran.

 

[Emily_G]

Can anyone at least understand where people who perform these heinous crimes are coming from? I mean obviously one would have to be severely mentally unstable, but mixed with constant bullying and continuous blows to self esteem, one must be able to imagine why these people do these things.

Is it possible to understand at least partially the motivation behind such actions?

Yup, I can understand.

 

[agoraphobickatie]

I think there was video and journal type stuff that they went through. Investigative things we didn't know about at the time it happened. So the initial media spin which was probably conjecture just ran.

yeah, i read somewhere about videos and journals where he wrote crazy sh!t and plots and whatnot... i also read somewhere about them being in some kind of "black trenchcoat club" or something and their parents knew about it and brushed it off.... blah blah blah.. what's funny (except not) is that since then, not much has been done at schools about bullying, but instead, they've just tightened up on security and rules.. like no finger nail files at school! ha.. my high school had all kinds of stupid restrictions, metal detectors and random classroom/locker/car checks..