Thought for the day

April 20, 1999

Today we are brought news of yet another school-yard massacre, this time in Colorado. The details are still sketchy but it appears that two social outcasts decided that their lives had reached a point so miserable that death was more desirable than life. However, these two also decided that it wouldn't be fair for them to die while the many students who made their lives hell-on-earth continued living.

I'm not approving of what they did, it's hideous. But sadly there were times when I was a teenager being attacked and bothered that I thought how much better my life would be if my tormentors were dead. My problem was, I couldn't figure out a way to get rid of them without ruining my own life. And I saw the future as worth living for (I was right about that!). And I thought the best revenge would be to do well. After all, I had my whole life ahead of me while the morons who hassled me had already reached the high-points of their lives. All most of them had to look forward to was a lifetime of boring their coworkers at the car dealership about how they made that "crucial" play during the "big-game" in High School. (Nowadays we'd call them "Al Bundy's").

Could the school have prevented this? Maybe, but not with guards and metal detectors. The misfits were obviously prepared and would have easily killed any rent-a-cops or doughnut-gulping school police. The solution was to break the cycle of never-ending torment and daily harassment that these boys were subjected to. Teachers and administrators must be acutely aware of the verbal and physical attacks. Both attacker and victim may need help, hopefully before the point of no return.

So hey there Joe Football and Tiffany Cheerleader, step back and consider this the next time you think about pushing that geek down the stairs or ganging up on the dorky girl in the back by the terrarium, someday that single action could determine whether you live or die.  Even if you are not the one who pushes him/her/them over the edge, they still might be standing in the library or cafeteria with a shotgun aimed at your head, knowing that their own life is almost over and it makes no difference if they let you live or die. Were you friendly? Did you say hello to them in the halls? Did you make fun of their clothes? What have you ever done to balance the scales? Why should they let you live when they are about to die? Think about it.... or risk developing terminal "lead poisoning."

(I bet you thought this would just be another left-wing, antigun rant)