I am curious; if it is at all possible to analyze the violence that has occurred in schools across the nation. The truth being that the only reasons for such dissection is to assign culpability. And such assignations are really only a collective way for society to stroke itself and try to ferret out some feel good from the sad situation.
One of the first places to start is the knee-jerk blame of "guns". Well, I don't believe that and won't buy into it. Another convenient place to start is with the popular culture. But this culture of violence is and has been part of the American society for my entire life. There are many examples of it and perhaps at some other time we can debate its prevalence. Right now though, suffice it to say, it is us. Maybe it was the group pressure to be cool that set these people off. Or maybe even the sad attitude of dissing that led them to their ends. Dissing is the correct term; for our white non-hip readers "dissing" is the short form of disrespecting. But I was always taught that in order to get respect you had to give respect. It is not guaranteed under the Constitution.
Is it then the parents fault? Someone must be at fault, these things just don't happen. Well, they do just happen. However, the imprecise science of psychology does point to the early years of a persons' life as being both vague and pivotal in the individuals mental health. But can we or should we pick through the forensic evidence of a two year olds life's experiences to try and come to terms with their inability to deal with the pathetic pressures of adolescence? What would be the point other than to make ourselves feel better and give a false belief that we have done something to make the situation right.
I often hear that kids today have it tougher than we did. That's another thing that I don't believe. We were taught to deal with our disappointments and to stand tall in the face of adversity. Somebody doesn't like me, Boo-Hoo. Life is tough, it is full of disappointment and cruel jokes. But altering the old saying of "sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words will kill you" is really a sad interpretation.
There is one other thing that I want to state. That has to do with the WIENNY-FICATION of our country. I hate to sound old, but in my youth, when we had a gripe or someone "dissed" us we stood and fought them, fists, chains, clubs and occasionally knives. But there was none of this WIENNY drive-by shooting. We at least had the back bone to standup and take what we gave. It didn't make what we did right; but we didn't run away from what we did before we did it. And ultimately that's what the two little cowards in Colorado did. I would guess it is not the first time that they skipped away from responsibility for their actions. But this time was the last.