Columbine 7 years later
April 20th 1999 – I can remember the day like it was yesterday. I was running cable in a new building when I heard over the local radio station that some high school had just been shot up. I thought to myself, “It’s probably East or GW – one of those tough inner city schools.” Then like a thunderclap I froze at the word – “Columbine”
Columbine was my school. A school the invoked good memories of days gone by. What had happened to it in 8 years since I left? Well I don’t believe it’s those lame reasons the TV media tried to sell me: video games, loud music, violent TV. All that is bunk – I played plenty of Doom in my days, I listened to Metallica and Ozzie and thought Pulp Fiction was a pretty good movie – but, never did the thought of shooting anyone ever cross my mind.
My reason for Columbine is a lot simpler. On April 20th 1999 two kids chose to be evil. It’s simple when you believe in absolutes: good and evil, right and wrong. But, in today’s post-modern times when people struggle to believe that anything is true my explanation makes no sense. These post-modern believers think there are no absolute truths – what is true for you may not be true for me, they say. Good and evil, just relative terms.
My friends, you can call me old fashioned, out of touch, whatever, but I believe in absolutes and on that day we saw evil.
April 20th, 2006 at 1:48 pm
Hello
Wow! You went to that school? A friend of mines brother lives around there somewhere, but not sure where. I think in Littleton?
I completely agree that music, video games and movies had no impact on this event. It was obviously the insane acts of individuals not the result of whatever form of entertainment the media uses as an excuse.
Bad parenting is the most likely culprit.
April 20th, 2006 at 10:01 pm
Yep – I saw a show the other day about people who watch movies and then copy the crimes committed in them and such. I agree with the experts who were interviewed – violence on screen (and by extension . . . games and such) can certainly be a trigger, but it does not create killers. At some base level, the perpetrator has to decide and move forward with whatever they decide to do . . . be it normal, societally integrated life – or violence.
Nice post – it was a sad day no matter where you went to HS. I remember hearing about it and realizing that my world had just shrunk a bit.
Ben O.
April 20th, 2006 at 10:12 pm
No, it couldn’t be that they chose evil. Evil is so judgmental. It was their parents not boosting their self-esteem. And their school not providing sufficient counseling to give them purpose. It was the video games and heavy metal. It was the gun manufacturers. It was the blatent lack of security at the school.
BS. It was them. Not their chemical balance. Not their school. Not their parents. Not their environment. Not their music. Not their entertainment. It was them. They knew what they were doing.
Have you ever noticed that people who scoff at absolutes still look both ways before crossing the street?
April 21st, 2006 at 8:43 am
I have two close friends who are two of the greatest people I have ever met, despite the huge failures their parents are. They rose above it. I know that there are some people that have been dealt a rough hand in life, but I share the same sentiments as Steve – at some point you have to cut through all the crap and say – some people choose to be good and some choose to be evil.
Ben, I graduated from Columbine in 1991 and live in Littleton. I love Colorado!
April 21st, 2006 at 2:07 pm
god bless columbine
April 22nd, 2006 at 11:06 am
Wow, that’s amazing that 7 years have gone by already. I agree with your post. It’s stupid to blame video games or lack of self esteem.