Rodja
Board Sponsor
In case some of you missed it (like I did), a 19 year-old went into a mall in Omaha and killed 8 people. It is the classic story of lost soul unleashing his angst on random, unfortunate people.
This is where I get on my soapbox:
I have never been known as a philanthropist, nor do I expect to be. However, i am somewhat sympathetic to people in this situation. I do not condone his actions, but I can relate to his aimlessness and disillusionment. Hell, after Columbine, there where some at my HS that thought that I might soon imitate their actions, but that is another story. I think what gets lost in the shuffle is the root of the problem: a lack of a support structure within most US households. I remember the fallout form Columbine and, though the media tried to moronically blame Doom and Marilyn Manson for what happened, many were not surprised because of the lack of interest, or care, that many parents displayed. Add that to the constant ridicule from their peers and it is very easy to see how someone can snap.
I think I can make the generalization that everyone have teased or insulted someone at some point and many do it frequently. I am guilty of this and I have also been on the receiving end on many occasions as well. After years of this, coupled with the confusion and chaos, it leads to really bad things. Some people can discard these comments, but others lack this ability. Basically, what I am getting at is that teasing and insulting people has few, if any, positive effects. It has become a huge part of our society, which I hypothesize, has lead rise to the rise of these incidents. I am writing this as a plea to everyone to do their part to either help someone who feels lost and alone or to not insult or alienate someone based on their ethnicity, clique, etc.
This is where I get on my soapbox:
I have never been known as a philanthropist, nor do I expect to be. However, i am somewhat sympathetic to people in this situation. I do not condone his actions, but I can relate to his aimlessness and disillusionment. Hell, after Columbine, there where some at my HS that thought that I might soon imitate their actions, but that is another story. I think what gets lost in the shuffle is the root of the problem: a lack of a support structure within most US households. I remember the fallout form Columbine and, though the media tried to moronically blame Doom and Marilyn Manson for what happened, many were not surprised because of the lack of interest, or care, that many parents displayed. Add that to the constant ridicule from their peers and it is very easy to see how someone can snap.
I think I can make the generalization that everyone have teased or insulted someone at some point and many do it frequently. I am guilty of this and I have also been on the receiving end on many occasions as well. After years of this, coupled with the confusion and chaos, it leads to really bad things. Some people can discard these comments, but others lack this ability. Basically, what I am getting at is that teasing and insulting people has few, if any, positive effects. It has become a huge part of our society, which I hypothesize, has lead rise to the rise of these incidents. I am writing this as a plea to everyone to do their part to either help someone who feels lost and alone or to not insult or alienate someone based on their ethnicity, clique, etc.
