Friday, October 12, 2007

School Shootings: Columbine, Virginia Tech, Ohio, and The Mom Who Bought Her Son a Rifle

The news on CNN this morning about a mom who bought her son a rifle on a gun show infuriates me to no end! Turn out, this lad was planning a Columbine type school shooting - good thing it was discovered earlier and was avoided. A mom buying her son a gun - what the heck?

Yesterday, all day, I was thinking about the recent school shooting that happened on Ohio. I was thinking about the lad... I was wondering what has gone wrong. I was wonderful if there was something that could have done to help him turn around his ways. Could someone just have shown some compassion to him, maybe he wouldn't have snapped? Also, I was also wondering where he got the gun he used...

And then this morning I saw that news - something is definitely wrong in that picture! Has that mom not learned from all the school shootings that happened before?

Yesterday, while thinking about the Ohio shooting, I can't help but think how our society is really contributing a lot to this "school shooting tragedies". One example is the kind of violent video games easily accessible nowadays. Have you seen those? Whenever I bring my kids to Fun Factory (arcade), I cringe at the sight of the violent video games being played by young boys there. I mean, in the video they are shooting "real people" (as opposed to aliens robots, etc.), shooting their heads off, with blood spurting all over the place (of course in picture/video only, but still...). And that's just the Fun Factory - how much more the game they play in their private room? I tell you, those violent video games are part culprit of these school shootings. My theory is that those young men who did the shooting played these kind of violent video games a lot. And probably watched a lot of the violent movies nowadays. Don't get me started on "violent movies" - ugh! - I hate them. I wish a research study would be conducted on this to prove my theory.

And the sad part is many of this young men had at one point or another posted something on the internet about them, their thoughts... as if it's a plea for help.

Could anyone have reached out to him and helped him? I mean, in one of the articles I read it was mentioned that he said "one of these days, he might snap". OH, my heart breaks thinking that he really was reaching out but no one is available to help him...

All these brings me back to thinking about my kids... teaching them to be resilient during tough times, no to give up hope, not to be angry, but to always trust God is difficult circumstances even if t seems that no one is available to help...

Oh my heart just breaks for those "kids" who did the shooting. What have we learned? How could have been of help? ...

UPDATE: Ihad found an interesting article on "Experts Ponders on Campus Shootings". HERE here to read.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I must say that with all the school shootings out there, there has to be the bigger picture looked at. I blame the parents that ignored all the signs, wether it's pictures on the wall, what they're wearing, what thy're saying. If the parents were more involved, maybe they could have stopped the shooting. I have purchase my kids the bulletproof backpacks, My Child's Pack. At least they will have something to protect themselves.

Granny said...

From today's news, it sounds as if the child had received help or at least medication. The problems had been ongoing but because no one thing stood out, nobody connected the dots.

So many teens go through "stages", they say it's hard to know which one out of millions will decide some morning to shoot up a school and then themselves.

It's tragic.

And I agree about the fake violence they're exposed to. I think they become numb to the point that the real thing no longer seems real.

It's up to parents to pay attention and draw lines.

Kristen said...

I'm with you! My kids get made fun of by their friends because they can't play first person shooter games. But, I just won't allow it.

Last night my husband went to see The Kingdom. A couple there had about a 4 year old girl with them. It really affected me. Made me upset for the little girl.