The Turning Point In American High Schools
When I was a sophomore in high school, an event occurred that redefined high school for many people my age. In late April of 1999 in Littleton, Colorado, two teenage boys changed the world. They entered their high school carrying some serious weaponry and started firing.
They stormed into the cafeteria, where a cousin of mine was eating lunch with his friends. As Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris fired into the crowd, moving through the school, he was able to escape the school, taking other people with him to find safety.
After this tragedy, security in American high schools changed. There were metal detectors, school bags searched, and the worst was the witch hunt. The students were told to inform teachers of anyone they thought might be capable of inflicting that kind of carnage. Anyone who wore all black, listened to certain music, or wore trench coats were suspects. There was a full-time police presence at most high schools.
Part of the witch hunt included celebrities, music, TV shows, and movies. The most commonly blamed was the shock rocker Marilyn Manson. He wrote a very famous response as a column in The Rolling Stone. It was a very intelligent article examining the history of violence in American culture, and it's portrayal by the media. Even if you're not a fan, it's worth a read.
As more and more school shootings occur, and as they grow increasingly clustered together, I think of my cousin and my heart hurts that humans hurt each other so much. I was broken by someone who said he loved me, someone who should have protected me from harm. Why do we resort to violence? Why does it seems to be a necessary part of human existence?
I don't understand, and I don't think I ever will. And I don't think that's a bad thing.
They stormed into the cafeteria, where a cousin of mine was eating lunch with his friends. As Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris fired into the crowd, moving through the school, he was able to escape the school, taking other people with him to find safety.
After this tragedy, security in American high schools changed. There were metal detectors, school bags searched, and the worst was the witch hunt. The students were told to inform teachers of anyone they thought might be capable of inflicting that kind of carnage. Anyone who wore all black, listened to certain music, or wore trench coats were suspects. There was a full-time police presence at most high schools.
Part of the witch hunt included celebrities, music, TV shows, and movies. The most commonly blamed was the shock rocker Marilyn Manson. He wrote a very famous response as a column in The Rolling Stone. It was a very intelligent article examining the history of violence in American culture, and it's portrayal by the media. Even if you're not a fan, it's worth a read.
As more and more school shootings occur, and as they grow increasingly clustered together, I think of my cousin and my heart hurts that humans hurt each other so much. I was broken by someone who said he loved me, someone who should have protected me from harm. Why do we resort to violence? Why does it seems to be a necessary part of human existence?
I don't understand, and I don't think I ever will. And I don't think that's a bad thing.
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