MC,

I concur 100 percent. I think we all remember Columbine, right? Those kids killed because of violent video games and music like KMFDM, right? That was the message I got.

But I've got to take a moment here and plug Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine." The movie's a bit slow at times, but the message is phenomenal. Understand that this is a Michael Moore movie, so it's documentary - but with a preconcieved notion. Moore points out that the last thing the kids from Columbine did before their rampage was go bowling ... so why didn't anyone blame bowling?

Side note: Speaking of bowling, congratulations to a former classmate of mine, Liz Johnson for her great bowling accomplishments over the weekend.

Back to my point ... I wore almost nothing but black throughout high school. And I listened to all sorts of dark music like Metallica, Gwar and KMFDM (same as the boys from Columbine) and whaddya know, I turned out fine. I also listened to gangsta rap like NWA and I'm not a thug either. Gee - maybe it's not the music.

People just want to jump to conclusions about things very quickly given their preconceptions instead of looking for the real problems behind these tragedies.

Even if his grandfather had kept the guns locked or unloaded or used a triggerlock, there are still plenty of ways the boy could have gotten to them. I'm sure the boy knew exactly where his grandfather kept such a key if he had one. Every law enforcement official is required to have a gun. Most of them bring them home with them because they can be called while off-duty. Different guns have different purposes. Some are for shooting game, some are designed to kill as many people as possible.

It sounds like this child was just sick of others at school picking on him. He lives in one of the poorest areas of the state. That Indian reservation has 40% of the population living below the poverty line. So, in this particular instance, I do not think there was anything the parents/grandparents could have done regarding the guns. The child was determined, hurt, and upset at his school and classmates. He was sad that people judged him based on what he wore instead of who he was. Maybe people ignored his pleas for help?

Now, I don't in any way condone what he did, but I don't think the blame lies on America and how we handle guns entirely either. It certainly makes a case for the use of tazers, which I support.

Timeline

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Originally posted by: alwayswatching
"These acts of violence usually can be traced back to bullies. I don't understand why this society so often looks the other way. We as adults should be setting the ultimate example, instead we often encourage this behavior. Before you all start defending yourself hear me out. How many blond, light bulb, religion, gay jokes have you passed on. I know I'm guilty. Now look at if from a childs point of view. They have no idea where that magic line is that you shouldn't cross. How many times have you heard kids say really nasty things to each other? We tend to look the other way and say thats what kids do. The problem comes when no one corrects these kids, they think that it is ok. I do have to say that I'm sure many more factors are at play with this kid. It is just not normal to act out your anger this way. This whole community will suffer for this one childs choice. "

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