Shoot Thy Schoolmate

US School Shootings Incidents
April 2003: Teenager shoots dead headteacher, then kills himself, at Pennsylvania school
April 1999: Two teenagers shoot dead 12 pupils and a teacher, then kill themselves at Columbine School, Colorado
May 1998: Fifteen-year-old shoots dead two pupils in a school cafeteria in Oregon
March 1998: Two boys, aged 11 and 13, kill four girls and a teacher in Arkansas
October 1997: Teenager stabs mother, then shoots dead two pupils at a school in Mississippi

And now this — a Minnesota school boy killed 9 people, including five students and his grandparents before killing himself. No, this didn’t happen in an urbanized region with crime and sprawl to blame but rather in a remote Native American reservation. The motives remain unknown. But what prompts American kids to shoot down their school mates? Michael Moore blames the ease of availability of guns in America in his superb documentary, Bowling for Columbine (which I consider better than Fahrenheit 9/11). I think I will agree, because frankly I don’t see any other logical reason. The shootings have happened all across the country without a pattern; red and blue states, low income and middle income neighborhoods alike.

It has to be the guns. The question remains, is the government interested in dealing with real issues or will take the moral high road on inane issues?

Update: It seems that teen who went nuts at Redlake, MN blogged at Livejournal.

“Shoot Thy Schoolmate” [Short URL: http://www.ipatrix.com/?p=582] was published Wednesday, March 23rd, 2005 at 9:00 am by Patrix, filed under Current Affairs. Both comments and linkbacks are closed.

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http://www.parablog.com/ Parag
There is no time for the government to think about this. They are busy passing laws to overturn State courts’ decisions, playing populist politics and pandering to vote banks. Wait.. am I talking about Indian government or US? I am losing track… fast.
http://ragzzmatazz.rediffblogs.com Moi
One thing that most people including Moore forget that these are children, Not hardened criminals. The fact that they pick up a gun ( easyily or not easily available) and without any fear or sense of remorse or innocence shoot others, reflects on the parents and society at large. Perhaps towards the lack of parenting and proper social structure. Lack of respect being enforced as a way of life. When you can call your teacher by his first name and act like he is doing you a favour by teaching, you are more prone to be able to shoot him. Bowling for Columbine was a spectacular docmentary, better than Farenheit 911, but I thought it missed on this one key aspect… which I am sure the parents of those kids must ask themselves everday “Where did I fail as a parent ?”
http://ashujo.blogspot.com Ashutosh
I never understood what carrying military or police style guns has anything to do with ‘constitutional rights’…If I really want to defend myself, I would use a stun gun or at most an air gun; even I would not want to actually kill a thief (unless it is a life-and-death situation)
http://ashujo.blogspot.com Ashutosh
I agree with Moi. The social structure here seems to make the venting of anger towards elders much more easy and vicious than elsewhere.
http://ipatrix.com Patrix
Parag – Don’t worry. Can’t blame you, politics knows no boundaries.
Moi – Beautifully put. Raising a kid begins at home. Duh! right? But the government doesn’t think so. The easy availability of guns just gives horrific consequences to a kid’s tantrums. We have distressed kids in India too but we don’t see them shooting each other or their teachers; but we don’t have sex with them either.
Ashutosh – The little cartoon thingie in Bowling for Columbine was a great commentary on the need to bear arms. These gun advocates still believe they live in the wild west.

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Shoot Thy Schoolmate

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