Was watching a documentary (called'Countdown')on the discovery channel, based on the Columbine School Shootout (1999). Watching this documentary has change the way I will see another news on a shoot out - forever. No. It really hasnt changed- its only given my fellings more depth and definition. Before, my reaction to such news was dominated by shock and disgust. Now I guess it would have sympathy and fear added in the list. I, from being a third party viewer, who holds no stake in that event ,started put my selves in the shoes of the victim,thanks to this documentary.
13, 15-17 year olds shot dead , 23 injured and serveral more lives changed forever by this heinious incident .All of this done by two boys- an 18 yr old and a 17 yr old (they shot them selves after commiting the crime) .They had been planning the attack for a long time. Stocking up a lot of rage in themselves. They were armed to the teeth! How could arms be so damn accessible ? And that too, to high school kids? As accessible as candy? These boys had hidden their creations & collections in their very own homes, where they lived with their parents ! How could it go unnoticed?!!! These boys have had serious problems with depression. They had been on Anger Management Programs- which obviously hadnt helped. They were highly suicidal and homicidal. They simply walked through the school shooting at anyone who met their sight. It might sound a lil odd- but i feel sorry to think of how two tender minds can grow up to be so distorted? So twisted in some pain that, they turned numb to others' ?!! How come parents and the doctors didnt take stock of the situation- they would have seen some sign ?
What has prompted me to write this entry , is the last statement in this documentary. Somthing to this effect -" This incident has prompted the strengthening of arms-control laws. The debate continues". THE DEBATE CONTINUES?!!! THERE IS A DEBATE?!! A DEBATE has two sides. somebody tell me, Whats the other side of this issue?! Dont tell me there are parents who think - 'How can my son go to school without a gun?!' This is absolutely absurd and outrageous! It definitely reflects on the lack of social responsibility by the a55h01e5 who have turned this into a debate. In my opinion- these people are the actual culprits and not the two boys - cos its this same attitude that has contributed to the scary metamorphosis of these boys into the monstors they will be remembered as .
India is begining to see its share of disturbing behaviours amoung youngsters. To remind you of some- the school boy who misused the camera in his mobile to capture pornographic images ... school and college students from financially stable backgrounds entering prostitution. Perhaps not attrocious as the massacre... but we need to see this as a sign of a changin season in our social(and moral) make up- tiny signs before the mighty storm. Today , India is a fast growing nation. It is bound to face the same problems that come with the upgrade , like many other nations have , before us. We have to observe, understand and learn from what we- as the human civilisation- have already experianced in other nations. There should be people who observe and study the changes in different stratas of the society, recognise relations and detect causes for similar distubances. See how they could have been avoided. Design methods that can help all of us grow as a part of a healthy society. We all have a responsibility towards each other. There were umpteen times and ways these boys could have been stopped- parents , teachers, students, police, doctors, etc. But they werent... fate had thought the other way around . Perhaps it was some kind of social alarm that went off , with the purpose of grabing our attention. In this particular case , a min-to-min reconstruction is possible because of the school security cameras.But , had you seen the documentary, you will have to agree that, what adds tremendously to our understanding of the deranged minds of the perpetrators are the home videos they themselves had left behind- that gives some closure to our disbelief in the possiblity that there could be people who think like this. Fueled by a passion to kill people- with or without reason. It would send a chill down your spine. The Indian society that is conservative by nature seems to be growing tolerant to a lot of changes that might facilitate and influence the development of dysfunctional citizens. Its time for all of us- Indian or not- to pay attention to the social changes around us and play our part to help guide our lifes to a better , healthier fullfillment , and on the whole, the societies . We make the society- dont we?
(Please forgive the profanity.)
HERE ARE LINKS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE MASSACRE:
General Information 1
A look into their psych
General info 2
