Remembering Columbine
Ten years ago today, America reeled at the news of a massacre at Columbine High School. Much has been written since then about the issue of school violence and the best ways to prevent it. Here are a few articles on the topic that I think make for worthwhile reading a decade later:
- Why Teenagers Turn to Violence is a good overview of the many different responses to the oft-repeated question of “How could this happen?”
- Michael Spencer has an insightful post about the “Christian myths” that sprang up in the wake of Columbine, and challenging us to be more honest and careful before co-opting tragedies to fit a “culture war” narrative.
- Ron Hutchcraft has written a moving devotional encouraging us all to be aware of and reach out to the “outsiders” all around us—people who, for whatever reason, don’t fit in and are in desperate need of real human relationships.
Hopefully America and the world have learned from this tragedy. Hopefully we won’t be so quick to point the blame at the wrong thing.
The media also need to be reserved and just report, and not make false statements.
High school is not a fun or easy place to be, but there are better ways to solve your problem. Kids and people in general have access to guns, alcohol and drugs, which all seem like a good solution to any problems they are facing. But these things are only a bandage, and the original problem will still remain, wont they sober up.
A wise man once said, “There are only 2 choices in life, whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrages fortune. Or, to take up arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them.