Perhaps There Isn't An Answer

Scapegoat fallacy.

     When tragedy occurs, people try to find scapegoats. When tragedy occurs, people try to find answers. When tragedy occurs, society as a whole suffers for various redundant reasons. The faculty may try to protect the school, but security measures fall through.

     There was a time when I thought I understood why horrible events happen at schools. That was up until the shootings at Sandy Hook. I sincerely believe that a lack of education causes history to repeat itself. When shootings happen, I notice that people will make statements about the situation that are ignorant or missing details.

     •The first school shooting in America was in the 1979.

     I never knew school shootings existed until after I graduated in 1996. The shootings at Columbine happened after I graduated. Columbine was the most shocking school shooting in American history. Many documentaries were made after the shooting. This made an impact on the entire country.

    People were blaming movies and music. People were blaming Marilyn Manson. I was working at a movie theater when Columbine happened. I remember the rating system became more strict and I had to card every single person who wanted to see an R-rated movie. Children could not go to an R-rated movie alone. The parent was required to attend the movie with the children. This sparked outrage from the parents who did not want to go to the movie with their children.  What? Spend quality time with their children? Does anyone see where society is going wrong?

     Nobody was blaming literature that I noticed. Stephen King wrote a story about a student who when on a violent rampage at school and took a class hostage. This was published in the 70's. This was around the same time a girl opened fire on an elementary school that was across the street from her home. I never heard the name King mentioned. They blamed violent movies. She blamed it on Monday's.

     It makes me wonder what people did to teenagers at that time. After Columbine, teenagers were on the radar. A student got expelled for coloring their hair a shocking color. A student was expelled for wearing a kilt to school. A student was expelled for wearing an offensive shirt. Students were especially in trouble if they whispered a word of violence. Any type of violence, a student was in trouble.

     •Stephen King's Rage was published in 1977 and removed sometime during 2000's.

     At the present time, I cannot research when King removed the story from the shelf. This was done before the Sandy Hook shooting's, contrary to what most people think.

     I read a story about a student who obessessed over the story Rage. King had since removed the book from the shelf from what I could understand.

     • Adam Lanza had a mental problem.

     Just when people think they have the answer, Lanza proved that there really is not an answer. Before people were blaming violent books, games, movies, and music. Now, we are blaming mental stability and guns. People are labeling children when we do not really know if something is wrong with him or her.

     To start off, I was labelled as "Severly and Mentally Disturbed." Is that a real diagnosis? I do not believe it is. While other children were being diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder, autism, depression, and bi-polar disoder, I was labelled with a title that was not real.

     If Adam shot up a school because he had a mental disability, what does that make me? Yes, I had imaginary friends. Yes, I obsess about celebrities. Do I possess violent behaviour? No, not really. I was made to believe that I did and I did act out aggressively. Toward other students? No, they were acting aggressively toward me.

     Gun control isn't the answer. I believe that teaching people to be responsible gun owners would help. Sandy Hook brought out the irresponsible gun owners. More toddlers have shot their siblings and parents on accident. Guess what? People have been accidently shot at gun shows since Sandy Hook. Obviously, we need laws to empliment responsible gun ownership. Way to go!

     The reason why gun control will not work is because people steal guns. Lanza stole the guns from his mother. My stepbrother stole guns. My stepsister's ex-boyfriend stole guns.

     People are freaking out and saying that their guns will be taken away. Because of all the reports of accidental shootings, they should be. That is not what the gun regulations are about.

     •Ignorance about school shootings.

     I watched footage of the film the Columbine shooters made. The UK made a documantary that has the footage in it. The boys were being pushed around. I recall a conversation where I made this point. The individual stated that it was the other way around, the shooters bullied everyone else.

     Perhaps there is not an answer because the information about Eric and Dylan changes all of the time. One story says they are bullied. Another story stated that they were not outcasts. They were popular, but were loud when they were angry?

     I do not believe that it is justified to act out in violence. It is easy for me to feel sympathy for the victims as well as the shooters. I was bullied. I was bullied by teachers and students. I wanted to bring a gun to school. I never did because I know that was the result the teachers wanted. Not to mention that I was in special education and placed on medication. I watch violent and offensive movies. I listen to offensive music. I have not made the same decisions that everyone else had made.

     Perhaps we need to look toward ourselves for the answers. Perhaps this is the time of reflection. We cannot look to the future; we must look to the past. History repeats itself.