Tuesday, April 20, 2004
America Remembers
Today, April 20, 2004, is the 5th year anniversary of the Columbine massacre that shocked our country as two teenagers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered their classmates and 1 teacher out of cold-blood.
Maybe it's because I'm now in high school, or maybe because I can remember my thoughts and feelings when I first heard about this, being in 6th grade. Whatever it is, there is something about this case that will always be a significant part of my life, and I don't think I could ever forget about it. Yeah it may have been hundreds of miles away- but I guess that's just not something you forget so quickly, especially when it affects people your own age.
But today, 5 years after the horrific act, we finally have some real theories on what caused it. Up until today, I had always heard- and believed- that the shooters were part of the "Trenchcoat Mafia" and were taking revenge on the bullies and the jocks who had picked on them their whole lives. It sounds viable- but according to this article on MSN, that's not the case. If you want to read the article, I must warn you first, it has some very disturbing statements, and the picture at the top, now seen around the world, of Eric and Dylan in the cafeteria, is and has always been one of the scariest pictures I have ever seen- and I mean right up there with photo from Sept. 11.
They weren't looking for revenge. And the theory that were looking for fame as school shooters- well it's kind of true. They wanted to go down in history, all right- but as mass murderers, not teenage killers. They wanted to be known as the people who committed "the most deaths in U.S. history". They wanted to attack a symbol of American life, according to the article- in fact it could pretty much be said that they were terrorists. Little school shootings didn't impress them- they laughed at them. A much larger plot was set- propane bombs had been set in the cafeteria that would have killed 600+ people- the only reason they didn't detonate was due to faulty set-up on the wiring of the timers. After the bombs exploded, Harris and Klebold planned to gun down any survivors and kill them too. Finally, their cars, packed with even more bombs, would explode in the crowds, killing any more survivors as well as reporters and rescue workers.
Thank God the plan was not executed to its fullest extent. As we go through our lives today and in the next days, pause to remember how truly blessed we are that we did not have to directly suffer the massacre of Columbine. God bless you and God bless America.
bravenet.com