As much as I hate to say it, I think that what may be happening is a small fringe of the disconnected, abused and otherwise abused students are taking advantage of the Colorado tragedy as an excuse to vent... some violently, some through sick and twisted references and graffiti, and other ways.

I read in the paper today several stories of students being banned from school because of the 'profile' that they fit, others for wearing trenchcoats, and still others for no discernable reason beyond the vicious rumors of other students (see the Colorado threads for a particularly disturbing story regarding one of our own Mudcatter's kids). Still other stories noted an outbreak of students threatening to go on a rampage of their own, and grafitti attacks on schools that shut them down due to the fear that was caused. Students are voluminously quoted as saying that they too have felt like doing what the poor disturbed kids in Colorado did, but refrained due to lack of opportunity, social pressures, or what have you - although none of them seem to have stopped just because it's WRONG.

For my two bits, a lot of this seems to be a very urgent cry for attention. Having come from a broken home, raised in a suburb as a quintessential latchkey kid, and also having been an 'outsider', I can empathize with what all of these kids go through. In no way whatsoever do I feel that any of their actions are justified or 'right', but I think I know why they are doing them. I've been out of school for nearly a decade, but I still remember with stinging clarity the insults and abuse from other students, and always feeling like none of the administrators cared about me - they always seemed more interested in what I could do to make them look better and get more money for the school. With the lack of parenting that's afflicting most kids today, is it any wonder that a few bad apples get pushed over the edge? With the media now braying incessantly that the 'outcasts' are all to be feared as potential mass murderers, I fear that we'll see more Littletons as a result of these children deciding that they should fill the 'profile' completely, just for the attention.

Depressing topic, depressing views. God, do I need the music...

M