Evaluating The Columbine Massacre

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Researching The Columbine Massacre On April 20, 1999, hundreds, thousands, even millions of lives were changed. On this tragic day in history in Littleton, Colorado, two high school boys went on a shooting spree at Columbine High School. Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, went into their high school with loaded guns and determination to commit one of the most disturbing crimes ever. The two students rushed in and did as much damage as they possibly could. After taking 13 lives and injuring over 20 more, the two students took their own lives. This would be remembered all around the world as “The Columbine Massacre.” On this day, one particular person took into this horrifying event and it reshaped her outlook on life as a whole. Crystal …show more content…

Koelsch believes that while some people may see that by committing such a crime that they would gain some sort of fame or notoriety, that crimes such as these are not based solely on the idea of gaining attention. She believes that teens and even adults, do these things to express how they are feeling and because they never really grew up with support or with the ability to learn how to deal with their problems properly. In addition, Crystal is convinced that this is because people today are so cut off from one another. “Thanks to today’s technology, it is easier for people to dismiss or ignore one another. We as people lack the ability strike a conversation with our neighbors.” Due to this, it is much easier for people to feel alone or like they don 't really fit in, simply because there is no where to fit into when people aren 't trying to make real relationships with one another. How could anyone feel like they really belong when they don 't have anyone to talk to or anyone that is there for them? Some would argue that with the technology that we have that it is actually easier to talk, but they don 't see the real issue. Crystal says, “Sure you can text and email or have a phone call conversation, but you 're missing out on the real color of a voice and a face to see when you 're not having a real and physical …show more content…

She was scared for the victims and the families, but the thing that bothered her the most was how this would affect her younger brother who was a freshman in high school at the time. She asked herself many questions regarding the safety of her little brother. “Would he be able to continue his education without interference?” “Would anyone try to stop this from happening to him and his school?” “Would his life be in danger next?” According to a CNN reporter, John Sutter, after Columbine, some states started requiring schools to prepare for school shootings with lockdown drills, much in the way they prepare for fires or other disasters. Due to these policies, many researchers have concluded that safety awareness has rubbed off on the nation and there have been less violent outbursts in such a manner as Columbine at schools, but these researchers worry that over time, attention to these manners may begin to wane (John D. Sutter, CNN). Crystal would agree with those researchers that over time the attention that people give to these situations and efforts to prevent such things have waned over time. Koelsch believes that people only really focus on such things when they happen and a little after, and are often forgotten until something else happens. This is what frightened her the most. That as her brother went through his high school

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