CLEVELAND - Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, in spite of their admirations of the misdeeds of Adolf Hitler and their twisted longings to become infamous via inflicting epic harm to those that (allegedly) mocked them as well as innocent folks actually made America a better and safer place to live.Say what?
Today marks the 10th anniversary of that nightmarish Spring day in Littleton, Colorado. Klebold and Harris, two financially privileged teens went on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School where they were both students, killing 12 of their classmates and a teacher before committing suicide. The massacre was the worst school shooting in over 30 years and became a flash point in the annals of the U.S. school system; an indelible occurrence which has since shaped and improved school security measures and made social isolation and bullying an ongoing discussion and concern between parents, national organizations and school officials alike.
The magnitude of that 1999 tragedy wasn't immediately obvious. At the time, it was said that Klebold and Harris idolized Hitler and wanted to use his April 20th birthday to avenge alleged bullying by other students. They were also purported members of "The Trenchcoat Mafia" though these statements now seem apocryphal with the passage of time. However, the murderous duo influenced many twisted minds in the ensuing years, most notably Seung-Hui Cho, the mastermind of the Virginia Tech Massacre in 2007.
Klebold and Harris, in addition to the arsenal of handguns and shotguns they carried with them as they terrorized their school planted several homemade bombs in and around Columbine in hopes of authoring an even more epic tragedy. Thankfully, the bombs either failed to detonate or had very little impact when they did.
Looking back, I remember the stunning horror of that day. The vivid memories of the students frantically racing from the school to safety still feels too nearby in time to fade. With extensive television coverage that historic day, it was made very clear to me that this was indeed a "big deal."
I pray that my children never go through anything remotely resembling this.
Klebold and Harris were hell bent on hate and violence. They wanted infamy and global attention. They definitely got it. But we as Americans got something more; hope, promise and a better understanding of our youth. As senseless as the tragedy was, it built our faith and strength in tempestuous times. Our resiliency helps us overcome because we have lived through the worst of people.
Columbine lives on. Long live faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment