Columbine Shooter's Mom Releases Book

[floridaotaku]

1 hour ago, Jucifer said:

Did anyone see Gus Van Sant's movie 'Elephant'?  

It's fictional and not an easy movie to watch, but it's really powerful.

I think it's one of his best.

 

 

I completely agree (and frequently use it in class to demonstrate bodycam work). It's an incredibly moving and unflinchingly ominous film. It's probably my favorite of all his work. 

[Jucifer]

4 hours ago, floridaotaku said:

I completely agree (and frequently use it in class to demonstrate bodycam work). It's an incredibly moving and unflinchingly ominous film. It's probably my favorite of all his work. 

If I had to do the college thing over again, I'd be a film major  

I'd also like to be in your class, floridaotaku.

[Buzzard]

On 5/9/2016 at 3:46 AM, zee_four said:

I'm an Aurora theater shooting survivor who knows a lot of the Columbine families and survivors. I was close with the little sister of one victim, we went to church together where i also went to two of the funerals. I have a lot of different feelings about the entire Columbine tragedy but I've always felt sympathetic for the Klebolds. I also feel for the parents of the murderer in Aurora, a view I'm very one in having and and keep quiet especially since the mother of one of my friends killed who has become like a second mom to me abhors them.

Everyone deals with trauma in their own way.  Sometimes its easier to see everyone associated with the perpetrator as just as evil as they were/are.  There is no shame in having sympathy for parents of the shooter.  Whether they knew or should have known, or were completely blindsided, they suffer as well.  

[carebaer]

On 3/19/2016 at 3:18 PM, Cleopatra7 said:

The best opportunity for breaking up the Columbine plot would have been after the van break-in; perhaps if the two had been exposed to "the system" the particulars of the plan would have been discovered while they were serving time. I suppose the idea was that the break-in was "kid's stuff" and there was no reason to derail Klebold and Harris' lives, but in hindsight, it might have prevented the shooting.

I know I"m late to this conversation, but Sue Klebold talks about this in her book.  At some point (well after the shooting) she toured the kind of facility Dylan would have been sent to.  She says at the time she was so happy he was accepted into the diversion program and wouldn't have a record, but hindsight being what it is she realized that in such a facility he probably would have gotten the help he needed.  Eric is believed to be a sadistic psychopath so likely would have said whatever he needed to to be released as soon as possible (and he was apparently such a sweet talker that he got them both released from diversion early even though Dylan didn't technically qualify due to grades or something like that).  But Dylan needed someone to recognize and treat  his depression.  Whether or not the particulars of the plan were discovered, treating Dylan likely would have broken up the plan.

[NerdyHil]

On 3/19/2016 at 11:58 AM, sparkles said:

I have a lot of respect for Susan Kleebold and the way she conducted herself in after Columbine. Unlike the Harrises, the Kleebolds chose to remain in the community and reach out the victims and their families—Susan Kleebold was actually praised by one victim for her sincerity, sorrow and compassion. After reading about her in both Dave Cullen's "Columbine" and Andrew Solomon's "Far From the Tree," I have no doubt that she was a loving, caring parent who was blindsided by what happened, and like many of us, could only see the warning signs in the aftermath. Family members of the perpetrators are often unseen, forgotten victims of these tragedies but instead of receiving sympathy and understanding, they're vilified and threatened. As difficult as it to be the parent of a murdered child, I can't even begin to imagine what it's like to be the parent of the murderer.

 

I just finished this book, so I'm late to the party. I can't even imagine the nightmare of being the parent of a murder. I worked at the only bookstore in town where I used to live. Since books can only be sent to correctional facilities through a bookstore (is it like that everywhere or just my backwards state?) I interacted with the mother of a fairly notorious local murderer who was partially inspired by Columbine. Her child was still under age when he was convicted,so he was being bounced around through several facilities until he was either 18 or 21, I can't remember. She would come into the store fairly frequently to send him books, mostly the classics or educational materials. Half the time he wouldn't get the things she sent, and I would end up tracking her packages for quite a while on the phone. There is no way to not make super-awkward small talk on a call like that. I just felt so sorry for her, since all she wanted was to get some books to her son. The girl her son killed was a childhood friend of one of my dear friends, so she had zero compassion for this mother. Here's the case, it was a huge thing when it went down: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Cassie_Jo_Stoddart

[Cleopatra7]

7 hours ago, NerdyHil said:

I just finished this book, so I'm late to the party. I can't even imagine the nightmare of being the parent of a murder. I worked at the only bookstore in town where I used to live. Since books can only be sent to correctional facilities through a bookstore (is it like that everywhere or just my backwards state?) I interacted with the mother of a fairly notorious local murderer who was partially inspired by Columbine. Her child was still under age when he was convicted,so he was being bounced around through several facilities until he was either 18 or 21, I can't remember. She would come into the store fairly frequently to send him books, mostly the classics or educational materials. Half the time he wouldn't get the things she sent, and I would end up tracking her packages for quite a while on the phone. There is no way to not make super-awkward small talk on a call like that. I just felt so sorry for her, since all she wanted was to get some books to her son. The girl her son killed was a childhood friend of one of my dear friends, so she had zero compassion for this mother. Here's the case, it was a huge thing when it went down: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Cassie_Jo_Stoddart

There was a documentary about this case last month or so. It was chilling how they made video diaries of their plan at school, with Cassie in the frame. There was another documentary on inmates who had been sentenced to life as teens, and I think these killers were also profiled, and indicated that they felt remorse. I don't have the title of it, but I'll try to find it.

[caszandra]

@Cleopatra7, I watched a documentary about them last week in the UK called Copycat Killers, I think the programme you may mean where they were profiled was 'Teen Killers: Life without Parole'.  I agree about how chilling they came across in the video diaries they made not just at school but when they were in the car driving to her house to kill her, her boyfriend was also supposed to be murdered by them but was saved by his mum enforcing his curfew and making him go home.

I feel for Sue Klebold, I can't imagine the pain she must go through thinking of all the 'what if's'. I will try and get her book from the library.