While it's in appropriate to kneejerk blame the 'rents, there is clearly a serious 'values gap' and socialization deficit (pardon the hokey psychobable, but -) that is traditionally supposed to be initiated at home. Yeah, the parents are 'responsible' but I can't say how much.
There's enough blame to go around, in any event. parents, school admin/teachers, classmates, cops. Lotsa opportunities for somebody to do something. Hindsight is 20/20?
OTOH, I am of the opinion that it's time to quit calling these self-absorded bastards 'kids'. They're over 18, which means they can vote, join the army, contract for goods & services, etc., and would definitely be tried as adults if they had lived. They're terrorists, of little vision and consequence in the grand scheme of things, but terrorists just the same, and those who helped them should be dealt with accordingly. Actually, if there were any accomplices, they should be dealt with most harshly precisely because this whole mess was so petty and mindless. (they made fun of me so I'm gonna blow 'em up & burn em down???)
The parallel I would draw is this stupid hate crime crapola. Is it any more or less heinous to kill someone because of their status over any other reason (e.g. money)? I understand greed. I also understand hate, it's born of fear and ignorance, but I understand it. We have all hated something sometime, and no doubt had some dark thoughts and desires associated with it. What I don't understand is when some moron pops someone for a pair of sneakers, a jacket, or a boombox. That kind of mindless trivialization of life is maddening and should be given no quarter. Littleton is cut from the same cloth.
I guess what I'm really honked off at is the fact that those booger-eating morons in Washington (and elsewhere) think they can pass 'laws' to fix this mindlessness. Crazies do what crazies do. The Mo'fo's that threw the bombs and pulled teh trigger are responsible. Passing laws to regulate crazies is crazy.
Just effen proud to be a taxpoayer, M2
[This message has been edited by Mike in VA (edited April 27, 1999).]