OFF: Goth music and The Guilty

[M Holmes]

DASLUD at AOL.COM writes:

> Meanwhile a number of school bullies may be asking themselves whether
> the science geek they've been tormenting might have been paying a little
> too much attention in chemistry class...

> this morning i was at  one of the created-by-members AOL chats, one called
> (wait for it) TRENCHCOAT MAFIA, and there was more than one kid (presumably a
> kid) advancing the notion that the high school shoot-em-up was some kinda
> PAYBACK, like VENGEANCE OF THE NERDS

That doesn't really surprise me.  I've been in a similar situation.  The
school wouldn't listen.  The cops wouldn't listen.  Meanwhile I'd been
knocked unconcious during the last attack.  I solved the problem by
hospitalising three people using sports equipment as a weapon.  It's
pretty obvious to me that guns would have been more effective if perhaps
a disproportionate response.  On the other hand, my subsequent method of
keeping bullies off my back was to promise, with as psychotic a glint in
my eye as I could muster, OTT retaliation without any concessions to a
fair fight.  A couple of demonstrations of intent was enough to have
their parents order 'em to stay off my case. After that it was peace and
quiet on the road to and from the Chess Club until escape to University
and relative sanity. I did notice that the bullies are not always the
biggest guys. They usually brought a pack with them and so relied on
strength of numbers more than personal strength. They were all sleekit
bastards though.

So while I regard murder of 16 people apparently more or less at random
as a tragic outcome of such behaviour, I can see why it happens, and it
ain't the music that causes it.

>...and one individual referred the two
> guys as "heroes"; you wish i was kidding...i shoulda clipped it and sent it
> here...

I wonder why the question raised is "Why did this happen at all?" rather
than "Why doesn't it happen more often". I suspect that the publicity of
this will have planted the seed in other angry young minds. Let's just
hope their relatives keep their firearms a little more securely.

> and after reading the comments of certain chat room individuals, i'd say
> there are some picked-on kids out there who are WRITHING inside...

Kids can be very very cruel to each other. I suspect that it's
unfortunately ape nature. Confining it all in one place while adolescent
hormones are coursing probably does ask for trouble though.

FoFP