School Shooting Thwarted

[Mr. Anderson]

http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=121421

This happened in my city. This is so fucking scary. Kids can't even go to school without being scared. And this school shooting news comes about a week after they found a kid at my school with a gun.

http://www.lbjhs.net/email.html

What is the world coming to?

[daphatty]

Are you really surprised? Texas is the most gun friendly state in the nation. It was only a matter of time before copy-cat kids tried something like this.

[Zman310]

I'm just glad that they were able to prevent these stupid fucks from actually seeing their plan through.

[punqsux]

dont be scared because if it happens being scared wont protect you.

just accept the fact that it can happen (much like the fact you can get jumped while walking down the street or that your car can crash and kill you, and you should be fine

[evilmax17]

What's the world coming too when kids are bullied SO BAD that they fantasize about killing their tormentors. In situations like this, people always blame the kid who was planning to do it. But has anybody looked at WHY they do things like this? It's because they're picked on and tormented every day of their lives, and if/when they seek help about it, they hear things like "go to a teacher" or "try to become their friends". Adults obviously have NO idea of what's happening in the hallways around them, and until we place the blame where it BELONGS (on the kids that bully) These aren't stories of kids who argue over a girl or who have had a tiff with friends, they're stories about children who (because of the actions of other children) are forced to live a life of hell, and are pushed so far as to snap. Instead of blaming the easy way out (music, videogames, movies, "evil kids" in general), let's look at why this REALLY happens. It's too bad, because when shootings and the like happen, you can't look at the victims and say "oh yeah, he was an asshole and a bully", because he's dead. So every one of the victims was "an aspiring student who was very popular, and going places". Yeah, right. It's a situation where NOONE wins, and unless the problem is stopped at the source, it'll continue to happen.

I could go on and on, it's like people forget what it was like to be in school.

[sblymnlcrymnl]

I remember having a discussion in the middle of art class with about 3 other people about how we would have done Columbine differently ... this was the day after. If anyone did that now they would go straight to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

[punqsux]

What's the world coming too when kids are bullied SO BAD that they fantasize about killing their tormentors. In situations like this, people always blame the kid who was planning to do it. But has anybody looked at WHY they do things like this? It's because they're picked on and tormented every day of their lives, and if/when they seek help about it, they hear things like "go to a teacher" or "try to become their friends". Adults obviously have NO idea of what's happening in the hallways around them, and until we place the blame where it BELONGS (on the kids that bully) These aren't stories of kids who argue over a girl or who have had a tiff with friends, they're stories about children who (because of the actions of other children) are forced to live a life of hell, and are pushed so far as to snap. Instead of blaming the easy way out (music, videogames, movies, "evil kids" in general), let's look at why this REALLY happens. It's too bad, because when shootings and the like happen, you can't look at the victims and say "oh yeah, he was an asshole and a bully", because he's dead. So every one of the victims was "an aspiring student who was very popular, and going places". Yeah, right. It's a situation where NOONE wins, and unless the problem is stopped at the source, it'll continue to happen.

I could go on and on, it's like people forget what it was like to be in school.

i agree totally, people know this is a problem and no one wants to deal with it.

[Reality's Fringe]

No no no, the problem sin't LESS guns, it's that we need MORE guns. If every school kid is armed, then everyone has an equal chance. No one would try anything because he would get 100 holes in him before he could squeee the trigger. BLAM!

[Drocket]

First off, that's a rather vague news report. From what was said, it seems rather uncertain if the kids were actually PLANNING on going on a shooting spree, of if they were just TALKING about it. There have been more than a few 'shootings thwarted' that were in reality nothing more than a couple of kids joking around with their friends. We've gone from a world where everyone ignored massive flashing red lights to a world of rather insane paranoia, where even innocent jokes get taken seriously and turn into big hub-bubs.

Assuming that this is an actual potential shooting, though: I would have to strongly agree with evilmax17. Its rather ridiculous how most schools ignore bullies who are tormenting other students (except, of course, a few schools who have gone insane in the other direction since Columbine and are expelling any student who looks at another sideways. Why are human beings incapable of rational balance?)

Back to the subject, though... Probably the biggest problem is the way that people imagine bullies: they always invariable imagine them as a comic-book style anti-social loner, and the reality of that is usually far from the truth. Back when I was in school, the worst bullies were usually the popular kids. Oh, they didn't beat you up and steal your milk money, but they always had a putdown ready and were willing to use it. The football player who constant makes it abundantly clear that he's infinitely superior to everyone else, the cheerleader who lets everyone know that she's far too cute to even be seen with anyone as unattractive as YOU - they are, by far, the ones who do the most damage, psychologically, to the outsider students.

Probably the saddest thing I ever saw on television was shortly after Columbine, when a news channel asked one kid (looked like the average jock type) about the reports of bullying in the school. He replied something to the effect that there really wasn't much bullying in the school. Everyone just knew that (the 2 kids who shot up the place) were $$$s, and so they told them.

I just kind of sat in stunned silence for a while after I saw that. He just said it so calm and cooly - he wasn't angry or ranting, just telling reality as he saw it. Nobody was bullying - they were just pointing out that certain students were subhuman and worthless. There's no problem with that, is there? And the worst part was that the news show I was watching let this comment pass without any sort of examination or discussion.

Ah well, enough rambling...

[thatstoobad]

there was a planned school shooting at a nearby school that was stopped before it could take place. it turns out the kid's dad was actually helping him plan it, which is why it was funny that the authorities found the dad on his son's hitlist.

[Noodle Pirate!]

Maybe more kids will reconsider picking on the geeks and publicly humiliating them to look cool in front of their friends

If you are really that worried, invest in a bullet proof vest.

Can't change your fate, if your meant to die you are meant to die :shock:

[Saucy Jack]

What's the world coming too when kids are bullied SO BAD that they fantasize about killing their tormentors. In situations like this, people always blame the kid who was planning to do it. But has anybody looked at WHY they do things like this? It's because they're picked on and tormented every day of their lives, and if/when they seek help about it, they hear things like "go to a teacher" or "try to become their friends". Adults obviously have NO idea of what's happening in the hallways around them, and until we place the blame where it BELONGS (on the kids that bully) These aren't stories of kids who argue over a girl or who have had a tiff with friends, they're stories about children who (because of the actions of other children) are forced to live a life of hell, and are pushed so far as to snap. Instead of blaming the easy way out (music, videogames, movies, "evil kids" in general), let's look at why this REALLY happens. It's too bad, because when shootings and the like happen, you can't look at the victims and say "oh yeah, he was an asshole and a bully", because he's dead. So every one of the victims was "an aspiring student who was very popular, and going places". Yeah, right. It's a situation where NOONE wins, and unless the problem is stopped at the source, it'll continue to happen.

I could go on and on, it's like people forget what it was like to be in school.

Yeah, people need to realize that there is a reason why these kids are planning school attacks. Granted, you may occasionally get an unstable person who lashes out at a stranger for no reason at all, but 99% of these attacks are executed by tormented kids.

My middle and high schools had terrible policies about fighting. You were not allowed to defend yourself. Even if you were being attacked and you had several credible witnesses... even if the head principal saw you being attacked without provocation... if you threw one punch, you were punished. Basically, all you could do was either run and be chased (and most likely, still get written up because you are causing a disturbance), or stand there and try to block punches and kicks.

You had to be pretty slick to fight and not get punished. One kid had a whole escape plan that worked! When a fight broke out, a crowd would develop and surround the fighters. When the rent-a-cops would locate the fight, the one slick guy ducked out of the crowd, and grabbed a new shirt, jacket, and sunglasses from a friend's ready backpack. The kid never got caught. He knew that there would be a good chance that he would be picked on, so he had his backup plan ready. He was able to defend himself without getting messed up, so by looking at him you couldn't tell he was defending himself in a fight.

Heck, there's been times that kids have been attacked at school, and the victim got written up for getting his blood on the floor of the school. Sickening. :shock:

Yeah, the teachers would always tell the students to run for help, and several students would always reply with, "You can't always run and find help. Sometimes, it's not an option depending on where you are." Also, we were told never to fight back. Sickening...

I used to be messed with in my very early years, until I realized that I needed to stop being Mr. Nice Guy 100% of the time. Whenever someone would even try to mess with me, I realized the truth... that I could easily mop the floor with them. Then, I would be subtle and not back down whenever someone would mess with me. It worked, and I never got into a fight. Heck, one of the bullies even started being nice to me.

It's hell growing up, and I think that all of us are practically heroes for surviving adolescence.