june gloom on 20/4/2009 at 18:28
I know everybody's busy huffing on a bong today but I'd like to mention that today is the 10-year anniversary of the Columbine massacre (as the thread title suggests.)
What these kids did was evil, pure and simple- nobody's really denying that, except dumb goths on DevianTard who write poetry glorifying Harris and Klebold.
At first I wasn't sure whether to put this in GenGaming (thanks to Columbine leading to gamers and their habits getting scrutinized, which still happens) or CommChat. Columbine had an affect on everything, not just gaming, and in light of incidents since I thought it was only fair I bring up the supposed "big one", the one that changed things permanently.
What's your take on where society (and gaming) has gone since?
Aerothorn on 20/4/2009 at 18:48
Quote Posted by dethtoll
What these kids did was evil, pure and simple- nobody's really denying that,
Actually, quite a number of people deny the existence of a good/evil binary, etc. etc.
Not trying to be obnoxious, I just don't want the discussion to be based on an assumption of shared belief that may not be correct.
Renzatic on 20/4/2009 at 18:53
OH GOOD GOD. 10 seconds in, and this thread has already turned to pedantic postmodern fauxphilosophical bullshittery.
Say what you will, but you have to admit that what those kids did was a bit on the dark end of your billion shades of grey.
Kolya on 20/4/2009 at 18:55
What Columbine and all the following incidents have taught me is that the media all too willingly actualises the desperate claim to fame of any 14 year old if he just takes a gun and kills a few schoolfellows.
It's the same routine every time: OMG, what a tragedy, shocking, what could have been the cause for this terrible disaster??!
Well he was an idiot. The Columbine guys were idiots. Not evil, just extremely stupid. Don't make a fucking legend out of these retards. 10-year-anniversary my ass.
You can mourn their victims, but these guys shouldn't play any role. The world is better off without them.
nicked on 20/4/2009 at 19:08
Yes I always find it horrifyingly fascinating in these situations that the evil psychos get their names in the history books, but most of us probably couldn't name a single of their victims.
Koki on 20/4/2009 at 19:08
Quote Posted by dethtoll
Columbine had an affect on everything, not just gaming, and in light of incidents since I thought it was only fair I bring up the supposed "big one", the one that changed things permanently.
My cereal still tastes the same
june gloom on 20/4/2009 at 19:16
Yes, like urine, we know.
Renzatic on 20/4/2009 at 19:22
I always figured Koki for a Cap'n Crunch person.
Koki on 20/4/2009 at 19:28
Cheerios, actually
Toxicfluff on 20/4/2009 at 19:36
I think is that it's just incredibly irresponsible for the media to give such insane coverage to these school shootings. Of course, with the brutality and the setting there is no way they could be in the media without huge coverage, but the level of focus is disproportionate in my opinion. Fair enough if it was just a unit shifter or ratings rake for the morbid appetites of media consumers, or even an intelligent probe into the underlying problems. Problem is, in my opinion, it's more than just a spectacle. As I recall there's a fair bit of research linking suicides that receive prominent coverage in the media to increases in suicides committed in the same manner that occur after the period.
So one of the underlying problems, at a layman's guess, is the media impact of previous shootings. You don't have to be a psychologist to see that kind of attention appealing to a desperate and disturbed personality.
As for Harris and Klebold, their Doom wads sucked. Well, they weren't even that notable... they were just insipid junk.
