Slashdot Mirror

Apparently the story continues in Dan Green's next column. Maybe it'll have a more satisfactory ending this time.

I think the article is criticizing some things that were never really said -- Katz was comparing the email he was getting to the *tone and format* of holocaust testimonies, not so much the crimes committed against the kids to death camps.

As for the criticism of "The idea that this group could move into the slot of the oppressed, as well as occupying the traditional role of the oppressor...." I don't know of many geeks who end up 'the oppressor'. It's true that if geeks survive high school, many of them will end up successful, but that doesn't make them the 'oppressor'; and I'm offended by the implication that later success obviates horrendous early abuse. Did her escape from slavery invalidate Sojourner Truth's rage at bondage?

There was also a trick pulled that even people on slashdot have done -- amalagating different levels of abuse to say 'hey, everyone is miserable in high school, stop being such a martyr.' Under this technique, unhappiness at not making the cheerleader squad is cheerfully is treated as indistinguishable from rape and attempted murder.

In elementary school, for example, I was definitely the wierd kid and abused, but I didn't suffer *daily* abuse. Some of the individual incidents were pretty bad, but while they may have led to longterm scarring, they didn't cause the sheer irrationality that daily abuse did -- as I discovered when I got to junior high, and got to be the (fairly randomly picked) scapegoat. If you haven't experienced the terror of going to class *knowing* you will be tripped and spat at and verbally torn down *with the passive, or even active approval of teachers and adminstrators*, it's almost impossible to understand the insanity it causes -- you stop being able to judge whether a bump in the hall was an accident or another attack, you can't tell if an overture of friendship is real or a trap, you are in a constant state of fear and tension... there were times when I *wanted* to kill, when if I had had a weapon in my hand people would have been dead. I didn't, thank god, but I can't help but understand the rage utterly.

Then I got to high school, where I was a pretty normal kid (the adminstration didn't tolerate bullying, and the geek clan was large enough that we had our own gravity and protection from abuse.) Had occasional unhappy times, just like anyone else, and I think a lot of people who weren't abused but also weren't in the top cliques look back at their sometimes-unhappy times and think it's the same as the worst abuse.

Laura

PS: If you want a lovely look at the attitude at Columbine high, take a look at Chuck Green's Sunday column. The captain of the Columbine football team is under a restraining order to stay away from his ex-girlfriend; he's facing a criminal charge for threatening her; he was picked up by sheriff's deputies prowling outside her house; he was caught by a teacher intimidating her in school; he threw himself in front of her car. Dear Principal DeAngelis's reaction? Suspend a *jock*? The captain of their precious football team, the one they have a sports medicine doctor for? Oh, forfend, no! Instead, he told the girl's parents that she should leave school.

To whom it may concern:

I have been watching with great sadness the events of the previous days. The actions of the two young men, and any who may have assisted them, cannot be explained or justified. There is nothing that I, or anyone, can say to help those affected by this tragedy. For what it is worth, I am truly sorry for what has happened.

However, I have noticed that in the aftermath of this tragedy there have been a number of responses which I feel are both inappropriate and ineffective.

Many schools have banned trench coats. Others have singled out certain activities, such as computer games or role-playing games, as causes of this type of attack. Students who do not "fit in" with the majority have always been harrassed both by other students and sometimes even the administration. Now this has intensified, as these students are being threatened with suspensions, mandatory counseling, and even verbal and physical abuse, simply based on how they look or dress.

Such harrassment is nothing new. In fact, during my time in high school, I myself was one of the outcasts. I was often verbally abused, and sometimes physically. I know for a fact that my experiences were relativly mild compared to the abuse some of my fellow classmates recieved.

There exist, in every school, those who are popular and those who are not. Typically, people become outcasts because they happen to enjoy intellectual pursuits instead of physical ones. In some cases they are simply shy or reclusive. The high school environment is not friendly to this type of person. Often times members of the "popular" crowd attack the "outcasts", in order to feel better about themselves or to impress their peers. I speak from experience when I say a large amount of resentment builds up in those who are affected by this kind of treatment.

Sadly, in my case, most of the administration appeared to be against us as well. My friends and I did not feel that we could go to them with our problems, because they seemed to be "out to get us", instead of trying to help us. I fear that this rift between "fringe" students and the administration has only worsened in light of the response of some schools to this tragedy.

I do not write this to condone the actions of the murderers, or even to try to reduce their accountability. Ultimatly, the blame for this act rests on their shoulders. However, I would like to ask you, as the administration, to dig deeper into the circumstances surrounding this horrific event. Please don't believe that by placing the blame on video games, rock music, or the internet, you can make the problem go away. The problem is much more difficult than a person's choice of clothing or how well they conform to social norms.

The problem is a few children are persecuted by everyone else, and everyone else gets away with it. The problem is that students do not always treat other students with respect or even decency. The problem is that these school-yard bullies get away with their actions.

Attacking the outcasts is not a viable solution. It will only serve to increase the bitterness that they already hold toward their school. Calling out "witch-hunts" on those who do not fit in will certainly not increase school solidarity or improve relations between the students.

The mainstream media has barely hinted at this deeper cause, despite the notes left by the killers themselves. I would like to point out two articles which I have found on the internet regarding the potential effects of high school on children. These articles are much more eloquent then what I have written here.

Colorado Denver Post

Jonathan Katz article

Those who have been labeled by society as "outcasts", "misfits", or "fringe", are not evil people. Although the attack on Columbine was perpetrated by a pair of students who fit these descriptions, most of us who were not popular in high school simply did not want to interact with those who did not like us. Please take the initiative to examine all of the aspects of this problem. Please act constructivly to prevent such occurences from happening again, instead of simply repeating the superficial and self-defeating actions that many schools have already taken.

Thank you very much for your time,

Sincerely,
Robert Dillon
Heritage High School, Littleton, CO
Class of 1995

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