To me crazy (to the extent that it excuses anything) is used only for those who are truly psychotic--they cannot tell what reality is. These guys knew. They just didn't care. I just did a little research on those two (I refuse to name them) and apparently one of them had been diagnosed (post-mortem I believe?--diagnosed from their writings) as having a "messianic-grade superiority complex" (http://www.slate.com/id/2099203/) and a psychopath. Not psychotic--a psychopath. He knew it was wrong; he just didn't care.
I keep hearing about how supposedly they'd been bullied but I haven't heard one specific example. I haven't read any testimony from their friends (and yes, they had friends, the whole "lonely outsiders thing" *is* a myth (http://www.slate.com/id/2099203/sidebar/2099208/)--skip down to number 7 in this article) about how they were taunted with anything beyond the ordinary. There was a program on Headline news? E!? Can't remember...) about Columbine a few weeks ago and one of the students interviewed *did* say it was a myth. I see your point about how the students might minimize it themselves, but surely the killers' friends would be able to offer some evidence. I really think the whole idea they were bullied came from people who think they *must* have been horribly bullied, that's the only explanation.
I'm not at all condoning any sort of bullying, BTW--in fact I stood up to a few (for other people) when I was a kid. I could tell you some stories...I deifnitely came in for my share of scraps. The bullying I suffered was mostly girl-on-girl shittiness, although I was harassed by boys as well (this was all 7th grade stuff--I was in a new school that year--by 8th grade I'd figured out how to fit in. I was still a dork but a more acceptable one--I used humor and sports to find a place). But if it was a physical fight, I had no problem stepping in for someone else, and I did so on several occasions. I hate uneven fights of any kind, and I hate wanton cruelty--which is why I despise the Columbine killers.
People suck. Bullies suck. I'm sorry you had to deal with that.
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Date: 2007-04-19 04:55 pm (UTC)To me crazy (to the extent that it excuses anything) is used only for those who are truly psychotic--they cannot tell what reality is. These guys knew. They just didn't care. I just did a little research on those two (I refuse to name them) and apparently one of them had been diagnosed (post-mortem I believe?--diagnosed from their writings) as having a "messianic-grade superiority complex" (http://www.slate.com/id/2099203/) and a psychopath. Not psychotic--a psychopath. He knew it was wrong; he just didn't care.
I keep hearing about how supposedly they'd been bullied but I haven't heard one specific example. I haven't read any testimony from their friends (and yes, they had friends, the whole "lonely outsiders thing" *is* a myth (http://www.slate.com/id/2099203/sidebar/2099208/)--skip down to number 7 in this article) about how they were taunted with anything beyond the ordinary. There was a program on Headline news? E!? Can't remember...) about Columbine a few weeks ago and one of the students interviewed *did* say it was a myth. I see your point about how the students might minimize it themselves, but surely the killers' friends would be able to offer some evidence. I really think the whole idea they were bullied came from people who think they *must* have been horribly bullied, that's the only explanation.
I'm not at all condoning any sort of bullying, BTW--in fact I stood up to a few (for other people) when I was a kid. I could tell you some stories...I deifnitely came in for my share of scraps. The bullying I suffered was mostly girl-on-girl shittiness, although I was harassed by boys as well (this was all 7th grade stuff--I was in a new school that year--by 8th grade I'd figured out how to fit in. I was still a dork but a more acceptable one--I used humor and sports to find a place). But if it was a physical fight, I had no problem stepping in for someone else, and I did so on several occasions. I hate uneven fights of any kind, and I hate wanton cruelty--which is why I despise the Columbine killers.
People suck. Bullies suck. I'm sorry you had to deal with that.