The Columbine Generation

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After our discussion about Columbine in yesturday's class, I went home thinking a lot about it. I even discussed the topic with some of my roomates. I really started to think about how that one school shooting has really shaped our generation. Yes, there are have been many more public and school shootings before this one. For some reason, this shooting hit my friends and me harder then any other shooting. I remember being in 7th grade at the time. I also remember that it was the first of many days that I would be scared at my own school. Before the shooting I trusted everyone in my school, even the people that I didn't know. After the shooting, that trust was gone. I have never felt so betrayed by something that did not happen to me personally. We were always taught to be careful on the street, or don't talk to strangers. We were never taught to fear the people in our own schools! I honestly feel that our generation majorly changed after Columbine.

I found a really interesting article online at http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20080220/school-shootings-the-columbine-generation-copes about the topic. Scott Poland, who has been involved in crisis work with 11 school shootings including Columbine, said that "Columbine sent shock waves through every school in America." People have proposed that our generation has had more exposure to violence (television, music, movies, actual exposure) then any other generation. I'm not sure if its true, but it sure feels this way. It has changed the way that our generation looks at violence. Its almost expected that a school shooting will happen at least once a year.

Since Columbine more than 20 school shootings have occured in America, some more horrific then others. But like someone said, when we see a new school shooting we think about Columbine. It's like everything goes back to that day. It is sad that we can't feel safe in our own classrooms. It's sad that we feel uneasy when someone dressed in a black trenchcoat on campus. In my opinion, Columbine majorly affected our generation, and will continue to affect us forever. I will truely never forget where I was and the way that I felt on April 20th, 1999.