May 2, 2013
What evil influences drove two teenagers on a killing rampage taking innocent life with out mercy, and leaving a community in total despair and chaos? It's unexplainable. On April 20th 1999, two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, armed with four guns, ninety-nine explosives, and four knives, killed twelve students, a teacher and injured 24 students at Columbine High School, Littleton, Colorado. In this essay, I will discuss the aftermath of this tragic and senseless crime, and how a hurting community in despair pulled together to find a way to heal and move forward with life in spite of their grief, pain and loss.
Columbine has affected American life in countless ways, it has put fear in its citizens, emotionally, mentally and physically. It has changed the way people feel about security in public places such as schools. These were two "common" teenagers, a son, a friend, a neighbor, whom for some unexplainable reason became cold blooded killers. For this reason, it has become harder to trust people like friends, neighbors and even family members. Due to this crime and other such as this one, a community and our country in general is left feeling uncertain about our security and the lack of protection from horrific crimes as these. The Columbine killings has left many parents worried and concerned about leaving there children anywhere especially schools; a place they thought was safe. To make matters worse, crimes like these seem to be increasing every passing year, making this a nationwide concern. Most recently, we had the Boston Marathon bombings. Again two young men, the perpetrators, killed three people and injured many lives at a public family event.
Columbine has left many people marked for life. They feared for their lives, they were stressed, traumatized, and uncertain about the people they trust. They are lost in thoughts with many questions without answers and full of uncertainties. How can this senseless crime be explained. You can't explain something that in no right mind can be justified. So one looks to survive it with courage, faith and the support of family and friends. Therefore, they turned to one another to help cope with this tragedy. "After enduring the tragedy, many students clung to each other and wanted to be together almost twenty-four hours a day. Yet, fearful parents wanted to be with their sons and daughters too – in realization that they could have lost their sons or daughters in the shootings."1
In spite of all the pain and the loss of precious life,