We've reached that point. The point at which I either have nothing to rant about, or the world should end. Ofcourse as anyone who knows me will tell you, the one begets the other. Eighth sign of the apocalypse and all that.

The topic I actually would like to address, is none other than the Columbine high school incident of earlier this year, and the Ramsey case way in which it seems to never get fixed, just bother us more.

And now I'll tell you why.

I'm well aware of the viciousness, nay soulless manner of the crime. I'm also well aware of what this sort of thing does to the victims, deceased, non, direct and indirect. I knew one of the victims myself. Not well mind you, we attended the same church once upon a time, and our fathers golfed together on occasion along with our pastor. I know the pain of this sort of tragedy, though not as much because of it as others.

What I don't get exactly is a whole other story, more of a novel perhaps. Maybe War and Peace. Maybe the Library of Congress.

What I'd like to address first is the parents. ALL of them. See we all feel bad for the families of the outright victims. I have nothing but sympathy for them. But what about the Klebolds and the Harrises? That apparently is where the rest of the world and myself part ways.

I truly do feel sorry for the parents of these two disturbed individuals. I can only imagine what they're going through in dealing with this. With the revalation that their children ended up this way. With it being such an incredulous act. And with the fact that every fucking simian on the planet is blaming them.

I was a teenager at one point. Most of my family thinks I still am. My parents had knowledge of about twenty percent of what I was doing, and that's really pushing it. Did they know when I was stoned or tripping or drunk? NO. Did they know I carried a berreta? NO. Did they know that at any moment during high school I had the potential to be Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold? NO.

Is that something that they should have to make penance for? NO. Should they be held accountable for it? That's between me and my therapist.

In truth, is it their fault that the only time they thought I was on any kind of illegal substance was when I wasn't their fault? NO. And to tell you the truth I'm not really sure I like what that says about me.

The parents of Dylan and Eric are no more or less guilty than my folks. Or any other parent of a teenager. Guess what, adults of society, we don't tell you everything we're up to. In fact, we make it our life's mission to keep things from you. Sorry, but that's the truth. All teens do it. From the "geeks" to the "jocks", the bleacher slut to the prom queen. Any teenaged individual that says they don't try to hide something from their parents, now get ready for it...IS LYING.

That doesn't mean that there's anything actually wrong, it's normal. Are we occasionally lying to mom? Yes. Are we all deviant little criminals who need to have your moral majority fed intra-veinously to us? No.

Were Dylan and Eric criminals? Yes. Only because they moved on their aggression and hurt. Beyond that, no.

Are their parents guilty of some crime be it directly or indirectly involved in their children's massacre? No.

As once I asked my mother whenwe fought about Alice Cooper: "Remember when Elvis Presley was the devil?" Yeah you do, just like she did. So I'll keep this bit brief.

MARYLYN MANSON HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT

THE DOOM VIDEO GAME HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT

BETTY CROCKER HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT

Well, she might have but you see my point. Stop looking for a scapegoat and come to terms with the fact that someone did something like this of their own free will.

Next up: The fucking lawyers.

You bastards should be put on trial for making this nation a bunch of spineless, victimising, retro-grade, neanderthall, fucking wolves. I'm not even gonna waste the energy to close this paragraph and start another about you. You wanna talk demoralisation of a country? Let's start with the money grubbing, incessantly whiney, mama's boys. It's not that sharks are extending professional courtesy, it's just that they're above eating something so unsanitary.

The media...

One question: WHO FEEDS YOU PEOPLE!?!

The problem with the propaganda machine is, there's no one driving it. The media personalities, hell even the producers, have bought into their own bullshit. I'm gonna have to stick with P.E. on this one, "Don't believe the hype."

To the government and lawmakers: Drop the friggin' chalupa, fatass. My god, I can't believe you actually think you're going to change things this way. What's next? Perhaps raising the age limit and requiring background checks on all illegal gun sales?

Think your new laws would've stopped that woman from killing herself the week after her daughter took the first steps she'd taken since the shooting?

Bottom line, some idiots killed some people and wounded some others. Nothing you can do and no one you can sue, will ever right that. Nothing.

Do you really think that the dead would have wanted this?

That's just my opinion, I'm of legal age to have one of those.

~Swyndle

Uploaded 14th December 1999