If we don't learn from history, we are bound to repeat it.

Another shooting spree by a troubled young man: the second in as many weeks. While both Robert Hawkins, 19 and Matthew Murray, 24 shared similarities to Columbine killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, Murray actually quoted the boys in internet posts before shooting several people in Colorado this past Sunday. And just 8 months ago, Seung-Hui Cho wrecked havoc on the innocent students of Virginia Tech.

When news first broke of Robert Hawkins’ murders in Omaha, I was sitting at a bar with my aunt. The details we saw on the TV above us were still sketchy, but we turned to each other, both guessing it was a young man under 30. How tragic is it that we guessed that so easily? Why are we as a society continuing to ignore the warning signs in our troubled youth? Why is it still so easy for emotionally disturbed people to get guns? Why do so many people not care enough to do something to stop people that are obviously on a path to destruction?


A former acquaintance of Murray told CNN that Murray scared fellow workers and complained of voices in his head; he was obviously disturbed. The man said when he heard of the shootings, he turned to his wife and guessed correctly that Murray was the perpetrator.

I’m sure there were many people, who knew all these young men, who were not surprised to hear they had committed horrible acts of violence. So why, if you’re not surprised, couldn’t you have guessed it was coming and done something to prevent it? Why don’t we do more to help those in need?

As I said before, I’ve worked at group homes/shelters for disturbed and abused children/teens. Those kids were watched 24 hours a day and given proper medical treatment. And yet what happens when they turn 18? When they can do the most harm to themselves and others? Barely a thing. Why do people stop caring?

I can just hear people saying things like, “he wasn’t my problem, I wasn’t his parent” or “the schools should have done more.” How would they feel if they had to use that excuse in the face of the victim’s families? How do you say to a mother who lost her child at Columbine High School, “I’m sorry I didn’t do more to help your daughter, but it wasn’t my problem.” How can people not see that sometimes the people closest to kids are letting them down and others need to step in?


WHY AREN’T WE DOING MORE TO STOP THIS?!?!?