re: #56 calochortus

I think the connection between bullying and school shootings is not anywhere near that clear. I heard an interview with someone who had researched Columbine and said the shooters had not been bullied in any significant way.

Well the definition of “significant” is the key thing there. If you’re an angry, obsessive type, small stuff can mean a lot. I was just reading about Columbine myself, and supposedly one of the first people to call 911 was a student who had run into Harris (?) in the parking lot, who told him something like “I like you, so I’m telling you that you better leave”.

Maybe they didn’t get beaten up every day, but it certainly wasn’t sunshine and roses for those two, either.

Bullying obviously isn’t the only factor, though. There has to be a “perfect storm” of factors which lead to a mass killing. There are always multiple common elements; male, outcast, lonely, bullied, no empathy, broken home, possibly on anti-depressants, no guidance, no aims, no outlets, a healthy fantasy life built entirely around simulated interpersonal violence, and a friend or relative with a bunch of black-anodized hardware.