[ad_1]
The families of the victims of the shooting at Columbine High School met Saturday at school to tell their story nearly 20 years after the tragedy. They spoke of forgiveness, inclusion and healing, as well as balm that sometimes only silence can bring.
On April 20, 1999, two Columbine students shot dead 12 classmates and a teacher in Littleton, a suburb of Denver.
A dozen parents, siblings, alumni and others who have endured the ordeal met with reporters before next month's birthday. Here are some of their stories.
—
Darrell and Sandy Scott
Darrell Scott was thinking of forgiveness on Saturday.
Darrell's daughter and Sandy Scott, Rachel, was killed in Columbine, and they founded a program called Rachel's Challenge in his honor. One of the principles taught by the program is forgiveness, a path chosen by the Scot after Rachel's murder.
"It was a difficult choice, but it allowed us to help students deal with life-specific issues," said Darrell Scott.
Forgiveness frees you, says Scott. "And if you do not forgive, you will be ruthless, bitter and angry and want to avenge yourself," he said.
—
Craig Scott
Scot's son, Craig, was also a student in Columbine and was at school on the day of the attack. He is concerned that shootings in schools have become "part of the American psyche".
"The formula, unfortunately, is that you are being bullied at school, so you may be doing a shootout in a school," said Scott, who has an organization called Value Up and speaks to Students value human life and do not turn to violence.
"If you are bullied at school or harassing, that's wrong," he said. "But it's also temporary … when you choose to end someone's life, it's permanent. It's a permanent judgment."
—
Frank DeAngelis
Frank DeAngelis, who was the director of Columbine at the time of the shooting, wondered how much the killers had become so heinous and if part of the answer was that they felt excluded.
"We are talking about things to make schools safer," he said, including security cameras and metal detectors. "But the thing you can not underestimate is that everyone feels welcome, inclusive."
Schools are becoming more and more inclusive, he said, but now they need to fight cyberbullying.
"It's the thing that scares me," DeAngelis said. "Now, when someone posts something on this phone, he is there forever, and these kids have the feeling that their life is destroyed forever."
—
Missy Mendo and Heather Martin
Missy Mendo and Heather Martin were Columbine students who had escaped the attack physically without being injured, but the emotional trauma had kept them away from school for years.
"I've struggled a lot after Columbine," Martin said.
She finally ventured to school on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the shooting in 2009, but Mendo had not returned before this year.
Mendo and Martin helped found the Rebels project – named after the Columbine High School mascot – intended to help other survivors of mass trauma.
This work helped Mendo to gather the courage to return on Saturday.
"Helping others, knowing that you are helping them with the steps you had to go through yourself," allowed her to go back, she said. "And knowing that when we come here today, we could let others know that we were here if they needed us."
—
Tom Mauser
For Tom Mauser, whose son Daniel was killed in Columbine, the 20th anniversary will only be one more day, and a bad day.
"We live it every day," he said. "It's a memory that we have every day where we lost our son, as no matter who lost a child."
But he understands that other people want to honor the victims and ask how the survivors are doing.
Mauser added that asking the company to take action to prevent shootings in schools would be even more significant than observing birthdays.
"What resolution do we have to prevent this from happening again?" he said.
—
Rick Townsend
Rick Townsend, whose daughter, Lauren, was murdered in Columbine, thought of kindness and remembered the tremendous support felt by families around the world.
"There was a time when people said," You know, we really have to be more friendly to each other. We have to support each other, "he said.
"I think that over time, some of it has been lost, and I do not know why."
—
Dawn Anna
Dawn Anna, Lauren Townsend's mother, said she found solace in helping others after a tragedy. The most important thing, she said, is not to talk but simply to be present.
She learned that from a friend whom she described as an "engine mouth" who came to her home after the shooting in Columbine, but who – to her surprise and relief – did not said nothing. She was just sitting with her, getting up from time to time to fetch him a glass of water.
"Do not say anything because there is not a word that can say it's going to mean anything," Anna said. "And then, when they're ready, or if they ask a question, you can start talking."
—
Follow Dan Elliott at http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP.
[ad_2]
Source link