Columbine Shooting And Containment Theory Essay

The criminal case I have selected for this assignment is on Justin Morton; who at the age of fourteen years old Morton was the first youth convicted of first-degree murder section 231 CC. Although, The report show that the young man was raised in a healthy and supportive home with his mother and father. In spite of this, Justin expresses to his psychiatrist his impulse and desire for inflicting pain on others; he claims to have no remorse for the murder of Eric Levrack. Not to mention, He also voiced to former classmates that "Eric was annoying, always invading his space. "As a matter of fact, after the killing on April 1, 2003, Morton had turned himself in, he described the event as an open game of trust just before he strangled Eric with a belt.

I remember the day vividly. I was staying home from school with food poisoning and was laying in my mom’s bed, flipping through the channels to see what was on TV. Then, I had to stop. This was April 16, 2007. This was the day of the Virginia Tech school shooting.

Columbine by Dave Cullen analyzes the use of journals and specific language to advance the idea that the massacre that happened on April 20, 1999 was the planned and executed by two boys with horrific intentions. Cullen writes with the intention to share the the somber story, while allowing the readers to understand Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's mental status and prove how the killers felt rather leaving room for assumptions. Cullen emphasis the importance of journals to further the idea that the events of Columbine were executed by two boys with terrible intentions. By quoting the killers journals, the readers are able to know exactly how the kellers felt.

One of the major myths that you have probably heard from the media is that Eric and Dylan were apart of a group called the “Trench Coat Mafia”. The myth began when Eric and Dylan were wearing trench coats the day of the shooting. Eric and Dylan weren’t wearing the trench coats because they were in the gang, they were wearing them because it could hold all of their knives , guns, and weapons. Most of the people in the Trench Coat Mafia had already graduated from high school. In late 1999, after the shooting happened, some of the Trench Coat Mafia members had came forward and told the media some information explaining to us that Eric and Dylan weren’t in the gang.

In recent discussions of Columbine by Dave Cullen, a controversial issue has been what led Eric and Dylan to cause a high school massacre. On the one hand, some argue they had been bullied and were apart of a group of social outcasts, called Trenchcoat Mafia that was associated by Goth culture or maybe even violent video games, which is what led to them their actions. From this perspective, people believed they wanted revenge on those who bullied them or being apart of a social outcast group led them to feeling excluded, looked down upon, or even rejected which may have led to a dark life. On the other hand, others would argue that Eric and Dylan’s was not focused on killing anyone specific, like jocks, rather they were just objected to killing a large spree. Eric and Dylan were looking to do a great damage to the world, but instead settled on their school.

On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold left the world in a state of shock when they embarked on one of the most perilous school shootings in American history. The Columbine High School shooting left thirteen dead and a total of twenty-two injured. After this massacre took place, many wondered what triggered these boys to attack their own school, and if there was any way it could have been prevented. The novel “Columbine” by Dave Cullen illustrates why this may not have been possible. The attack on Columbine High School was inevitable because of the deranged behaviors of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

The shooting at Columbine Hight School created a nationwide shock and horror for all people that watched the news clips. I remember going to school and not being allowed to carry our backpacks to school. The girls had to have a clear see through purse to be able to carry their personal belonging. The two shooters that were involved in the massacre at that school were Eric Harris (18 at time of shooting) and Dylan Klebold (17 at time). Both of these boys displayed abnormal behavior and I am going to explain in this essay their possible psychological issue with Eric Harris.

The Columbine High School shooting—one of the many horrific mass shootings in U.S. history—affected the lives of many. The two shooters responsible were Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, internally known as the “Trenchcoat Mafia.” From the discovery of Dylan’s journal to Eric’s hate towards society, and the disturbing videos they had made prior to their attack. Their easy access to weapons allowed them to execute their plan. Harris’s psychopathy and Klebold’s depression were one of the reasons why they plotted their attack.

Eric and Dylan had been sent to Juvenile prison for attempting to break into a van. Harris tried to join the Marine Corp but was not accepted because an antidepressant that he was issued in court. When the boys got out they started to become part of the Neo Nazi movement with the rest of the Mafia. Eric started to have sadistic thoughts and Dylan wanted revenge for being bullied. No one showed concern for the boys at all.

The biggest fear that many students around the world attempt to avoid is to be physically and emotionally damaged. The goal is to blend in with well-respected classmates and to fit in with others. Although, to those who do not achieve this goal, they are usually targeted by an immature bully. However, an average bully is able to create a more fierce bully within an innocent victim. Perhaps a monster is enraged and caged inside of everyone.

At the time it was the most horrific in terms of the number of students killed, reported at 13 and 24 reportedly wounded. According to USA Today, Greg Toppo 2009, the two perpetrators of this tragic event had intentions of killing thousands. And the two, Eric Harris and Dylan Kleboid, were a contrast when compared to one another and again show why a profile cannot be developed and is a dangerous approach. The article reports the two were not bullied according to their diaries reviewed following their deaths. The two had actually bragged about being the bullies picking on “fags” and freshman.

Journalist and author, Dave Cullen, in his book, Columbine, redefines how his readers understand the Columbine tragedy. His purpose is to illustrate the misconceptions Americans have of the shooting by explaining how these misconceptions came about and became rooted in Americans’ minds, although they were so unbelievably wrong. Cullen creates a blunt tone in order to get straight to the facts to show who Eric really was. Through his use of rhetorical devices in this passage, Cullen unravels that Eric was not a bullied outcast like so many believe, but a psychopath.

After watching this documentary on the actions that took place in 2002, it immediately brought me back to the pain and guilt America felt as a whole. The sociological conflict that is strongly shown here is conflict. It was the second “big thing” to happen to us after 9/11. It is very safe to say, we were scared. What person in the right mind could ever do such a thing, and why?

Starting this research paper, I was a little freaked out. I began searching for topic on Magnolia, a site I have never used before, and I could not find anything. My heart began to beat hard as I browsed through the website. Finally, after minutes of searching, I found that I wanted to talk about school shootings. After this discovery, I then needed to decide what school shootings to talk about, and if I was going to do a cause and effect essay or a compare and contrast essay.

Throughout the trial we learn more about what actually happened, the catalyst for Peter’s actions and the perhaps not so innocent victims. Peter is eventually convicted and is sentenced to life in prison. A month after the final sentencing, Peter commits suicide by stuffing a sock down his throat. One year after the shooting we are taken back to Sterling High where a memorial had been erected and a plaque calls the building a “safe harbor” the validity of which could be called into question, because for many of the students, despite social standing, didn’t feel that Sterling really was a “safe harbor.” Many schools and situations are not “safe harbors” for students.