Massacre at Northern Illinois University
By petebaja
@petebaja (516)
Mexico
February 15, 2008 3:32pm CST
A disgruntled teen enters the campus of Northern Illinois University and shoots dozens, killing six and wounding 16 students. As seems to be the MO of most of these campus shootings, he turned the gun on himself.
This follows a string of violent activity in university campuses across the United States.
Is this a copy cat murder? Does publicizing these crimes actually encourage or plant seeds in other kids' minds to do likewise? What's your opinion?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@girlgonefishing (2174)
• United States
17 Feb 08
Honestly Pete, I'm probably wrong, but I believe that people act the way they act because of the way they are brought up. I think that violence is more prevelant these days because of children not being raised the same way they used to be raised with morals.
@petebaja (516)
• Mexico
17 Feb 08
Well, you're probably right. From elementary through high school, I don't remember one student back-talking to a teacher or principal. I know that they put the fear of God in us. We would get punished for little things like missing homework or tardiness. I remember getting a demerit during elementary because I wrote one letter past the margins.
I see your point of view that how a child is raised has something to do with how they act. But it seems like these shootings are happening one after the other. It's kind of like fashion. The paparazzi photographs Paris Hilton accompanied by a little pup, suddenly it's trendy to have a little pup spruced up in public.
It's the monkey see, monkey do syndrome. We see something on TV, we imitate it. Do you see those captions on TV that say, "Don't try this at home"?
Oh, as much as I agree with you that raising children with good morals gives them a good foundation, they can't help but follow what looks glamorous on TV.
My point was that giving these nut heads air time might be glamorizing their actions. Just a thought.
1 person likes this
@meemingNEW (2226)
• Philippines
16 Feb 08
Actually, the shooter/gunman by the name of Steven Kazmierczak is already 27 years old . He is not a teen anymore. He studied in NIU and recently stopped studying there last year as what I have heard. Still the same scenario like most of the campus violence that happened after the tragic Virginia Tech shootings. Same scenario having a gunman directing gunpoint at some people either students/teachers or whoever he sees and after his killing spree, kills himself.
I'm getting tired of hearing all those campus violence. Can't the campus guards checked the bags or any possessions of students entering inside? That's why people can easily do such thing because of lack of security which should be corrected by most schools and universities if not all schools and universities through grade school up to college. I actually believe that too much publicity of this crimes corrupts the minds of people not just adults but teens especially those who have mental conditions. It is like helping those who have mental problems to have the courage like those shooters to commit those crimes thus provoking other people to do the same thing as what they did.
The recent campus violence saddened me and at the same time made me realize that none of us are safe in this cruel world. That is why as much as possible, we should spend and live our lives to the fullest.. We should be happy, thankful of what we have and show our loved ones how we feel about them before its too late.
-God bless you.- take care
@jormins (1223)
• United States
16 Feb 08
It would be impossible to check every bag at these schools because they are so large. Look how tough it is at the airport and that is an enclosed area. These campuses are small cities. Dekalb is basically the college (a small city) in the middle of a bunch of corn fields. They'd have to declare martial law and get the national guard out there to stop and check everyone. They do have a huge problem as this will happen again and again.
@meemingNEW (2226)
• Philippines
16 Feb 08
Thanks for correcting me with that. I haven't known till now that NIU is a university consisting of more than 20,000+ students yet in a middle of cornfields / in a small city .. Yeah, it is impossible but at least they put some metal detectors or something. Anyway, it is definitely possible that another campus violence happens but the question is, where next? Well just hope that there won't be a next time , if not.. if there will be a next time, hopefully no lives will be taken..
Thanks
@Chey1970 (1186)
• United States
17 Feb 08
I had read about this in the newspaper, and for the life of me I can't phantom what would cause any teen to do something like this.
He didn't have "one" person he was after, but on a ramapge of some sort and didn't care who he killed, before killing himself.
It's truly a shame!
