It's been a couple of weeks since the Red Lake tragedy...
Of no surprise, as the world and the media move on to other things, this event will probably fade from the memories of most Americans.
The experts and professionals, however, will be quietly digging through the life of Jeff Weise for a while longer. But I don't believe there will ever be clear-cut answers as to why this sixteen-year-old went on his shooting spree.
I certainly don't know all the reasons. Yet, what I do know is that Jeff was a lonely, angry, depressed and troubled boy who probably thought the whole world was against him, and that fate had cursed him. His father's suicide must have devastated him. But I could not find any articles that gave Jeff's age when his dad took his own life.
I am certain, however, that Jeff needed a close friend. He did have family living on the reservation. But having kin nearby doesn't mean there's a deep bond. Nowadays, many family members are more like strangers to one another.
Jeff Weise needed someone to show him love and a healthy dose of attention. He needed affirmation that someone cared about him. Perhaps, too, that if he had one individual to tell him "I value you" and you are a "worthwhile" person, this disaster could have been averted.
He was on medication for his depression, and he was interviewed by a professional after his suicide attempt. Nevertheless, as is often the case, his cries of despair went unheeded; he didn't seem to know whom to ask for help or where to find it.
Obviously, there were many factors which came into play for this to happen, and many negative events in Jeff Weise's life converged to produce an explosive mix. Choosing to murder someone, though, is always the wrong choice.
In our culture where young men are taught to act tough and hide their emotions, and where it is thought to be childish to ask for help, it's improbable to think that troubled adolescents will open up and talk freely about their difficulties, or about the seeming meaninglessness of their lives without lots of coaxing and encouragement.
Men are taught to keep a straight face and to be rugged. Guns, too, can sometimes be a part of this. Both in the movies and in books, such weapons are seen as problem solvers. It's easier, young minds may reason, to dispatch a person with a firearm than to work hard at trying to have a good relationship with that individual. Like Adolf Hitler's "Final Solution" to get rid of undesirables, a gun or knife seems to provide a quick remedy.
Unfortunately, Jeff Weise was ready for this. He was open to violence. He felt he had run out of options. His cries for help went unanswered. No one loved him, so he thought, and he saw no hope of things changing for the better. Thus, he would take as many as he could with him to a dark grave.
What a waste! I am convinced that this did not have to happen. The Red Lake High School shootings were preventable. Jeff needed real friends.
D.B.
The experts and professionals, however, will be quietly digging through the life of Jeff Weise for a while longer. But I don't believe there will ever be clear-cut answers as to why this sixteen-year-old went on his shooting spree.
I certainly don't know all the reasons. Yet, what I do know is that Jeff was a lonely, angry, depressed and troubled boy who probably thought the whole world was against him, and that fate had cursed him. His father's suicide must have devastated him. But I could not find any articles that gave Jeff's age when his dad took his own life.
I am certain, however, that Jeff needed a close friend. He did have family living on the reservation. But having kin nearby doesn't mean there's a deep bond. Nowadays, many family members are more like strangers to one another.
Jeff Weise needed someone to show him love and a healthy dose of attention. He needed affirmation that someone cared about him. Perhaps, too, that if he had one individual to tell him "I value you" and you are a "worthwhile" person, this disaster could have been averted.
He was on medication for his depression, and he was interviewed by a professional after his suicide attempt. Nevertheless, as is often the case, his cries of despair went unheeded; he didn't seem to know whom to ask for help or where to find it.
Obviously, there were many factors which came into play for this to happen, and many negative events in Jeff Weise's life converged to produce an explosive mix. Choosing to murder someone, though, is always the wrong choice.
In our culture where young men are taught to act tough and hide their emotions, and where it is thought to be childish to ask for help, it's improbable to think that troubled adolescents will open up and talk freely about their difficulties, or about the seeming meaninglessness of their lives without lots of coaxing and encouragement.
Men are taught to keep a straight face and to be rugged. Guns, too, can sometimes be a part of this. Both in the movies and in books, such weapons are seen as problem solvers. It's easier, young minds may reason, to dispatch a person with a firearm than to work hard at trying to have a good relationship with that individual. Like Adolf Hitler's "Final Solution" to get rid of undesirables, a gun or knife seems to provide a quick remedy.
Unfortunately, Jeff Weise was ready for this. He was open to violence. He felt he had run out of options. His cries for help went unanswered. No one loved him, so he thought, and he saw no hope of things changing for the better. Thus, he would take as many as he could with him to a dark grave.
What a waste! I am convinced that this did not have to happen. The Red Lake High School shootings were preventable. Jeff needed real friends.
D.B.
