PrincessLissa
New Member
I plan to put this in my perzine due out the first of May. I am interested to see how people in other parts of the nation, and even world react to the idea of multi million park for remeberance.
I went to the library the other day to innocently browse through some National Geograpichs. Directly above what I was looking for was the released evidence of the Columbine Incident. Being as close as I am to whole thing, I was the moth drawn erratically to the flame and I had to look. The first thing I looked for was Lisa’s statement. It saddened me to not only think of the history that she and I had but to see that somewhere between the shootings and leaving the hospital, someone took her class ring and a few other valuable items. Is it not enough that this girl was filling out college applications and received four gunshot wounds while crouched under a table next to dying friend?
Then I moved along to Nick’s story. His was slightly less upsetting, but just knowing that he had to go through that while I washing a pair of shorts I had borrowed from him after a summer day at the lake upset me quiet a bit.
After this I could not take much more and decided to leave the library. On the way out there was HUGE display for the new memorial. Our community wants to raise over 3 million dollars to build a park in remembrance of Columbine. The sign they had sprawled out across the entire lobby and had quotes from survivors in bold letters all across it. “People saw it on TV and said they were going through it with me. They were not, I was by myself.” The entire world was able to witness this act on TV. Many in our community said something along the lines of feeling it with the students and teachers. We may not have felt scared for our lives or threatened with large firearms, but we were scared nonetheless. I sat waiting for my stepbrother to come home. I waited to watch my friends run out of the school or give an interview so I would know they were okay. I saw the students at Leawood crying with blood on their CHS Senior shirts that I had worn only one year before. My friends died too. My friends were injured and scared for their life too. So don’t tell me that I wasn’t feeling the pain of Columbine because I was. The difference is, I can let it go. Apparently, whoever said this cannot. The next quote was even worse for me.
“I hope this will be a place [the memorial] where people will come to remember, not focus on death.” The people in this community, and families of the victims will use the memorial as a place to remember and help them heal. What about the other 50 billion people that will come to simply see a “landmark”. Look at how many people still slow down in front of the school, point, look out the window and comment. It has been 5 years! We have had 5 years time to remember, be invaded by media at any given moment, and be questioned about our whereabouts when it happened. What about the kids who have no attachment and may not even know the meaning of the memorial. I would hate for some kid to put his cigarette out on Daniel’s name. Or a group of teens “partying” in what will be a well-covered area of the park. I agree that we should have some form of memorial, but what about a wall, a plaque, or a stone. If this would have happened in central Denver or Five Points, there would be no memorial. There would be no quest to raise 3 million dollars. There would be no constant media coverage for the last five years. My best friend could come out of hiding and no longer fear that everyone will think he was involved.
Our community is trying to put this past us, or so they say. I blame the media for a lot, but this five year long stretch may not be entirely their fault. The community is always finding new ways to remind us. Scholarships, student awards, license plates, fundraisers, memorials, and lawsuits. With all this commotion, we will NEVER be able to move on and remember. We will always focus on the tragedy if people continue to advertise as such. When will it end? When will we look for a solution rather than another place to paste the words “We Are Columbine”?
I went to the library the other day to innocently browse through some National Geograpichs. Directly above what I was looking for was the released evidence of the Columbine Incident. Being as close as I am to whole thing, I was the moth drawn erratically to the flame and I had to look. The first thing I looked for was Lisa’s statement. It saddened me to not only think of the history that she and I had but to see that somewhere between the shootings and leaving the hospital, someone took her class ring and a few other valuable items. Is it not enough that this girl was filling out college applications and received four gunshot wounds while crouched under a table next to dying friend?
Then I moved along to Nick’s story. His was slightly less upsetting, but just knowing that he had to go through that while I washing a pair of shorts I had borrowed from him after a summer day at the lake upset me quiet a bit.
After this I could not take much more and decided to leave the library. On the way out there was HUGE display for the new memorial. Our community wants to raise over 3 million dollars to build a park in remembrance of Columbine. The sign they had sprawled out across the entire lobby and had quotes from survivors in bold letters all across it. “People saw it on TV and said they were going through it with me. They were not, I was by myself.” The entire world was able to witness this act on TV. Many in our community said something along the lines of feeling it with the students and teachers. We may not have felt scared for our lives or threatened with large firearms, but we were scared nonetheless. I sat waiting for my stepbrother to come home. I waited to watch my friends run out of the school or give an interview so I would know they were okay. I saw the students at Leawood crying with blood on their CHS Senior shirts that I had worn only one year before. My friends died too. My friends were injured and scared for their life too. So don’t tell me that I wasn’t feeling the pain of Columbine because I was. The difference is, I can let it go. Apparently, whoever said this cannot. The next quote was even worse for me.
“I hope this will be a place [the memorial] where people will come to remember, not focus on death.” The people in this community, and families of the victims will use the memorial as a place to remember and help them heal. What about the other 50 billion people that will come to simply see a “landmark”. Look at how many people still slow down in front of the school, point, look out the window and comment. It has been 5 years! We have had 5 years time to remember, be invaded by media at any given moment, and be questioned about our whereabouts when it happened. What about the kids who have no attachment and may not even know the meaning of the memorial. I would hate for some kid to put his cigarette out on Daniel’s name. Or a group of teens “partying” in what will be a well-covered area of the park. I agree that we should have some form of memorial, but what about a wall, a plaque, or a stone. If this would have happened in central Denver or Five Points, there would be no memorial. There would be no quest to raise 3 million dollars. There would be no constant media coverage for the last five years. My best friend could come out of hiding and no longer fear that everyone will think he was involved.
Our community is trying to put this past us, or so they say. I blame the media for a lot, but this five year long stretch may not be entirely their fault. The community is always finding new ways to remind us. Scholarships, student awards, license plates, fundraisers, memorials, and lawsuits. With all this commotion, we will NEVER be able to move on and remember. We will always focus on the tragedy if people continue to advertise as such. When will it end? When will we look for a solution rather than another place to paste the words “We Are Columbine”?
