The lessons from Columbine
Ten years later, Virginia Tech and Binghamton prove we still can't understand—and stop—mass murderers
Ten years have passed since the massacre at Columbine High School, said Erika Stutzman in the Boulder, Colo., Daily Camera, and, out of respect for the dead, we should renew our commitment to “uncover the mysteries” of how such tragedies can happen. “As the massacres at Virginia Tech and in Binghamton prove, it is still too easy for mentally ill people to acquire weapons to commit mass murder.”
One thing that certainly doesn’t help, said E.J. Dionne in The Washington Post, is that “the American gun lobby is just too strong” for any “rational and limited gun regulation” to get through Congress. Let’s hope President Obama can make something happen. Obama should remember that the gun lobby rallied supporters against him, and that he will “stand up for the people who actually voted for him.”
Columbine killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold didn’t set out to be school shooters, said Robert VerBruggen in the National Review. “They were first and foremost school bombers.” The only reason we remember them for what they did with their guns is that their propane-tank bombs—which would have killed hundreds—didn’t go off.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Acid rain is back: the sequel nobody wanted
Under The Radar A 'forever chemical' in rainwater is reviving a largely forgotten environmental issue
-
Book reviews: 'Clint: The Man and the Movies' and 'What Is Wrong With Men: Patriarchy, the Crisis of Masculinity, and How (Of Course) Michael Douglas Films Explain Everything'
Feature A deep dive on Clint Eastwood and how Michael Douglas' roles reflect a shift in masculinity
-
Recreation or addiction? Military base slot machines rake in millions.
Under the Radar There are several thousand slot machines on military bases