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Klebolds Say They Don't Need Forgiveness {COLUMBINE MURDERS}
FoxNews ^ | May 16, 2004 | AP

Posted on 05/16/2004 8:12:03 AM PDT by wallcrawlr

Edited on 05/17/2004 5:55:48 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

NEW YORK — In their first interview since the Columbine High School massacre, the parents of one of the killers said they feel no need be forgiven and didn't realize their son was beyond hope until after he was dead.

"Dylan (Klebold) did not do this because of the way he was raised," Susan Klebold told columnist David Brooks in Saturday's editions of The New York Times. "He did it in contradiction to the way he was raised."

Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris killed 13 people on April 20, 1999, before taking their own lives.

The couple took issue with people who say they forgive them for what happened.

"I haven't done anything for which I need forgiveness," Susan Klebold said.

They acknowledged they missed signs that their son was in trouble. Klebold and Harris were in a juvenile diversion program for breaking into a van and stealing tools and other items in January 1998.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: bang; columbine
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Clueless....
1 posted on 05/16/2004 8:12:04 AM PDT by wallcrawlr
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To: wallcrawlr

I'm getting a bit tired of the flurry of apologies from everybody to everbody.


The pussification of America continues.......


2 posted on 05/16/2004 8:20:27 AM PDT by Taquito
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To: wallcrawlr

The brave new world.


3 posted on 05/16/2004 8:21:18 AM PDT by traumer
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To: Taquito; hellinahandcart
And the scapegoating continues.

I've seen no evidence of any contribution to what those two little monsters became from their parents, except perhaps a little inattentiveness.

These Columbine parents are right up there with the 9/11 Jersey Girls...

4 posted on 05/16/2004 8:27:45 AM PDT by sauropod (Paleo-cons make better lovers)
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To: wallcrawlr
The Klebolds said their son was set off by the "toxic culture" of the school, where athletes were worshipped and bullying was tolerated.

Why do parents day after day year after year voluntarily keep their children in schools that don't stop bullying? They knew the schools weren't going to stop it, they knew it was going on and still they send their kid there. Worthless parenting in my book.

And don't bother with the 'they have to get use to real life' garbage. I've been out of high school for over 20 years and have NEVER been bullied, harrassed, ridiculed, ostracized, or beaten up out here in the 'real world'. This is strictly a school (and jail) way of life.

I'm sure if one of the Klebold parents endured bullying in THEIR workplace they'd either quit or call a laywer.

5 posted on 05/16/2004 8:32:50 AM PDT by Lizavetta (Savage is right - extreme liberalism is a mental disorder.)
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To: wallcrawlr

Weren't one or both of these kids on some kind of pharmaceutical....Ritalin or Prozac or something?


6 posted on 05/16/2004 8:34:07 AM PDT by Lizavetta (Savage is right - extreme liberalism is a mental disorder.)
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To: wallcrawlr

Is this the type of socialization home-schooled children are missing out on?

Absentee parenting and a substitute value system created by the education monopoly are a cocktail for failure.

One reason that the ignorant tend to be blissfully self-assured is that the skills required for competence often are the same skills necessary to recognize competence.


7 posted on 05/16/2004 8:35:28 AM PDT by RunningJoke
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To: wallcrawlr

"Tom Klebold said they hope to understand someday why the shooting happened. "

My wife is a high school teacher and I can tell you all that with the general environment of no disipline in high schools today this will happen again.

Administrations generally are hampered by the current crop of parents that act like ACLU lawyers whenever their kids get into trouble and these parents seek to defend their children for any infraction of the rules. Law suits also pay a role in stopping any kind of meaningful disipline in high schools.

My wife is told regularly how to teach, disipline and conduct class by "know-it-all" parents. ( Would they tell their auto mechanic how to fix a broken transmission? )

Lastly, kids today have very little respect for schools/teachers and they don't take education seriously enough or value the process to help the parents, teachers and administrators who want to have good schools.


8 posted on 05/16/2004 8:35:45 AM PDT by BeAllYouCanBe (You are what you eat.)
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To: wallcrawlr
I tend to agree with her.
If we expect her to be held accountable for the actions of someone else, then in another example, shouldn't Bush then be held accountable for what transpired at the hands of a few in Iraq prisons?
9 posted on 05/16/2004 8:37:14 AM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
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To: Lizavetta
Clintalin.

:o)

10 posted on 05/16/2004 8:37:59 AM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
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To: Lizavetta

yes, at least one was on Ritalin. These parents would blame George Bush if he had been President.


11 posted on 05/16/2004 8:41:45 AM PDT by bboop
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To: Lizavetta

"Why do parents day after day year after year voluntarily keep their children in schools that don't stop bullying?"

Sadly, many kids go through the system and become good adults -- so parents still believe in that their kids can get an education. It is difficult for many to home school.

In the local school district here in CA 40% of the parents cannot speak English and send their kids to learn. Many kids are damaged for life by introduction to drugs (legal and illegal) and crime and violence.

You make a good point but I don't see the system changing soon.


12 posted on 05/16/2004 8:43:37 AM PDT by BeAllYouCanBe (You are what you eat.)
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Thought I should add to my previous comments:

If I recall, the Klebolds did say they were sorry for what had happened, and what their son did.

However, here she seems to be talking about apologizing as in accepting personal responsibility for Dylan's rampage.

Personally, I don't think she is responsible. She may be responsible for other area of parenting that may have caused Dylan to rebel, but responsible for the "Columbine Shootings"? I don't think so.
13 posted on 05/16/2004 8:46:07 AM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
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To: sauropod
A little inattentiveness?

These kids were able to purchase and hide several guns, ammunition and pipe bombs without their parents noticing a thing. They were building bombs in the house, and the parents didn't notice. The kids were compiling lists of who they wanted to kill, and publishing the lists on the Internet. The kids filmed hours of videotape talking about what they planned. These are kids that went through the legal system, and that had been reported as making threats against other kids.

These parents were in no way involved in their kids lives. They sent the kids to a shrink, who put them on medication, and considered their job done.

These parents didn't do their job. That doesn't excuse the kids, but the world was a much better place when parents were routinely held responsible for the actions of their kids. Maybe if that were the case these kids would have been reigned in a long time before this happened.
14 posted on 05/16/2004 8:47:20 AM PDT by sharktrager (Insanity: To continue repeating the same act, each time expecting a different result.)
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To: Lizavetta
From today's NY Times reviewing on a book on race relations in the US after Brown:

Cashin approvingly quotes a white mother in Washington who sends her children to the largely black and sometimes violent public schools -- ''There are worse things than being shot. I don't want my kids to grow up being afraid of black people''

What's a little bullying if some parents are willing to have their kids shot?

15 posted on 05/16/2004 8:49:01 AM PDT by John Thornton
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To: wallcrawlr
You can see part of the problem just from reading the article.

Their "boys" could do no wrong.

They terrorized children and killed them, yet they were the victims.

"I think he suffered horribly before he died," Susan Klebold said. "For not seeing that, I will never forgive myself."

The Klebolds said their son was set off by the "toxic culture" of the school, where athletes were worshipped and bullying was tolerated.

They bullied children, yet they were the victim (They had heard the gunmen may have been part of the Trench Coat Mafia)

The parents exhibit their own signs of sociopathic behavior.

The couple took issue with people who say they forgive them for what happened. "I haven't done anything for which I need forgiveness," Susan Klebold said.

Attacking the true victims for forgiving them, not even being able to relate to the magnitude of this act.

Certainly sounds as if the parents directed their little darling toward a life of narcissism and hatred. I would not be surprised if they also encouraged bigotry.

16 posted on 05/16/2004 8:50:15 AM PDT by Lijahsbubbe (John Kerry is a dingleberry)
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To: BeAllYouCanBe
Many schools also have a hands-off policy which exacerbates the disrespect to the teachers. I know of one incident in which an out of control child (around 8 or 9) was running around the campus and the adults were following her - not stopping her, not dragging her back to the classroom but following her because they could legally do nothing more. When they caught up to her (this is 3 adults mind you) they formed a circle of bodies around her that moved as she moved, trying to get her to cease and desist with "would you like to do this" and " how about we go do this" all the while forbidden from any physical contact.

It was so ludicrous and at the same time shows so clearly how teachers' hands are tied.

17 posted on 05/16/2004 8:51:14 AM PDT by Lizavetta (Savage is right - extreme liberalism is a mental disorder.)
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To: BeAllYouCanBe
these parents seek to defend their children for any infraction of the rules.

Yes. And it's not just in the schools. It's the whole culture of "don't tell me my child did anything wrong" mentality.

18 posted on 05/16/2004 8:52:36 AM PDT by Lijahsbubbe (John Kerry is a dingleberry)
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To: wallcrawlr

Typically, people needing to place blame on others. Sorry, but those kids were not 10 year olds, they knew what they were doing.

Brooks Brown, who was friends with these boys and had his life threatened by Eric Harris at one point, wrote an excellent book on Columbine, why it happened, the environment of the school, and how police dropped the ball. I think it is a must read for everyone, especially those with kids.


19 posted on 05/16/2004 8:59:08 AM PDT by EvenStevens (When all else fails, find someone to blame.)
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To: sharktrager
Were you ever a teenager once?

My parents never found out the half of stuff that I did.

20 posted on 05/16/2004 9:02:36 AM PDT by sauropod (Paleo-cons make better lovers)
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