Posted on 10/10/2009 4:18:47 PM PDT by real saxophonist
Dylan Klebold's mom speaks in "O" magazine
"No inkling" of plans for Columbine massacre
By The Denver Post
Posted: 10/10/2009
Susan Klebold wrote an essay in the November issue of O magazine. (Denver Post file photo )An essay by the mother of Columbine killer Dylan Klebold says she had "no inkling" of her son's inner turmoil, and her examination of his journals has prompted her to learn about suicide in an effort to understand the school shooting.
The essay by Susan Klebold, which appears in the November issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, explores her son's role in the 1999 massacre where he and co-conspirator Eric Harris killed 12 students and a teacher and left two dozen wounded before killing themselves.
Neither family has spoken at length in the aftermath of what at the time marked the most deadly school shooting in U.S. history. Pending litigation contributed to the silence for several years, but even with the lawsuits resolved, repeated requests for interviews have been turned down.
In a news release, Oprah Winfrey also noted that Susan Klebold had declined interview requests but then, several months ago, agreed to write about her personal experience. The magazine released a few advance excerpts.
"From the writings Dylan left behind, criminal psychologists have concluded that he was depressed and suicidal," Susan Klebold wrote in one passage. "When I first saw copied pages of these writings, they broke my heart. I'd had no inkling of the battle Dylan was waging in his mind."
She added: "Dylan's participation in the massacre was impossible for me to accept until I began to connect it to his own death. Once I saw his journals, it was clear to me that Dylan entered the school with the intention of dying there. And so in order to understand what he might have been thinking, I started to learn all I could about suicide."
Susan Klebold received no payment for the essay, said a magazine spokesperson, but hoped to "raise suicide awareness and to generate support for organizations such as The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the American Association of Suicidology."
A spokesperson for the Klebolds' attorney, Gary Lozow, would not field questions and said that the Klebold family would have no further comment.
The magazine hits newsstands on Tuesday.
In another passage, Susan Klebold recounted the early morning before the violence began:
"Early on April 20, I was getting dressed for work when I heard Dylan bound down the stairs and open the front door. Wondering why he was in such a hurry when he could have slept another 20 minutes, I poked my head out of the bedroom. 'Dyl?' All he said was 'Bye.' The front door slammed, and his car sped down the driveway. His voice had sounded sharp. I figured he was mad because he'd had to get up early to give someone a lift to class. I had no idea that I had just heard his voice for the last time."
Another excerpt describes her struggle to come to grips with the tragedy.
"For the rest of my life, I will be haunted by the horror and anguish Dylan caused," she wrote. "I cannot look at a child in a grocery store or on the street without thinking about how my son's schoolmates spent the last moments of their lives. Dylan changed everything I believed about myself, about God, about family, and about love."
I’ve heard that before.
I’ve used it at least for 39 years . . .
It has persistently communicated exactly what I wanted it to communicate.
However, you need feel no compulsion to use it.
I find it wonderfully effective.
BTW, I coin words right and left.
I enjoy language and I enjoy playing with language.
Some people get used to it. Some don’t.
If my comment does not apply to your household, don’t get upset.
The basic fact is that working moms don’t know what their kids are doing. It’s just a fact.
I agree. There is no “legal” obligation, according to the wimp, sissy-pants court, for someone wearing a badge to protect.
Well, if you’re going to be a peace officer (ancient term back when honor and duty meant something) you should, sorta, kinda fulfill your oath. If not, go weave baskets.
So I’m not about to play the “legal obligation” game. I’m sure you know that “legality” can be twisted into a pretzel by any good shyster lawyer in our goofy, non-sensical court sytem.
What else you got besides some liberal’s interpretation of “legal interpretation.”
BTW, I agree with your inference that we each, whether on land, sea or air, need to personally protect ourselves and our family.
I also agree with your pointed assertion that our criminal, fascist government doesn’t give a spit about us.
This is amazing: I agree with two of three of your points. Hell, we’re almost blood brothers in philosophy.
so she got her hair done.....people need to take charge and go into action.......what else could she do? commit suicide herself? she kept busy doing what needed to be done. my father died and my mother got her hair done. big deal.
ABSOLUTELY.
As I said at great length at the time.
I’m certainly not a perfect parent, but NONE of my kids are mass murderers. The worst thing they do is neglect to clean up their room.
Mrs. Klebold seriously had her parental head up her ass and a lot of other kids and parents had to suffer the consequences.
Mr. Klebold included.
His abiding hostility and his abiding obsession with death . . . afforded plenty invites to the demonic.
Maybe. Maybe not. The point is, we don’t know the situation and are anxious to blame someone. I didn’t raise any mass murderers either. Most people don’t.
But, I guess you could be right. She could have given him too much stuff and too little time. Or he could have been a Bad Seed.
I resent your dig at working moms. They’re home from work a couple of hours at most after high school kids get home. I raised two children, 16 years apart. The first one I was at home. The second one I worked. They are both equally neurotic I always say.
In case you have no sense of humor, that is a joke. They are both incredibly wonderful people.
imho . . . that’s true to a negligible point.
PLEASE research
REACTIVE ATTACHENT DISORDER.
If you are not determined and able to emotionally attach with healthy affection to your child the first 8 years of their lives . . . and carry that forward as they age . . .
THEN DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN.
HEALTHILY ATTACHED CHILDREN TURN OUT FINE WITH IMPERFECT PARENTS. EVERY TIME. NO EXCEPTIONS.
HAVE NEVER SEEN A SINGLE EXCEPTION IN 35+ YEARS OF COUNSELING AND TEACHING.
Are you being sarcastic?
If so, not funny.
If not then you are an idiot.
Not sure which.
My PhD is in Clinical Psychology.
I’m not being sarcastic.
I’m far from an idiot.
I can’t imagine where you’re coming from, besides being uninformed.
If my comments don’t apply to you why are you resentful?
You know very well that American children are lonely and neglected and uneducated. Where are their mothers? Working.
Of course, if the SWAT team had entered the building and accidentally killed an innocent student, you would have been the first to blame them.
That’s the problem with you keyboard cowboys. You have an alligator mouth and a hummingbird ass.
I’m far from an idiot.
You have never proven this in your posting here.
You have an alligator mouth and a hummingbird ass.
First I ever heard that.
Gotta remember that one. My students would love it.
The thing about being a stay at home mother, you can never regret staying at home. If you are a working mother, you may regret NOT staying at home. It’s up to the working mother to determine if it is a sacrifice she is willing to make.
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