Smypathy for the Columbine Devils: Mark Ames starts blogging for the Guardian
Mark Ames, author of Going Postal, is now blogging for The Guardian, thereby also inaugurating a new category on this blog, viz. Author Pontification. Watch out for more Ames posts on The Guardian, as well as several authors to start in at the Huffington Post. In fact, one author has already started over there, but I can't say who because he's the author of The Whistleblower, an expose of the pharmaceutical industry, and he's anonymous, for the moment.
Back to Mark and a little taste of what he has to say (but go to his post for the links, sorry!):
Columbine has inspired countless kids to take up arms. In this sense, it strongly resembles a kind of internal rebellion that is both persistent and spreading, a rebellion that hasn't yet been recognised.As in previous years, the lead-up to April 20 again saw a number of "plots" uncovered at schools across the country. Just to give a few examples:
• Two students at Gulf Shores high in Alabama were arrested in late March on suspicion of plotting an April 20 "Columbine-style shooting";
• In Platte City, Missouri, two teens were arrested this week and charged with threatening a "Columbine-type" massacre on April 20;
• A dozen seventh graders were suspended this week after being accused of plotting to bring weapons to their school in Fairbanks, Alaska, and kill other students;
• Near Tacoma, Washington, three boys, ages 12, 13 and 14, were arrested on April 7, planning to shoot up and burn down their school with everyone inside;
• Four teenagers at Winslow high school township in Atco, New Jersey were arrested last week on suspicion of plotting an elaborate lunchtime attack on their school;
And so on. It reads like a green zone military press briefing, except that the armed plots and attacks are taking place in what should be the happiest, most content places on earth.