What Important Lesson Have Americans Learned from the Columbine Tragedy?

by Suzie Smith, Age 16

Lesson learned? Possibly we have learned that without God in our lives we cannot live in peace or even safety. The teens at Columbine figured that out quickly, as most of them professed that the first thing they thought to do was pray to God to save their lives. The gift of life, precious as it is, is taken for granted by so many people until it is threatened.

Unfortunately, it’s actually surprising to me that the American people have been so shocked and astounded at this particular tragedy and all other school shootings. Because, in fact, with the legalization of assisted suicide and abortion through all 9 months of pregnancy, it’s the American society that is teaching the youth of today that it’s perfectly all right and acceptable to take the life of another person. Before we make any judgment about young people, we should look at the laws our country has made. When the adults of this country are legally killing 4,000 innocent children a day by the brutal, painful ways of abortion, how can we blame the kids that are killing other kids today?

The lesson we should have learned from this act of violence is to respect life in all cases, especially those that cannot defend themselves. None of us are perfect, how can we decide whether someone else is "worthy" of life? What gives anyone the right to make the decision for someone else to live or die? If the adults and authorities of this country take life into their own hands, can they expect the children not to do the same? If we keep making the same daily mistakes that we are now, have we really learned any lesson?