It is certainly one of the most valuable teaching aids known... the Mistake..! But what constitutes a mistake..? The old adage is "fool me once shame on me, fool my twice, shame on you" which simply says that you caught me off guard the first time, but the second time I am no to you. If a person makes the same "mistake" more than once, is it still a mistake or a deliberate act..? In the society of "Participation Trophy" recipients, no one is taught how to be "on to something" until they are forced to recognize it, then, if the situation is of such magnitude as to cause embarrassment, resentment, and thoughts of revenge - it is too late. A teacher, whether in a university or in a prison uniform; whether they are murderers, rapists, robbers, or any number of criminal types...they all provide us with information that in many cases is vital to life. Around the world there are many instances of acts that people do that would certainly qualify under the banner of a "horrible person" in our society...but, could in fact be perfectly normal in another society. Therefore, you must use what you have been taught by your parents; teachers; personal experience; and "horrible people" to gain truth in reality as it is perceived by your senses. So, in my opinion, a horrible person, more than many other people, can teach you more than what you would have learned had this person not committed their acts.

That's a great point and a common dilemma. As someone who has researched the Columbine incident since day one and being friends with some of the shooters' friends as well as other CHS students who knew them, I've talked about this with literally thousands of people. At the end of the day, what I found is that people have a hard time accepting the good that comes from situations like this because there is a persistent need to withhold any kind of 'credit' from the shooters. Not that they should be credited with the good that other people have done, but it's hard to just acknowledge that good came from their actions because it doesn't fit with the need to keep them categorized as sub-human.

The way I see it, there was no greater movement toward resolving the issues of bullying like there was after Columbine. I was lucky enough to get invited to sit in on a Teen Truth presentation and invited Dylan Klebold's childhood best friend while he was on a road trip in my area. The whole presentation was amazing. They gave kids cameras to film their lives for the school year and put together a film to showcase what teens go through. It was powerful. And in the end, I saw something crazy... all the kids were in tears, talking to each other, hugging each other, and it made a lasting impression on how they view bullying and the effects it has on other people. They never would have been invited to so many schools if Columbine had not highlighted the urgency for what they had to offer. It's what inspired them to quit their jobs as professional filmmakers and focus on Teen Truth.

A lot of people don't believe the shooters were bullied, but they were, relentlessly. But even if they weren't, we can still say they furthered a cause that has literally saved thousands of lives. It's sad that it takes a huge devastation for these causes to push forward, but tragedy is the catalyst for change. People didn't know kids were suffering so much, or that it was having such a terrible impact on their lives. Some still discount bullying and don't think it's a big deal, but for many, it's unbearable.

I think there's much to learn from people regardless of their actions because we are all more than our actions... especially actions made out of pain that is just part of the entire cycle of seemingly endless pain. There is so much to learn from both the shooters. Having spent the last twenty years involved in discussions about everything you can imagine, I can say with certainty that their actions and their story has been life-changing for tens of thousands of people in so many ways it's impossible to document all of it.