It's been one year since a mad killer went on a rampage at Dawson College. It seems so long ago. Although it must seem like yesterday for some of his victims.
Leslie Markofsky will set off metal detectors at airports for the rest of his life. The 23-year-old has a bullet in his body - lodged inside his head.
In the year since Mr. Gill unleashed his rage-fuelled rampage at Dawson, killing student Anastasia De Sousa and injuring 20 others, progress can be measured in large ways and small. For Mr. Markofsky, his personal victory is simply to be alive.
He had to learn how to speak, read, and walk again.
But what have WE learned?
There have been stories about other victims and how Dawson College is now a safer place.
There was story about the policeman who shot the gunman in the arm...and caused him to kill himself moments later. Which I really didn't bother to read.
But no stories about Kimveer Gill....or what could have been done to stop a sick and depressed young man from becoming a mad killer.
No signs either of the kind of debate they're having in Virginia.
Which is a pity....because as I said in that old post....as long as we can't do more to identify and treat these ticking time bombs in our midst before it's too late. The ghosts of the Columbine Killers will continue to haunt us.The mad killers will keep on killing.
It will happen again...
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UPDATE:
The Dawson kids marked the anniversary with sadness, hope and class.
And Premier Jean Charest said on French tv that the government would look at ways to allow psychiatrists to get help for disturbed kids like Kimveer Gill. Even if it means violating doctor- patient confidentiality.
I'm a big supporter of human rights. But I care about mentally ill people too much to believe that they should have the right to suffer...especially if they could hurt themselves or others.
And oh yes....they sang this song for Anastasia de Sousa...
From one angel to another...and hopefully also for the one who thought he was the Angel of Death.
You know I'm feeling a little better today...
Maybe something good WILL come out of this....
1 comment:
down here in Gawd's Kuntry, a lot of people want to arm teachers. Some want to arm ALL the students.
And on my uni campus, a motion was just passed to allow the campus police wear their sidearms at all times. Currently, the weapons are kept in lock-up in their office, and handed out only when needed. The thing is, the only time in the year I've been here when armed officers would have been required would be during VEISHA, in case the happy drunk idiots got out of hand again. And this year the idiots were all pretty well behaved. A couple years ago there was some serious rioting in the little downtown area next to campus...but some time off seems to have cooled their jets. I really think it's an extension of the over-reaction that produced those lovely bullet-proof backpacks...hell, I guess anything is better than actually talking and LISTENING to kids...
Safety First = Safeties Off.
ugh.
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