Columbine

The Skepticality podcast had an interview that I got a chance to listen to yesterday with Dave Cullen, the author of Columbine. I thought it was an excellent interview and a very good approach using a skeptical viewpoint. Cullen discussed the myths that control the Columbine narrative and the realities behind them. Some of the main points were:

1. Columbine wasn't a mass shooting, it was a failed bombing.

2. Dylan and Eric weren't persecuted loners bullied into submission, they were reasonably social and not disliked.

3. Dylan was depressed, but reachable. Eric was a psychopath who was going to be a killer pretty much no matter what happened.

4. No one was a target. Everyone was the target.

5. No one was asked "Do you believe in God?" and then shot when they answered "Yes."

The real question is whether or not these narratives can be rolled back. I doubt it.