Harrisonville, MO Suicide

[kildraik]

Today was a very depressing day. A student here in little Harrisonville, and eighth grader named Zach, commited suicide last night, putting a bullet through his head. I knew him. It made me comtemplate how easy my life has been, compared to his. He pulled the trigger because people harased him about his cleft on his lip. This world is sick to others.

I'll post a link as soon as I find an online article.

What has this world come to?

 

[iMacZealot]

How sad. I'm sorry to hear about your and others' loss.

 

[stoid]

What does it say about the state of society and communication and people's ability to empathize if a 13 year old puts out his life because some kids at school are picking on him because of a minor appearance flaw? How blind can we be to the needs of others?

My prayers go out to the community and family that are all obviously deeply lost that something like this could happen.

 

[amateurmacfreak]

Oh wow. That honestly makes me feel like throwing up. Society sickens me.

Is there anyone to be compassionate? Is their anyone to give one bit of love? Can people ever be able to just be nice even though someone has an appearance "flaw"?

It's ridiculous and sad that this could bring someone to the edge. Society.... sickens me and makes me sad.

Kids can be cruel in middle school. It's not bad where I am, but while high school kids do more crazy things, I think kids start to find their place more and to form a real sort of identity.

Middle school just seems to be a bunch of insecure kids who don't know where they're going in life trying to make their lives better by doing stupid things and making fun of others.

 

[iMacZealot]

Oh, god, I hated middle school, especially going to a catholic one. I'm glad that's over with. I agree, in high school, everybody gets their own 'place' but there are others still on the edge. (Trying to remember the literary term for this.....)

 

[bousozoku]

I understand and feel really bad for what his family is feeling now. I was constantly harrassed from 1st grade through 12th. In a country that claims to be full of individuals, why do we attack differences? Why do all those individuals look like clones of each other and act like gangs?

Hope that it causes a fundamental shift for the better in the school and the town.

 

[spicyapple]

(Trying to remember the literary term for this.....)

Segregation?

I'm more concerned with how he obtained a gun. It was eye opening when I attended a function at a Tukwila high school in WA state. One of the signs on the school ground showed a gun with a cross through it, saying "Guns NOT Permitted" or something like that. We don't have anything like that in Canada.

 

[bousozoku]

Segregation?

I'm more concerned with how he obtained a gun. It was eye opening when I attended a function at a Tukwila high school in WA state. One of the signs on the school ground showed a gun with a cross through it, saying "Guns NOT Permitted" or something like that. We don't have anything like that in Canada.

While people don't walk around with guns, they're quite easily available, especially in rural areas where people tend to hunt. I would expect that he would have found a way without a gun, had it not been available.

 

[quigleybc]

We don't have anything like that in Canada.

I know,

Even if I wanted a gun ( I do kind of ) I have no clue how to get one.

And there's no concealed weapons here right? I'll never forget when I used to live in the US, and a woman was rummaging through her purse for something, and she began removing items, including a pistol....

I was so shocked.

 

[mactastic]

That sucks. And someone was grossly irresponsible with a firearm.

 

[thedude110]

How blind can we be to the needs of others?

I know where you're coming from, and I appreciate your sentiment. Some days I share it.

Right now, though, my reaction is that a whole lot of people weren't blind to what was going on with this kid -- they were either too slow, too afraid or too unsure to act.

How do you tell the kid who genuinely needs a counselor from the kid who desparately wants to portray the need for counseling? Fact is, sadly, you just can't catch every kid who needs help, no matter how vigilant you are.

I feel horrible for the family, teachers and friends of this kid. May they come through it as best they can.

 

[Chappers]

Speaking as someone who has a cleft lip and was bullied a bit - I never felt like killing myself - its very sad that when you are different you get bullied.