Yesterday, I wrote a post about how I didnt want to embellish on the negative with regards to the mass murders at UCSB and I wanted to focus on the fact that my son was okay. I am so grateful, relived and blessed but, as the initial shock is over, I am completely overwhelmed and not doing so well. My head keeps playing over and over again all the what ifs and the thought of knowing how close he was to having become a victim of this killer has got me in a complete tailspin. Cole lives on Alta Vista and so does his girlfriend. He had just finished a workout and in doing so, had made a last minute change to his plans for being out earlier, whereby as all the students do, he would have been on the main street where most of the University students hang out on a Friday night. The additional information that just came out about the killer having murdered a few boys back in his apartment before his shooting spree, sent me over the edge. He was luring boys into his place by asking for help and then killed them. Cole would have been the first person to help out another student and wouldnt have thought twice about entering the boys apartment as a kind gesture had he been asked. My sons girlfriend is in a sorority and is exactly the description of who this boy wanted to target. Blonde, pretty, smart and outgoing. Cole wasnt able to leave his apartment for 24 hours due to his block being a crime scene, but later was able to leave and reunited with his girlfriend, who had been alone since the shootings began. He walked around and took some photos of the neighbourhood and sent me a few which compounded the devastation for me. The scene was absolutely horrific. Due to the graphic nature of the pics, I am sure they have not been aired on TV. I completely devastated for the parents of the students that were shot and killed and my heart bleeds with heartache for them. The father of one of the victims speaking out yesterday was so difficult to watch. As for all the people who are NRA fans and believe that the US gun laws are okay, I am sorry to say this, but you should have your heads examined! Proponents of the current gun laws in the US have the absolute weakest arguments. Our forefathers, when writing the constitution, never foresaw what this country was to become in the future and the reasons for having the right to bear arms was for way different reasons back in the 1700s than it is now! Do you think they ever imagined there would be serial killers and gang killings?? 30,000 deaths a year are gun related!!!!! I wonder how many of you NRA supporters have had a loved one come close to or killed by a gun! I dont want to hear the ridiculous arguments from anyone in support of the gun laws in the United States. Theyre weak, self-serving and preposterous. The other issue I am trying to wrap my head around is the life of the shooter and what caused him to do this. As many of you know, I am a passionate anti-bullying advocate and after reading the manifesto from this boy, it is clear to me that he spent his life not feeling loved and accepted and often times that is the common thread of these types of killers. It is my hope that somehow we are awakening people to the devastation that is rejection and bullying and that kindnesses and awareness of others can affect someone life in such an enormous way. I will stop ranting, but please parents out there hug your children today, tell them you love them and cherish every second with them. I am considering hopping on a plane today to Santa Barbara just to hug my son...
Posted on: Sun, 25 May 2014 16:17:41 +0000
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