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A very high proportion of serial killers are found to have either a brain abnormality, or an history of unconsciousness, blackouts or seizures.
I feel strongly that psychopathy is born into some, and can be acquired by others - either from being raised by a psychopath themselves thereby learning the behaviour, or from some undiagnosed brain injury or trauma.
Eric Harris was a psychopath, who knows if he had suffered a brain injury, or if he was just "born bad"? It would seem he had a normal, non-abusive background. I would be interested to know if he was ever hospitalised as a child.
But did you read the book Columbine? He wasn't bullied...that was a myth (as was the "Trenchcoat Mafia"). You're right; he had few friends.
Klebold apparently suffered from suicidal depression. His parents said they didn't recognize his depression. It's doubtful that he would have agreed to take part in this without Harris's cajoling. Apparently he tried to back out of it more than once.
Harris showed those signs when he was a small child, according to investigators.
The book Columbine is filled with many errors, assumptions and lies and bullying being one of them. Many of Eric's friends and other people talked about him being bullied alot because of his small size, clothing, appearence, etc. In his journal he talked about how people were constantly making fun of him and how he was going to get ultimate revenge and being left out of things. In the basement tape transcipt he and Dylan talked about them being mistreated over the years. The Trenchcoat Mafia was an actual group but Eric and Dylan werent apart of it. They just had friends who were involved in the group.
I do believe that Dylan was very depressed and suicidal. But Dylan mentioned of going on a killing spree before Eric and the person he wanted to do it with wasnt Eric. This was in his journals. Where did you see that he tried to back out of it?
I dont believe the investigators. There was a video of Eric's friends in Plattsburgh describing him very differently than how people had made him out to be. I agree with them that he probably would have turned out alot differently if they stayed in Plattsburgh.
Was Eric Harris a psychopath? How does someone so young become labeled as such?
There is a genetic component to this pathology. Apparently the remaining determinants are environmental. What do you thinnk? How does one become a psychopath? If these traits are exhibited in childhood, is there a way to avert their development? What leads some psychopaths to commit murder?
Anyone who commits a heinous crime is labelled a psychopath by someone, sooner or later. They can't imagine that someone like you and me would do such a thing; there must be something terribly wrong with them. The actual evidence suggests that Eric Harris was harassed endlessly by the jocks and preppies at Columbine High and he was not getting any help from anyone. Teenagers are well-known for coming up with stupid ideas and acting on them instead of going to someone for help. I think the fact that he went in there armed to the teeth is a measure of how scared and angry he was, not how sociopathic he was.
The book Columbine is filled with many errors, assumptions and lies and bullying being one of them. The Trenchcoat Mafia was an actual group but Eric and Dylan werent apart of it.
Actually, it's the most thoroughly researched book ever published about Columbine. The author spent ten years researching information and debunking the myths of groups like the Trench Coat Mafia, which was a nonviolent group of computer gamers who feuded with the jocks at Columbine High. Have you read it?
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I dont believe the investigators. There was a video of Eric's friends in Plattsburgh describing him very differently than how people had made him out to be.
You belive testimony from his friends over the investigators? Did you read some of what Harris's classmates and his former girlfriend had to say about him?
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Dylan mentioned of going on a killing spree before Eric and the person he wanted to do it with wasnt Eric. This was in his journals. Where did you see that he tried to back out of it?
In both Cullen's book and in the book by Harris's friend and classmate Brooks Brown, who wrote The Truth Behind Columbine, a chilling account of his relationship with both boys.
Anyone who commits a heinous crime is labelled a psychopath by someone, sooner or later.
Not true. Klebold was not a psychopath. It's doubtful that Charles Manson is one. Neither is Jared Laughner, the Tucson shooter, nor Adam Lanza from Sandy Hook, and it's unlikely that James Holmes of the Aurora, CO massacre was, either. Plenty of people who commit crimes are never labeled as psychopaths.
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The actual evidence suggests that Eric Harris was harassed endlessly by the jocks and preppies at Columbine High and he was not getting any help from anyone.
Also not true. His father bailed him out countless times after his son's run-ins with the law. They took him to a psychiatrist. He was prescribed an antidepressant. His teachers as well as his employer tried to intervene.
Actually, it's the most thoroughly researched book ever published about Columbine. The author spent ten years researching information and debunking the myths of groups like the Trench Coat Mafia, which was a nonviolent group of computer gamers who feuded with the jocks at Columbine High. Have you read it?
You belive testimony from his friends over the investigators? Did you read some of what Harris's classmates and his former girlfriend had to say about him?
In both Cullen's book and in the book by Harris's friend and classmate Brooks Brown, who wrote The Truth Behind Columbine, a chilling account of his relationship with both boys.
There's nothing wrong with reading his book but there are so many things that Dave Cullen got wrong in his book. 1. The Brenda Parker story was completely false and she mentioned in the documents that she made the entire story up but he used it anyways. 2. He described how AnnaMarie Holchalter was shot and paralyzed completely wrong. 3. How he knew Eric expressed remorse in the libary after it was all over. 4. He knew exactly what they were thinking and feeling that day. How on earth would he know numbers 3 and 4? 5. That the Harrises accepted the fact that Eric was a physcopath. 6. They werent very good at sports which is untrue because people have said that Eric was a very good soccer player and Dylan was very good at baseball and many others.
Yes, I believe what his friends like Brooks, Chris, Nate, Tiffany said than the investigators who didnt know him and didnt see what was going on during the typical school day. And I do believe what his friends in Plattsburgh said when they described him as a child. I dont think he was showing certain signs until high school.
Last edited by Catherine813; 02-28-2013 at 09:20 PM..
1. The Brenda Parker story was completely false and she mentioned in the documents that she made the entire story up school day.
We probably won't ever know the truth about Brenda Parker. Apparently she came forward to police claiming she was dating Eric and had slept with him. She said that he told her he was much older than he really was; she was 24 at the time. But there is no mention of her in Eric's journals and none of his friends remember her. Apparently she posted some strange information on her website after the publicity about her died down.
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2. He described how AnnaMarie Holchalter was shot and paralyzed completely wrong.
I'd have to re-read the book; it's been awhile.
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5. That the Harrises accepted the fact that Eric was a physcopath.
Actually, they didn't. That assessment was made well after Columbine, and was questioned, since Harris was barely 18 and that label is not normally used when referring to children.
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I do believe what his friends in Plattsburgh said when they described him as a child. I dont think he was showing certain signs until high school.
Harris showed little or no empathy for others when he was a small child. (It was Klebold who apparently had a "normal" childhood and whose parents said he changed dramatically sometime in middle school.)
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6. They werent very good at sports which is untrue because people have said that Eric was a very good soccer player and Dylan was very good at baseball and many others.
"Eric was always afraid to make a mistake, he wouldn’t even swing playing baseball in little league because he wasn’t very good and he didn’t want to strike out..". from DylanKlebold.com
We probably won't ever know the truth about Brenda Parker. Apparently she came forward to police claiming she was dating Eric and had slept with him. She said that he told her he was much older than he really was; she was 24 at the time. But there is no mention of her in Eric's journals and none of his friends remember her. Apparently she posted some strange information on her website after the publicity about her died down.
I'd have to re-read the book; it's been awhile.
Actually, they didn't. That assessment was made well after Columbine, and was questioned, since Harris was barely 18 and that label is not normally used when referring to children.
Harris showed little or no empathy for others when he was a small child. (It was Klebold who apparently had a "normal" childhood and whose parents said he changed dramatically sometime in middle school.)
"Eric was always afraid to make a mistake, he wouldn’t even swing playing baseball in little league because he wasn’t very good and he didn’t want to strike out..". from DylanKlebold.com
1. I honestly dont believe Eric slept with anyone. In his jounals he talked about how he desperately needed to get laid. If he already slept with someone I dont think he would be as concerned.
2. Yes, I know they havent made a comment about whether or not Eric was a physcopath. But Cullen said it anyways.
3. I think they both had normal childhoods except for the part when Eric moved alot. And from what I saw in interviews of people who actually knew him as a child said the opposite and described him as loving and friendly.
4. He might not have liked playing baseball like his friends suggested but he enjoyed soccer.
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