Columbine stepfather: 'And nothing changes'

By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 11, 2007 at 12:30 a.m.

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Petrone says he's a Republican, not anti-gun.

Photo by Linda McConnell / Special to the Rocky

Memorial flowers are left Monday near the Youth With A Mission dormitory in Arvada. Messages included "God Bless You" and "YWAM-Denver" after shootings Sunday in Arvada and Colorado Springs left five dead, including the gunman.

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December 11, 2007

10:50 a.m.

JustSayin writes:

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
December 11, 2007

11:40 a.m.

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LOUIE writes:

Ron T., that's pretty callous address to families who lost thier children at Columbine. "15 minutes of fame", no sir, those scars will forever be etched on the heart until this generation passes. I hope you never lose a child, for if you do, I think you will have a greater compassion than that which is shown in your statement.
December 11, 2007

1:57 p.m.

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gbcombs writes:

You are an ingnorant ass. I hope you never suffer the loss of a child or anyone you care about. But wait, it's just people after all-we certainly ought to be able to spare a few people here and there so you can keep your gun. In fact, since we can spare a few, I vote we start with you-given your ignorance it would probably be best if you don't breed anyway.
December 11, 2007

2:19 p.m.

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JustSayin writes:

gbcombs - you seem to subscribe to the argument "if it saves just one life....." Sorry, but who's the "ingnorant" ass? I've lost a brother to liver disease, but I don't and will never be part of the nannyist movement to ban alcohol. And my father passed just this fall from lung cancer, but I don't and will never be one of those who wants to outlaw tobacco.

The numbers are real and they matter - I notice neither you or shoutin' Louie addressed my salient point - that these murders are small potatoes compared to the number of people dying from other causes. Tragic and unacceptable - yes. Worthy of denying freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution? - NO! If we don't have the Constitution, then we have no rules - and trust me, you and your nannyist ilk wouldn't last too long in a world without rules of law and order. What would you do - try and pray a bad person into submission? Good luck with that.

As I started out - hysteria, sheer hysteria - and your shrieking proves my point.
December 11, 2007

2:33 p.m.

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LOUIE writes:

Ron T., I don't care about gun laws, I believe fully in the right to own guns, to include assualt weapons. My address was concerning your direct comment to the parents of the Columbine shooting victims, it was callious. Hey, you can come up with something better than "shoutin' Louie", I know your more creative than that. Impress me, give it a try.
December 11, 2007

2:33 p.m.

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scankersore writes:

Big drug companies posting record profits =
over 6 million children are now under going treatment for mental health disorders ..
they are treated with psychotropic drugs ...
psychotropic drugs are methamphetimines or derivatives thereof ...
long term use of methamphetimines leads to psychotic epiodes , paraniod delusions , suicidal thoughts and tendancies , violent uncontrolled fits of rage , brain lesions , heart disease and death.
now do the research and you will find that as long as we feed our children methamphetimines we should expect a blood bath of the sort never seen before given many children are now ticking time bombs set to go off at random ..
every case and instance of mass murder by children are preceeded by the use of psychotropic drugs ie. methamphetimines ..
if im wrong prove it...
December 11, 2007

2:47 p.m.

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fargo_son writes:

RonT, you obviously are mentally disturbed. I can understand it is hard to accept this. Have you seen a doctor, son? I'm a psychiatrist and can spot the obvious symptoms you are projecting. Please don't get too excited as we only want to help you. These poor unfortunate families who have lost loved ones, to obvious social-phychopath killers, deserve untold numbers of support for the pain they are suffering each day. If you think losing a family member to years of achohol & tobacco abuse is sad, think about the sadness of losing a beloved child to a hate-filled killer(s) who is only intent on going down in history as a serial murderer. There really is a difference. You have a problem with this and really need help. I really hope you get it before you do something really bad.
December 11, 2007

3 p.m.

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scankersore writes:

OH I forgot to mention these facts as well ..
1.) 50 percent of the US prison population are there for the use , manufacture or distribution of methamphetimines or derivitives thereof ..
2.) the US mental health institution under state controll diagnose
and treat over 6 million children per year for mental health disorders that they cannot prove actually exist with forensic neurological empherical scientific evidance ...
3.) 50 years ago there were only 50 conditions diagnosed and recorded for mental health disorders ..
now there are over 600 conditions diagnosed and recorded for mental health disorders
4.) if you let the state put your children on methamphetamines
based on the neurological medical expertise of your average K thru 12 school teacher in collusion with the school psychologist
and medical doctors whom have no expertise save than filling out the perscription .. these kids are / will go nutz and kill people ! its what these drugs do !
C'mon you idiots! Wake UP! do the research and find out what im saying is true ...
5.) the only ones profiting from one nation under drugs are the big pharm companies and the mental health professionals and doctors that are getting kick backs from pushing drugs on our children !
December 11, 2007

3:04 p.m.

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JustSayin writes:

fargo_son, you obviously are deranged and have delusions of grandeur. I can understand it is hard to accept this, as you attempt of offer aid pretending to be a professional. Please pull you head from your posterior.

What do you freaks do all day, play "go fish" with cards of 'my dead son is worth more than your dead so-and so'? Excuse me while I barf. The family that loses a loving father to disease grieves just as much as the family who lost their mother in the Minnesota bridge collapse and grieves just as much as the family who loses a son/daughter/sister/brother to a murdering scumbag. To suggest otherwise showcases your own callousness as you attempt to put your own dead on a pedestal higher than others.

Louie - read #4
http://computer.lifetips.com/cat/5962...
December 11, 2007

3:14 p.m.

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willbe writes:

First Ron T. rudeness will get you no where in the arguement that guns are o.k. People are screwed up. Prayers are for those who need them i.e. people who have lost loved ones, no matter the cause.
Second Ron T. I believe in the right to bear and keep arms. If someone else had been armed in the mall that recent shooter may not have killed as many. p.s. I'm not a nanny. None of the recent shooters needed hugs or more mental health care, drugs or psychotherapy.
Scankersore. You been on these meds? I agree sometimes we need to be angry it is a natural feeling. Society doesn't want to accept anger and view it as an immature emotion. How do we change society.
NO MORE HUGS FOR CRIMINALS.
December 11, 2007

3:29 p.m.

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scankersore writes:

As sorry as i feel for everyones losses the insanity lies within readch of why do our children and adults whom are on psychotropic drugs decide to kill ?
ad nausiem ADHD ADD and methamphetimines and barbituates " barbituates are what they proscribe to bring a speed freak back down" (ITS called a speed ball!) .. and guns to the scenerio...

ritalin , aderall , seratonin re-uptake inhibitors , barbituates , prozac , wellbuterin and the plethoria of drugs proscribed ...

And you still dont get it!?

look up on the web how many kids/ teens / adults committing these mass murders were or are on these drug coctails .... ALL OF THEM ! EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE ! IN EVERY INSTANCE BAR NONE !

I can imagine all whom read this cow eyed deer caught in the headlights going in one ear / eye and out the other !totally oblivious as to the real cause of these tragedies and still not getting the point...
this post is usless...
December 11, 2007

3:35 p.m.

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sosueme534 writes:

I would like to offer a suggestion to stop these people from thinking they will be famous for doing these things. Don't show their faces or names on tv and do not print anything about them except that they were mentally ill. Maybe if they don't think they will get a lot of press they will stop.
December 11, 2007

3:39 p.m.

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scankersore writes:

all of your views are resultant on the aftermath and not the causation of why these tragadies occur..
calling these kids criminals because the mental health system medicates them with long term methamphetamines and barbituates and now you are surprised at the out come?

prove any of my points wrong ...

look up my figures and facts posted ..

prove them wrong ...

you cant ...
December 11, 2007

3:48 p.m.

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scankersore writes:

sosume ... they were mentally ill because methamphetamines and barbituates " the ones the state and the mental health authorities put them on" made them mentally ill ...
look it up on the web ... they were all on psychotropics !
every case and instance ! each and every one !
December 11, 2007

3:58 p.m.

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uncle writes:

A Columbine father was asking, "What is wrong with us?" and "What have we become?" For all of my adult life I have been a world traveler and observer. "A third world country" was never accurately an economic term, but rather a social observation. The US has in recent decades become a third world country. The main characteristic of all third world countries was the role of religion in every issue and element of society. This is now the state of the US, but so few remember that it was not our past. We have replaced moral standards with religion. Thoughtless following of a "creed" is thoughtless life.
December 11, 2007

4:45 p.m.

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javelin68 writes:

Its not religon-its not the guns -its the parents who look the other way and are happy when the kids are out of the way and dont care what they do as long as it does not interfere with the parents fun and privacy!The anti gun people love to blow sunshine up your rearend about how the guns are to blame but not every killing is by a gun!The national coalition for gun control recently called for more laws and used murder Michael Richardsons story to push for them. Richardson stabbed and smothered his wife and smothered his son and infant daughter then did use a gun to commit suicide!I say good for the gun it saved the taxpayers a lot of monay , but did cause defense lawyers to lose a client [sad] they could of had a field day in court defending him? Man will always find a tool to kill his fellow man with [knife -club-fire-car-etc]WAKE UP America before its too late!!! Love and be there for your children!
December 11, 2007

5:24 p.m.

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missyvixen1217 writes:

What most people miss when debating this issue is the fact that the biggest contributor to these tragedies is simply accountability...most of the people that commit these heinous crimes have none, were never taught any and don't even know what the word means. Parents have gotten so wrapped up in themselves that they just really don't have time for their kids anymore, work, the gym, nights out with friends and all those other more "important" things are on their minds, getting back to good old fashioned family values where you didn't put up with cheating, stealing or lying and could take your kids out behind the woodshed for a good old fashioned "talking" to, when you could use the words "Christmas, prayer & God" without being in fear of "insulting" someone would be a good place to start.

To say that guns are at fault is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard...no, I do not own a gun and will never own a gun.... but sadly, the gun didn't go off by itself...several ask for more gun laws...and that solves what? You think most of these people even obtain them legally, nope they don't!

To say that anti-psychotics or mood altering medications given to a child is a reason for this behavior is absolutely ridiculous. I know first hand about these medications, my daughter is 14 and has idiopathic mental retardation, she has also been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder which is a condition that basically combines bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, she has been on MANY different combinations of meds for the last 10 years but she still knows what the difference between right and wrong is and knows there are consequences for her actions and behaviors. While these medications can cause very unpleasant side effects and even make some people worse because they aren't on the right doseage or medication for their particular situation, this is something ANY parent should realize and bring to the attention of the child's treating physician right away. If the treating physician won't listen to you then YOU as the parent have the right and the RESPONSIBILITY to find another physician that will, only YOU know if your child is being helped or harmed by the medications they are on.

I will get off my soapbox now and let someone yell at me and tell me how wrong I am since in America you are "free" to say anything you want to as long as everyone else agrees with it, votes on it and passes a bill to approve it.
December 11, 2007

6:32 p.m.

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victro writes:

Missy-I concur, and you stated the truth very eloquently.....Accountability, Responsibility, Respect, and Remorse for a person's actions, are the basics that appear to be missing. It is not because they don't know the difference between right or wrong, but the parenting role models often reflect a lack of respect, responsibility etc. thus the children learn from their parents.
December 11, 2007

8:29 p.m.

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LOUIE writes:

Missyvixen1217, that was very well put and on point. A lot of values have fallen by the wayside. It really does start at home, yet sometimes the world can have a great impact via peer pressure and other social factors, making it a real uphill battle for parents. It even hurts worse when those we look up to as role models fail. All you can do is give them not only your time , but the tools to deal with the setbacks. Watching children killing children is a terrible scar on our society. Your soapbox is more than welcome!
December 11, 2007

8:35 p.m.

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tinker1973 writes:

I have to agree with alot of what missyvixen wrote. It all comes down to parenting. I live in iowa not to far from omaha where the mall shootings were at. Im only in my thirties and my parents never spanked me but they installed values in me. You knew darn well that if you did something wrong, the police you did not need to worry about, but your parents were gonna make sure you did worry about them as parents. Yes there are parents who have no business being parents but there are also alot of parents who try and try. With the cost of living and the world we live in now both parents have to have and at least one of them have two. Just two years ago i had four jobs which consisted of 100 hours a week and my new husband even had a high paying job and we still had a very hard time supporting five kids and i could tell my jobs were wearing down me and my family that after four months i quit all but my full time one. On top of parents working you have Human services putting fear in parents if they even spank their children for beating on each other in your own home. The time of good old fashion talking to behind the woodshed that children responded to and realized oh our parents wont take to well to this better not do it is gone due to this fear. And the kids were not abused when this happened. Guns have been around forever and so has diseases that killed the young and old. I myself know this cause i lost my first husband to a heart attack when he was in his thirties. Also i have a brother who is in a workshop kind of home because he is mentally ill as a severe schizophrenic. As a child he was but it never showed until he was in his twenties and he snorted crank for six months and bam he went crazy. Crank enhanced it. He will never live on his own. It seems that all these killings are done by the metally ill but there are killings done by sane people. It all comes down to parenting and how the meds are supplied to the metally ill. The combination of drugs have to be just right and be monitored closely for the body will become immune to the combination then the meds have to change to a different combo. Peer pressure and bullying are so much worse in schools than it was when i was in school 17 years ago. Kids are not equip to handle this cause they are still maturing in the thinking process. Im not a doctor but all this is common sense. Back to parenting. You need to listen and talk to your children to help them through these times. In the end your children will also be better parents.
December 11, 2007

8:40 p.m.

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tinker1973 writes:

Also it dont help when children are having children. They are not ready to raise children. They still have growing up to do. I had my first child 24 days before i turned 18. I was not ready. I made mistakes at the beginning but grew up in time to rectify them.
December 11, 2007

11:07 p.m.

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Bassfayce writes:

Forgive me if I'm regurgitating old points/posts, but I thought I might provide some information for Mr. RonT to ponder over.

Ron, what your cold, sterile arguments fail to acknowledge is that guns in these stories are not just used to kill the owner. You say you lost someone to liver disease, but was that disease forced on him by another human being? No, it was likely due to mistreatment of his own body. In the case of these murders however, we have a single, willing individual with a device that is purposefully used to affect or end the life of another. That is something that's preventable, and that's something that carries accountability.

I support gun laws, sure-hunting guns-large rifles that cannot be concealed by children. But with America touting one of the highest homicide rates in the world, with incidents like this increasing every year, it makes little sense to provide a body of protection (Constitutional law) for maniacs like these. You say we need law and order, but where might we find it in a country where a minor can so easily obtain an automatic weapon? I'm afraid your arguments in favor of guns are transparent Ron, because you defer to other causes of death which are accidental or beyond human control. Shooting someone is never accidental, and is always a direct result of a conscious decision to hurt someone. Of course, not everyone who owns a gun is a criminal or murderer. Some folks only fire at live game, which is acceptable. However, when dealing with such a volatile instrument as a gun, preventative steps need to be taken to ensure the overall safety and stability of society.

It is true that the Constitution protects private ownership of guns. They didn't exactly have deadbolts or home security systems in the 1700's, pal. Do you remember what else the authors of our Constitution believed in? Treating non-whites as three-fifths of a person. And I'm hoping, really hoping, that you understand how silly that seems. It's a shame that people still believe we need guns in our homes and pockets in this day and age.

By the way Ron, how many guns do you own?
December 12, 2007

1:40 a.m.

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Jd24 writes:

Yes the comment regarding 15 minutes of fame was a bit inappropriate ..
but Bassfayce don't cry for more gun control when you know absolutely nothing about guns.Full autos are far from easy to obtain. They cost a small fortune and must have been registered prior to 1986.. not to mention they require extensive background checks and fees to the ATF.Semi autos like most guns today only fire one bullet with every pull of the trigger.They don't spray bullets by just holding down the trigger like fully automatic firearms do.There you've been educated.
Your comment about the second amendment is ludicrous as well.It has nothing to do with hunting or owning hunting rifles and it isn't because the founding fathers lacked door locks in the 18th century..lol.(thats a new one)
The second amendment is in place to give the people the right to protect themselves and their families from criminals and to prevent tyranny.I'd say thats just as viable today as it was over 200 years ago.Though I suppose this is falling on deaf ears, because someone in your state of mind feels the 1st amendment is worthless as well, because the founders would have never imagined tv and the internet..Right?
Guns aren't the problem and never have been.When will you gun control nannies wake up and realize there are bad people and there always will be.Man has been killing each other long before guns and will continue to do so even if every gun vanished from the face of the planet. Guns are a tool and nothing more.They aren't good and they aren't evil.They just do what they're designed to do.Whether it be saving or taking a life it's all up to the person wielding the gun . Oh and why do you care how many guns Ron owns? Would you care to explain to him every time you exercise a right?
December 12, 2007

4:30 a.m.

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maried writes:

RonT- You are correct, everyone's pain is just as valid as anyone elses when losing a loved one is involved. The differences in the reasons for death however are completely different. When we abuse our bodies and die as a result it was our choice- it sucks for our loved ones BUT it was our choice- we knew the risk when we smoked or drank for 20 years. When someone is murdered it is not their choice, it is the killer's choice- TWO COMPLETELY different scenerios. I am not against guns, If guns were illegal the criminals would be the only ones with access and then we would really be screwed. More "good" people need to be trained and armed- ie: the security guard at the church. God bless you all and let's stick together- there is strength in numbers.
December 12, 2007

4:34 a.m.

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maried writes:

sosueme534 You are AWESOME- I have been saying this to everyone I know and the trouble is we are a morbid society and want to see it all. I agree with you- make it a law- something has to change, we have to take control and deny them their FAME.
December 12, 2007

5:05 a.m.

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The_Yakima_Kid writes:

First, the US does not have the "highest murder rate in the world." Not even close. Not only that, but if one takes the supposedly low Japanese homicide rate and includes certain cases that they call "suicide" - where an individual slaughters family or friends and then makes a suicide gesture themselves - where those killed by others are considered to be "suicides" who "all went together" the numbers get really interesting.

Gun control won't work any better than drug control has worked; the UK is now seeing more "gun crime" and violent acts in general than before.

The reality is that children are not being raised to be accountable; and the male role model is no longer seen as important, which means young males are not being socialized to be adult men.

In the end, we may have to all grow up and take responsibility for our own safety instead of hoping someone else will save us all from the evil bad guy. One last point - most of those with psychological problems aren't violent; and adding more stigma and restrictions on those who do the responsible thing and receive voluntary treatment is only going to create more human tragedies, not fewer.
December 12, 2007

5:08 a.m.

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The_Yakima_Kid writes:

BTW - a college classmate of mine was abducted from campus and murdered by a sexual psychopath who apparently strangled her after bashing her over the head and raping her. No firearm required.
December 12, 2007

7:44 a.m.

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imaladywithalife writes:

Please don't blame the parents. Please don't blame the gun laws, or lack of.
I have 4 children. 2 of my children were acting out. Basically, doing everything they could, to be able to do whatever they wanted, without parental control or adult authority. As a Mother, I knew what my children needed. And that was PARENTAL CONTROL. The Gov't has taken away our parental rights and given it to the kids. If I spanked my child, or didn't, the child knows they can go and tell someone ANY story they like and the parents will get in trouble. (My son told his probation officer I was smoking drugs, which was a complete outright LIE. My daughter told someone I beat her, because I grounded her from the phone. Both complete lies, but were believed by the SYSTEM, which gave my children total control to do the next lie, etc...)When my children got in trouble, I demanded my parental control and what I deemed to be proper punishment. The courts insisted it be done, THEIR WAY. That included, probation fees and supervision...ladi- da-da-da.. All of which was lining the pockets of the court system and not what was in the best interest of the child. My son is now 22, and I have been paying on his probabtion fees for 6 yrs now, while he enjoys a life of partying and was never forced to accept responsibility by the court system.
You also must take into account, that mental illness can skip generations. These 2 children also have mental issues, such as depression and anxiety. I do not suffer this, but my mother does. My other 2 children have shown no signs of any kind of mental or psychological problems. So when I see the parents being blamed...YES, I agree that in some instances you can blame the parents, but ultimately, it is the child who inherently knows right from wrong, that should be held accountable at an early age, not when they are doing the big-time wrongs as young adults.
My children were all raised and shown by example, how to treat others and be productive to society. Thanks to the court system, those core-beliefs and morals took a backseat to "Goody-Goody, i get to do what I want and my Mom and Dad can't stop me".
December 12, 2007

8:03 a.m.

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JUSTAVOICE writes:

I think the problem is obvious. We do live in the greatest country in the world. The problem in this country is stated in the article above. We are not free to do what ever we want. There are rules that we must follow. The mentality of I can do whatever I want, is what got us to this point. Children from a very early age need some sort of discipline. They need to be made responsible for their actions and held accountable. They need to respect other people and other people's property as well as themselves. Back years ago there were a small percentage of children being abused by their teachers and their parents in the name of discipline. Now, parents and teachers fear disciplining children because of accusations of abuse. Children aren't stupid, they pick up on this. You can't discipline me or I'll claim abuse. Right now, children have a free rein. Put the paddle back in the hands of the parents and the teachers, let children see that if you break the rules ie. the law. there is a consequence. Teach them cause and effect. But until this happens as a society, don't complain too loud, because were just a victim of our own damn creation.
December 12, 2007

11:45 a.m.

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tinker1973 writes:

imaladywithalife and justavoice Thank you for putting the things i was trying to say in a better way. probably why i barely passed English in school cause i cant put things down on paper and get it to mean what im thinking. We need to get the parental control back in the hands of the parents and teachers not the government. Ive tried to tell that to human services once and i got laughed at. My seven year acts out in public and at home with the other siblings. I was told to get her counseling, all she is is spoiled. she knows what she can do and get away with it. I still try to correct it. Shes smart in school and acts right with everyone else except with her father and me. The fear is what stops alot of parents from correcting it. My older daughter tried to kill herself with an overdose of tylenol. the ammount was so large that they ambulance her to a larger city hospital about 2 hours away. Counseling was involved before this happened and after she was in more plus psychiatric to where she was on anti depressant. Now she is off it after 3 months of taking it and is doing alot better. We talked on how to handle peer pressure and the nasty ways kids torment other in schools. She is a junior and doing college courses along with cheerleading and two part time jobs. Which i think is too much but she tells me that she doing okay. But i watch close. Kids react differently to these things in school and act out and we see with the shootings. These kids that do the shootings know right from wrong but react in violence for no one will ever have the right answers. Tramatic things in the first years of life could be triggers. In the last ten years i heard and seen so many kids do injury to themselves or suicide than ever in my whole life. In school it was unheard of.Now it seems that it is a common thing. Justavoice youre right it is our own creation cause as a society now a days we have let it happened but society needs to step up to the plate and take the control back.
December 12, 2007

1:27 p.m.

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LOUIE writes:

I am so glad for these side sites; it's fun, enlightening and most of all civil. Rocky Talk Live is pretty much MIG Alley with some of the most negative comments. Thank You Very Much!

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Home › News › Local News

Columbine stepfather: 'And nothing changes'

By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 11, 2007 at 12:30 a.m.

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