Santa Barbara Shooting <-- Link

Isla Vista Shooting <--- Link

In the spotlight of a brutal attack in Santa Barbara by a young man who felt as if he'd been rejected one too many times, the truth comes to light. Many actually never knew his first name till the attack happened. Many had never hung with him, or knew his hobbies or interests, yet in the aftermath, it is he, who is not allowed the final word. In today's world however, we look at killers with hate, disdain and often times grief, we never really look at what that killer has gone through or suffered. 

It takes a lot to become a killer, or at least someone brave enough to go on a killing spree. You risk your own life. You risk your family's lives, and whatever friends you have made, their lives as well. But once a killer is formed, they often see nothing but what they've been put through. Some simply do not have the guts to continue with their plan, but a select few do, and it's those who are so filled with hate, that become killers, or ticking time bombs.

Quote: " Elliot Rodger had announced in a manifesto and in a YouTube video that he intended to kill women for rejecting him, and the initial stages of his attack reflected the plan that he laid out: First, he killed three people at his apartment building, then tried to attack a sorority before he targeted passersby, police say."

Upon first impressions, the guy you see is rather handsome but then that all vanishes when you can literally hear the pain, anger, and hatred in his voice. At 22 no person should have that range of emotions in their voice. When he begins telling about what he's had to go through, you tend to feel pity, then horror over knowing, you're either too far away to get to him, to make him see reason, or, as was the case with most likely many of those who knew him, simply didn't know what it was he had planned on doing till it was too late.

I've always said I could feel someone's pain even if I'm not personally there and despite his tall words, this young man, was scared. How can he be scared you say? Take a good long had look into his eyes and you'll see someone simply wishing, things had gone differently, had turned out differently. While many of his friends were getting laid or living their lives, he was left behind. Often, this leads to feelings of being forgotten, thrown aside, and worse, feelings of anger and hatred begin to boil up to the surface.

People have always been taught to include everyone in your daily school activities. Be that art class, English class, gym class, or whatever other classes you may be in. Lend a hand, become a study partner,  but it's my firm belief that if you leave someone out, exclude them when they may need a helping hand most (even if they get straight A's) these are likely the people who on the inside, are too insecure to approach a girl, to ask one out, or to make themselves noticed till it's too late and they go off the deep end.

Chances are Elliot was a guy, who was insecure about himself, his self image, and how he even viewed himself in the earlier stages. But as time went by he became more self assured that he was a god, and not a guy and this is the where man kind has failed so many. 

Do I feel sorrow for what happened to those who died and were injured? Yes of course. Do I feel pity? No. Why? Because I was where he was at one point. I was excluded in school, harassed, bullied, and picked on. I was never noticed even when I succeeded at a grade or did something that made my teacher smile. If I came up with a good idea in Art class, and the teacher liked it, I was called teacher's pet or had the items I was working on destroyed to the point where I was forced to start over again. Did I feel hatred, anger and wanted to get revenge on these people? Certainly but over time I realized it just wasn't worth it. School is school, and at some point in our lives we have to grow up. Some never do, like those who destroyed my sculpture of my first dragon like horse in Art Class and others move on and become better people through life's never ending acts of change.

Would I of befriended this guy? Probably. Would I of dated him? Again, probably. Why? Because I don't see the looks or the insecurities, those are easy to get over once you have someone there whose by your side no matter what. Do I feel sorrow at what his family now has to deal with? Yes. They've not only lost a son, nephew, grandson, or brother, but they've lost a family member who they most likely had high hopes for.

22 years old is simply too young an age to die at.

It's also an age too young to feel what this young man was feeling. So next time you think you have someone amongst you, who might be feeling a bit low, give them a helping hand. Show them that they matter. Even if it means stepping out of your own personal comfort zone.