Video
TJ Lane
Seminar Questions from class:
1. Why do you think Demetrius' mother said she forgave the shooter? Should she forgive him?
2. Neither Huck nor TJ Lane had parental guidance as much as other kids did. How do you think that affected them?
3. What affects do you think the shooting will have on TJ Lanes sister, who saw it all happen?
Blog Question: If people are able to forgive TJ, do you think they should try to forget the event or always remember it?
I am very shocked that people are forgiving, shooter, TJ Lane this soon. However, I do understand why people would forgive after something like this, to move on with their life. Personally, I would never be able to forgive someone who took my innocent family member like that for no reason. If it were someone's choice, like Demetrius’s mother, to forgive I think they would forgive TJ strictly for personal mourning and to move on. They would not forgive him because they knew why he did it or because he was an immature teen, which is what some other students suggested during our Friday seminar. Loving a family member and having them taken away in any fashion, you would never be able to forget that. I think many of these families will be able to move on with their life, but never forget. Also, this event will go down in history, it will be a constant reminder for the family members of the victims and the shooter. My guess; no one will forget the Chardon High School shooting, the victims or the shooter.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ben that this event should never be forgotten. We should all remember this and learn from this horrible tragedy. I understand why some people are forgiving TJ but I think it is too soon like Ben said. If it were me who had lost a loved one I would be more focused on mourning and remembering my loved one than the shooter and forgiving. I do understand why Demetrius's mother forgave Tj. I do think that TJ will be forgiven by others but not for a long time. If I was the parent of one of the victims I would only forgive him for my own greiving process not to benefit him. I think that the shooting will be remembered all over the country. This tragedy was too horrible and too close to home to ever be forgotten. I know that I will never foget that day, the victims and TJ. Daniel Parmertor, Demetrius Hewlin and Russell King Jr. may you rest in peace, you will never be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteI am hard pressed to understand forgiving but feel like I would want to; but know I could never forget. I feel it would be different if we were talking about an adult or didn't see the attacker as also a victim. It is very much human nature to cast blame but also want to understand and maybe judge to categorize to in order to comprehend
ReplyDeleteEither way, I feel it is imperative for all to never forget. Family should of course remember those they lost and all should remember to be alert and learn fom the past. To relate some insight, discomfort leads to awareness and pivotal insight.
Delete1. I think she forgives him because he was a troubled kid who seemed to have lost his way. Like she said, he didn’t really know what he was doing. She must have realized that he had a lot of bad emotions bottled up inside him and he did not know how to handle them the right way. I think that she should not forgive him at this point because he did what he did for a reason. I am sure he does not take it back at this point; therefore, he is not sorry for what he did and does not deserve to be forgiven unless he asks for forgiveness in a sincere manner.
ReplyDelete2. I think that not having parental guidance can certainly alter a kids perspective on right and wrong because there is no one to tell them so. Without a parent, anyone could grow up to be rebellious or troubled like Huck and TJ. If a child does not know what is morally right and wrong, they will most likely choose to do whatever they please unless taught otherwise. I think if TJ and Huck had good parental guidance, they would have turned out to be more civilized.
3. I think if TJ’s sister did not see this coming, it would most likely have had a large impact on the way she thinks of TJ as a brother. I know if a sibling of mine did what TJ did I would not be able to look at them the same. Although as TJ’s sister, she must have gotten the impression that he did not enjoy his school life very much. I think she most likely is surprised and disappointed at how he chose to handle his situation because I know I would be if I was in the same situation.
Blog Question: I also agree with Ben that this event should never be forgotten. I’m sure it could not be forgotten even if people wanted to, especially those who lost someone in the shooting. I find it hard to believe that people are already ready to forgive TJ when he is most likely not sorry for what he did. I am sure he does not regret his actions at this point so why should anyone forgive. Although some have already chosen to forgive TJ, the event should always be remembered for those who lost their lives.
Personally, I believe it is still too soon to think about TJ Lane. My mind would be on the loss of my child and the thoughts of my family and friends. In my opinion, you have to forgive in order to move on but after a reasonable amount of time. If you don't forgive, you will always have that hate in your heart, and you won't be able to move on. If I lost a family member, it would take about another week for me to think about the shooter. In my opinion, this isn't something that you can forget. It's just not possible. I don't think it's something that anyone should forget. I'm not condoning a school shooting, but it's a constant reminder that it can happen at your school. On the other hand, it is very possible to prevent such actions, as well. If you try to forget what happened, shame on you. We will never forget Columbine. We will never forget Virginia Tech. We will never forget Chardon. One heartbeat. Forever in our hearts.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be impossible to ever forget such a tragic atrocity. All you can do is remember what happened and honor the people that were injured and the lives that were taken. No one has forgotten Columbine or Virginia Tech people have to just remember what happened and do everything you can to make sure another shooting doesn't happen again by stopping the bullying. I don't believe anyone should forgive TJ. He made a decision to take the lives of others when he could have sought help or as bad as it sounds take his own life which would have been better than taking the lives of innocent teenagers with their entire lives in front of them. Obviously TJ didn't have a good environment around but at the end of the day its up to you. Like Huck, you can live your life on your on merits or you can let society depict your life and your decisions. Tj wasn't strong enough so he chose the latter.
ReplyDeleteI do not think it would even be possible to forget this event, nor would it be right. I think it should be remembered, but not in spite. For those who lost their children, they can't forget because everyday their child doesn't come home is a reminder to them about this event. I agree with the others and that it's too soon for family members to forgive TJ, but on the other hand I don't think they should hate him all their lives; TJ had a troubled past. It may be impossible for those who lost someone to ever forgive him, but I don't think it's too much of a stretch for those who were were not hurt direly.
ReplyDeleteI Think it is morally correct to forgive T.J. But being forgiven does not mean you get a "get out of jail free" card. It does not even have to be in jail, but his life is going to be different than a normal person's life, since he now has a criminal record. The events should never, and probably will never be forgotten, because it is not just remembering the incident, its remembering and honoring the people who have lost a child or friend. People still remember the Columbine shootings, so why should a person forget about a similar incident at a more local area to Chagrin? Society has many influences, and this is one that it should never let go of.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it may be hard, I think it is necessary to forgive in order to move on from this tragic event. That does not mean T.J. Lane should be forgotten for what he did. The shooting that occurred can never be forgotten because no one should forget that three teens were killed by a ruthless teen shooter. You would never forget 9/11 or the Columbine and this is no different. Someones children were killed and they deserve the respect of never letting T.J. Lane off the hook. Also, even though T.J. should be forgiven he should not be let out of Jail. He murdered in cold blood three students and for that he should have his freedom revoked. Moreover, T.J. Lane should be forgiven but not forgotten for what he did.
ReplyDeleteForgiveness is something everyone needs to try and do. If people forgive T.J., they are allowing themselves to move on from the traumatic experience. However, moving on is completely different from forgetting it. They should never forget the expierence because it is something people have to learn from. Through this experience, it made people grateful for everything they had. Also, as Bronwen said, it would be impossible to forget it, no matter how hard you would try. Overall, I agree that TJ should be forgiven in time, because it is something very hard to do, but will lead to many positives.
ReplyDeleteI think to forgive someone of their sins is the most powerful tool someone could use. Everyone makes mistakes, and although you may think TJ Lane doesn't deserve to be forgiven and should be sentenced for life, I believe that everyone should get a second chance. However, being forgiven does not qualify as redemption. TJ's unjust and cruel actions will never be redeemed. I believe it is important to be the bigger person and forgive someone, yet still keep in mind and be cautious of the things they have done. For those who have personally been affected by the shooting, forgiving TJ would be extremely difficult. One of the victim’s mothers was able to forgive TJ very quickly, which shows her understanding character and ability to move on from the tragic event. Moving on will create a sense of closure for families and those who were personally affected. It is better to turn negatives into positives, and it is unhealthy to live a life full of bitter feelings and hatred toward people. Essentially, TJ should be forgiven but his cruel actions should never be forgotten.
DeleteIf a family member or friend were involved in such a tragic events forgivness is the only way to move forward in life and to start to lift the burden on your shoulders. however one should never attempt to forget such an event. forgiveness and forgetting are two totaly different things. Forgetting the event is almost disrespectfull to those who lost their lives in the event and those who were affected by such a sencless act of violence. They say you learn from the past for a reason. Obviously we didnt learn enough because this event brings back tragic flashbacks to those who were involved in shootings such as columbine and the Virginia Tech shootings. to stop such horrible act of violence from happening again you must learn from them and try to learn how to prevent them. Forgetting the event would simply be a wasted opportunity to learn from the horrors of man kind.
ReplyDeleteAfter hearing that certain people who lost loved ones are forgiving TJ, it came as a huge surprise. But once you try and put yourself in that person's shoes you can realize how hard it must be for that family, and to truly be able to move on from something tragic like this, the family can't be thinking about TJ. Forgetting this event for these families will never make their lives back go back to normal, because that will never happen after losing a child. I think in order to presereve the good memories of their children these families need to try their hardest not to think about what happened, but the shooting itself will always be remembered no matter what, the general public will always remember and so will these families who lost a loved one due to this tragic event. The Virginia Tech and Columbine shootings have both definitely not been forgotten in the minds of the American public, these are very real and relatively recent events that have not only impacted the families who lost loved ones, but the American people as a whole. I think these families, for the duration of their grieving, need to forget about this event, but I strongly believe this event will always be in the mind of those who lost loved ones and the American populus forever.
ReplyDeleteAfter hearing the terrible news about the shootings in Chardon, TJ Lane’s actions and asking for forgiveness is questionable. Personally, I do not think there is an apology in the world that can make up for what he has done. Three innocent lives were lost and thousands of people’s lives were changed forever. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be in these families’ shoes. As a part of the mourning and healing process I think that forgiveness comes into play, but I do not think that it will come easily and it will take a long time to come about. I defiantly think that forgetting what happened that day is out of the question, especially because it is so close to our community. As a sign of respect to the students that lost their lives I think that way of remembrance is acceptable. I think that as someone on the outside we need to use this event as a way for us to remember how lucky we are to see each day and to be thankful for the families we have. We live in a very fortunate area and for that we need to be grateful.
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