Opinion The Tattoo

It could have been anyone

BRISTOL, Connecticut, U.S.A. — Just flipping through the channels, waiting for “The Simpsons” to start, I came across CNN, and the horrible story of the Denver area high school shooting, and
the unbelievable stories of the students who actually witnessed it happen.

I sat there, glued to the television, unable to change the channel or walk away from this story.

The time for “The Simpsons” came, and yet I still couldn’t turn away. This was a situation too real, too close to home to imagine, and it was unfolding, right before my eyes.

My first thought was, “How unreal! This doesn’t seem possible, it seems like something from a movie.”

Throughout the telecast, the camera would periodically pan out over the whole area that encompassed the high school. The area looked just like the neighborhood where I live, the school looked just like any other school. The kids looked just like kids I know in school, kids whom I am friends with.

Suddenly, Colorado seemed a whole lot like Connecticut. That was the most disturbing part for me. It was not so unreal anymore, and the situation didn’t seem so much like a movie anymore.

No, I don’t know anyone from Littleton, even from Colorado. However, this story still hit me hard, still was an emotional one.

It could have happened in Bristol, at Bristol Central, to me. I could have been one of the students who was trapped inside the school. It could have been one of my friends who was lying injured or dead on the cold school floors. No one should feel too far away from what happened.

It could have been me. It could have been any one of us.

Collin Seguin is a Reporter for Youth Journalism International.

See this entire issue of The Tattoo:

Kids who kill: school massacre raises fears (Chantelle Garzone, Amanda Lehmert, Collin Seguin, Jessica Majerus and Laura Lindstrom)

Lots of questions, no answers (Chantelle Garzone)
Slaying hits home (Natalie Minor)
You can see the whole published page here.