Commentary on the commentary on Dave Cullen’s “The Depressive and the Psychopath”
Both of these articles provide excellent descriptions of what the DSM classifies as psycho- and socio-pathic personalities. The first article attempts to provide an explanation as to why the shooting happened. Written on the fifth anniversary of the shooting, it attempts to explain a shooting that was already explained by the people who committed the act, “Isn’t it fun to get the respect that we’re going to deserve?”
Ultimately, they wanted their fifteen minutes of fame. They were well aware that society was going to tear their actions apart and talk about them for years to come. They wanted to be the next Unibomber. They wanted to be better than the Unibomber, as was stated in their personal testimonies as well as the initial article.
The fact that these articles define and then disagree about the psychological diagnoses of Klebold and Harris is tantamount to their claims to “plague the survivors for years to come.” Or whatever they said.
Reading these two articles rekindled two of my displeasures: the media and clinical diagnosis.
The first is easy to describe. The media, especially the news sources: newspapers, tv broadcasts, and lately the internet broadcasts, encourages deviant behaviors. They glorify these actions as newsworthy, and rewarding as important. How often do you see information about every day heroes such as the police, firefighters, nurses, doctors, teachers, etc who save people on a daily basis. These people put themselves out for society to insult them, demean them, provoke them, or whatever, until their services are needed. At that time, society kisses ass and the transgressions are forgiven. Working in addictions counseling, I see it every day! Fuck you fuck you fuck you. Oh, I need something, you’re great. (behind your back) Fuck you! fuck you fuck you! I swear, if the media were to portray at least 10% more positive information about cops, they wouldn’t get half as much shit for making mistakes. If the media were to report 10% less information about killings and murders and what not, people would be 50% less likely to commit them, especially to be recognized! The other thing that pissed me off about the media, esp during Columbine was the fact that as people were running out of the school, teenagers and teachers who were going through the shock of what was happening at the school, the reporters were in their faces, cameras blazing asking what was going on? Was anyone hurt? Who was doing this? What’s your name? Fuck the media! Fuck their inquisitive nature! Fuck their desire to screw with people’s lives. If they’re not reporting on a murder, they’re in the celebrities lives fucking with them and their families; they’re ruining marriages, breaking up families, and encouraging murder, rape, drugs, etc!
The other piece that pisses me off is diagnosis. As these two articles demonstrate, clinical diagnosis is a hit or miss matter of opinion and interpretation. Where one person’s psychopath is another’s sociopath, or narcissist, or whatever! But if you look at the target audiences of the two articles…one can understand the difference in distinction. Yes, the author of the commentary is upset that her work went unrecognized. Good! Fuck you! You’re trying to make yourself popular by idolizing a negative situation! I dare you to write an article about a Narcissist who makes something of their life! Someone who takes their perceived negative qualities and does something positive with themselves. Someone who encourages the good things in life, who inspires hope and creativity. Someone such as John Nash, who conquered the challenges of schizophrenia and became a Nobel Prize nominee and/or winner.
The DSM is a guide, not a bible. What is written is not law, but suggestion. It is designed for interpretation and assisting in treatment. It functions to support the therapist in her or his work with a client. It is not designed to explain or pigeon hole people into groups and categories. For the initial article to claim “this is why they did what they did” is inherently wrong! Columbine didn’t happen because Harris was a psychopath. It happened for various reasons, and it happened because it did!
Now, because of it, and because of our reaction to it’s occurrence, our children are forced to undergo searches, go through metal detectors. People aren’t allowed to visit their alma mater without a verifiable reason and purpose. Harris and Klebold are dead. People are going to research them, and someone may eventually try to copy their actions. We can hope not, or hope that we are better prepared next time. However, studies show that homes with guns are more likely to have accident-related deaths. Anyone can say it’s because people are stupid. This is true… people are stupid. But so is our society. we make assumptions and judgments because of accents, color of someone’s skin and clothes they wear, etc. We are no different than we were 50 years ago; or 100 years ago. We are still fighting a war of oppression and hatred. We are fighting a war of fear and anger. We are refusing to see the beauty in all of the things around us. This causes us to suffer, to be in pain, and to want to bring pain to other people.
Thank you for reading.
Cullen, D (2004, April 20). “The depressive and the psychopath: At last we know why the Columbine killers did it.” Slate.msn.com accessed on 4/7/2009, 3:07am at http://www.slate.com/id/2099203/
Immelman, A (2004, July 30). “Commentary on Dave Cullen’s “The depressive and the psychopath”. Unit for the study in personality and politics accessed on 4/7/2009, 3:07am at http://www.csbsju.edu/uspp/Criminal-Profiling/Columbine_Commentary-Cullen.html
Lamb, W. (2009). The hour I first believed: A novel. New York: HarperCollins.
