Yesterday's release of a final report on the shooting at Platte Canyon High School last fall essentially ends what happened there from a criminal and investigative standpoint. Sure, we'll still hear the echoes of what happened that day and there will probably be memorials and retrospectives. Obviously little is over for the familes and victims of that day. But, for all intents and purposes, done. And the family of the lone fatality, Emily Keyes, as they have done since the outset of this tragedy, continue to impress me with their strength and courage. They released a statement upon the release of the report yesterday.
"The best people did the best of things. The outcome could have been far more grave. We as a
family know this and appreciate this," they said.
And some part of me can't help but still think the families of many of the Columbine victims could learn something from them. I'm still bitter about the Columbine aftermath. Bitter that emptiness and sickness I felt after that day was slowly replaced by a feeling of apathy and disgust by the families running the media routes, pointing fingers of blame in five different directions all at the same time, polishing off their lawyers business cards – I, I, I. Granted, Columbine incurred a larger loss of life. But a young life is a young life lost, right? And, then
I look at the Keyes family – gracious even in its darkest hour. I keep waiting for them to change – pop up with a lawyer and sue the school district for lax security measures. I'm starting to doubt it. Maybe it's the environment – the close knit community of Bailey versus the manifest destiny of Littleton. I'm not sure. All I know is seven months after Columbine I was numb, ready not to hear another word about it. But, today, my heart still aches for the Keyes family and I don't see an end in sight.
