liz_bca

This might be a little easier for the West to do if they had better representation in the House of Commons. Sure would be nice though, wouldn't it?

"The Big Bang and evolution are sperate questions. It's probably impossible to prove how the universe began (though scientific explanations can be advanced as evidence is accumulated). But it's easy to prove how life progressed from there." If it's so easy to prove, then where did the first cell come from? Sure, it might be plausable that you could get other cells to develop, but where did the information for the first one come from? In a 1861 private letter, Charles Darwin allegedly wrote to American biologist Asa Gray about his growing doubts that evolution could ever have produced anything as complex as the human eye. "The eye to this day, gives me a cold shudder" because it is an "organ of extreme perfection." Ultimately, science should be left to the five senses. Evolution is not proven. If it were, then why don't we see evidence of it in the fossil record? Where are all those missing links and why are they so hard to find? We can't factually prove God exist, but since we also can't see evolution happening - either now or in the fossil record - neither has a place in the science classroom. Or if you're going to teach them as "theories" - not facts - then allow all theories. Or do all you evolutionist just feel threatened by the possibility of other theories that might conflict with yours. Creationists have had to put up with evolution being taught as a fact, so why can't you allow for other "possibilities" to be presented? If evolution is really so irrifutable, then it will prove itself, so you don't have to. And by the way, if you think maybe aliens created us... who created the aliens?

Ok, before everyone sics his dog on me for not believing in the death penalty: While I personally, along with most of you, don't believe Todd Smith can be rehabilitated, that doesn't mean that he can't be. We could all be wrong. All I'm saying, is everyone deserves a chance to change and to prove that, and if they don't show signs of improvement, then leave them behind bars! And saying that we should "dust off the hangman and his noose" does sound a little primitive. And by the way, this guy had so many people bullying him in the junior high school, that he thought everyone was out to get him. Because that's what happens when so many people bully you and no one who sees it stands up for you. You don't think about those who don't know about it and would be willing to stand up for you. Anyone who has been in that bad of a situation will know what I'm talking about. That's why Todd Smith wanted to kill everyone. And Argus, I guarantee you don't know all the facts. Besides the police who didn't give out all the facts, there were only a handful of us there who know them and none of us were willing to speak to the media. Therefore, I know you don't know all the facts. This is the last message I am posting because you are all trying to force me into a position to defend this guy, and I won't. Just because I can empathize with both sides of the situation doesn't make me hypocritical, because not everything is as black and white as you might want it to be. I don't want him on the loose any more than you do, until or unless he can prove that he wants to be contributing member of society again, and that he is no longer a threat. As I've said, I personally don't believe it can be done, but I'm not a psychic and neither are you, I'm sure.

You know, Argus, you seem to have missed the entire point. That tends to happen when people are judgemental and are not well enough informed of the situation. The reason I may seem a little sympathetic is because I was also bullied in school. To the point that I nearly killed myself. I understand what drove Todd to retaliate. Based on the psychiatrists conclusions, I don't think he can be rehabilitated, but he still doesn't deserve to be killed for a crime he committed in his adolescence. Don't tell me you never made any mistakes when you were 14. This boy needs continuing help and supervision. And by the way, saying that I forgive this boy does not mean I think his actions were justified. It means that I will not be burdened by something that I cannot change. While I agree that the justice system needs improvement, I will never agree with the vigilante justice that it seems you are trying to promote. And furthermore, "understanding" plays a large part in cases like this. If we don't understand why it happened, how can we prevent it from happening again? What if someone you loved was being bullied at school? Or what if you were being bullied for that matter, and helpless to stop it? What if it had been you who had your classmates beat you up, throw gasoline on you and threaten to light you on fire? Perhaps you should educate yourself to the situation a little bit before you jump in with ignorant comments. From the two of us, I think I have more right to hate this boy than you do. You know, what with him trying to kill me and all. And yet I don't. Hmmm. Thankfully God doesn't judge the way you do, or we'd all be dead. In the meantime, try moving to Texas. You may find it more to your liking.

Thank you. I've actually had the opportunity to get to know Dale Lang and his wife, Diane, a little bit, and they are admirable people. They were a large part of the reason that I was able to forgive Todd, because they immediately and publicly forgave him, even as they were grieving for their son. I'm a little insulted by people that want to condemn others to death when they don't even know exactly what happened. The way I began viewing the situation after Jason's parents publicly forgave their son's killer, was that if his own parents can forgive, then surely I should be able to. Dale and Diane Lang have now opened a drop-in shelter in Taber in Jason's name. Again, thank you for your understanding. I wish others were as slow to judge. Liz

Actually, kimmy, neither the shooter nor his victims were high school seniors at the time of the shooting. Todd Smith was 14 years old. He was not a drop out either, as I actually read in a news article. He was homeschooling because he was bullied at school. Severely. I'm not standing up for him, and in a minute you'll understand why, but he was tortured by his classmates. I don't even want to go into the details of what I've heard because no one deserves that kind of humiliation. He attended the junior high school conected to the high school. And neither Jason Lang nor Shane Christmas (his victims) were seniors. They were in grade 11, as was I at the time. Shane was actually heading to the same class I was when Todd tried to kill us all (hence the reason why I won't defend him). And contrary to what some people believe, he did not want to kill only those who persecuted him. There were about 350 bullets found in the pockets of his trenchcoat. He wanted to kill everyone. Including me. He fired at the four people who were in the immediate vicinity when he stepped into the hall from outside. He did not hesitate to look at who he was shooting. Psychiatrists have dubbed him a sociapath, meaning he is not capable of feeling empathy for others. He was up for parole a couple of years ago, but psychiatrists insisted he still had fantasies about walking into a crowded mall and shooting the place up. So he stayed in jail. Then, earlier this year, despite the same concerns from psychiatrists, the judge decided to release him to the halfway house. I guess he figured "let's let him out and see what happens" or something. I agree with those who don't believe this boy can be rehabilitated, because he has a mental illness, preventing him from feeling empathy for others. This is not a curable illness. As a sociopath, you can't suddenly start caring for others. I don't know what the right solution is, but then I don't get paid to figure that out either, thank God. I only know that he doesn't belong on the streets because he is still a menace to the public, and I also know that killing him for a crime he committed as an adolescent is not the answer either. Liz