Comments on: Another School Shooting: Kauhajoki

By: Lauri

Lauri — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 10:55:17 +0000

I’m a Finn living in Helsinki. Just today I went out to have a nice stroll on a beautiful Sunday morning. I felt very happy watching some squirrels run around, doing what they do. But during my walk I saw something disturbing. I came across three groups of children. First group had makeshift swords. The second had miniaturized assault rifle toys. Third group was practicing boxing moves on one another.

I used to think that “boys are just boys” and I recall endulging in similar activities when I was a kid. But this time it struck me and I felt really sad, wondering why do we feel the need to prepare for violence?

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:06:51 +0000

Stalepie, when you say:

“But Matti was acting as an executioner. He believed in the death penalty. And he was Finnish.”

What exactly do you mean by that? That he was just another ordinary Finnish guy, and because he decided to kill someone, all Finns believe in death penalty? I most certainly don’t.

And when you say:

“And to become a cook? You need to go to school to become a cook?”

Why yes, you do. Do you expect people to learn the important things about hygiene and such the hard way? That would lead to a lot of people dying or just getting sick.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:39:00 +0000

I don’t believe this incident has much to do with education. Actually, my guess lies in Finnish culture. I’m a half Finn myself, and living here, I personally know how the environment and society encourages an introverted, solitary type of lifestyle. Thoughts easily go unchecked by others.
I don’t believe in imposing values on others, but there must be something we can do to make sure thinking patterns such as Auvinen’s and Saari’s are realized and discouraged.
Easier said than done, I know.

By: stalepie

stalepie — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:04:53 +0000

But Matti was acting as an executioner. He believed in the death penalty. And he was Finnish.

By: yeah right

yeah right — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:38:06 +0000

Stalepie, sorry how old are you…..?

Teaching itself is an old activity, so we don’t need the schools themselves, none at all, they are ridiculous, right?

If we don’t have the education, then what do we have? Loads of people who never had the fancy to learn much anything. That’d be cool and make everything more sensible for sure, yeah…..

In western civilizations like Finland they’ve abandoned death penalties a long time ago, so I suggest you keep your hanging mentality with yourself.

By: yeah right

yeah right — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:32:25 +0000

Ehhehe, you wouldn’t pass those fantasy grades yourself…

You can’t help it with nice little changes in the system. This whole culture is fucking sick, its values have been sold and its people live in hell. It won’t change by putting some more money to some services or changing the education, not to talk about blaming the “crazy people” of it all – that’s all utterly stupid, sorry. It’s maybe all too late, and they don’t even want to face what’s happened in the large scale and what should perhaps be done. On the contrary continues the neverending scum-talk, blabla…

By: stalepie

stalepie — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:30:54 +0000

Moderator, you may edit these comments however you want.

By: stalepie

stalepie — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:21:57 +0000

He should be put to death because he murdered other people. I mean, he should be given a trial. People kill themselves in such a situation because they don’t even want to face the tedium of the courts.

I really think school should be voluntary worldwide. In America it is not voluntary, because you have to choose from public, private or homeschooling, or face trouble with the law (usually financially, your parents get in trouble).

If someone doesn’t want to go school, then he shouldn’t have to. And to become a cook? You need to go to school to become a cook? That’s ridiculous. Cooking is one of the oldest human activities. You don’t need a school system, a vocational college, to teach that.

By: stalepie

stalepie — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:19:00 +0000

However, if Matti had not killed himself, I would say that he should be put to death.

By: stalepie

stalepie — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:17:41 +0000

I mean, our school systems reward everyone. They never teach hate, only love. But that creates confusion, because they should be given hate for having failed at their tests and for having not paid attention in class. Instead they aren’t even really graded anymore. It’s meaningless. School is meaningless. And then you get out of school and find that work is meaningless. So life seems to be meaningless too even though it isn’t if you can find an escape. Death is not an escape because when you die that’s it. I guess. Some people say death is not the end. Well, I say those people are wrong and they’re part of the problem. We should love life. We should try to make life a lovable thing, and make this world, a wonderful place, for everyone, even for people like Matti who grow up to be murderers.