Jeff Weise - Minnesota Killer Resented Reservation Life - A must read

[mzmolly]

for those wishing to gain insight.

"He described the reservation in Internet postings as a place where people "choose alcohol over friendship," where women neglect "their own flesh and blood" for relationships with men, where he could not escape "the grave I'm continually digging for myself."

In his dark and self-pitying depictions of life on the reservation, Weise appears to have drawn from his troubled personal history: When he was 8, his father committed suicide on the reservation after a standoff with police. About four months later, his mother suffered severe brain damage in an alcohol-related car accident.

Before that accident, while Weise was living with her in the suburbs of Minneapolis, his alcoholic mother often locked him out of her house and her boyfriend locked him in a closet and made him kneel for hours in a corner, said his grandmother, Shelda Lussier, 54, in whose home on the reservation the boy had lived since age 9.

...

"I'm living every mans nightmare," Weise wrote online in January. "This place never changes, it never will."

Very interesting article by MSNBC - I highly suggest reading the entire article. Be sure to see "Ethnic Hardships" to get a perspective on the plight Native Americans face when compared to other groups.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7290810/

It's tragic to read about this childs life, especially knowing there are so many others like him who are at the mercy of f-ed up parents and a society that does'nt really give a sh*t.

My apologies for not starting another thread about Terry Schaivo. I never tire of the grumbling about how the MSM isn't covering this story like they did Columbine - blah, blah, blah .. when apparently there is so little interest about it here? UGH.

[Nashyra]

1. Where was this boys help

His mom sounds like she was/is in a PVS

[FreedomAngel82]

18. What I think is

they probably had this whole fake attitude towards people and to the public eye appeared to be fine. Only people who probably knew about his situation was those directly involved and anybody who read his online journal.

[etherealtruth]

2. Though what he did was horrific beyond words...

...this child was a victime, too.

We need to do more to identify and reach out to kids...

[Spazito]

3. Excellent article, thanks for posting the link

very, very sad.

[mzmolly]

5. I thought it was a very complete picture of this young mans life.

Very sad picture as well. Sheds some light as to "why" ...

Glad you found it interesting as well.

[Left Is Write]

4. What a sad and short life he had.

That is the kind of situation that really makes me feel helpless.

[mzmolly]

6. Very sad life indeed.

I like your user name BTW.

[Rowdyboy]

7. How dare you waste bandwidth on a topic that has nothing to do with

Terri Shiavo (aka "flavor of the week"). If you keep doing stuff like that, people might accidently learn something.

Thanks for the link-its an excellent read.

[mzmolly]

8. Thanks Rowdyboy.

I found it highly interesting also.

[slor]

9. This is such a waste...

the words are powerful, and display a sadness far beyond his years should show. Simply a tragedy.

[tammywammy]

10. Thank you so much for posting this

This is just such a sad story for everyone involved. It's such a tragedy to see what befell this poor boy.

[mzmolly]

12. One can only hope that with his story being told, others down the road

may be spared? I do hope SOME good can come of this tragedy SOME how.

[tammywammy]

13. Yes, that's the most anyone can hope. n/t

[Withywindle]

11. Just heartbreaking...

...and so many overprotective white upper-middle-class fundie parents freak out if their kids "lose their innocence" by a glimpse of porn on the Internet or something. So many kids out there never got a chance to have any innocence in the first place.

I was much more fortunate with my family, but I grew up in an isolated rural place too and knew a lot of kids who had nothing at home -- and nowhere else to go. It's easy to say teens are being melodramatic when they say they have no hope, but lots of 'em feel it for real and aren't wrong.

Thanks for posting that. It needed to be heard.

[blindpig]

14. the torture never stops.....since 1492 n/t

[mzmolly]

15. Indeed.

:(

[G_j]

16. On The Turning Away

On The Turning Away

by David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)

On the turning away
From the pale and downtrodden

And the words they say
Which we won't understand

"Don't accept that what's happening
Is just a case of others' suffering

Or you'll find that you're joining in
The turning away"

It's a sin that somehow
Light is changing to shadow

And casting it's shroud
Over all we have known

Unaware how the ranks have grown
Driven on by a heart of stone

We could find that we're all alone
In the dream of the proud

On the wings of the night
As the daytime is stirring

Where the speechless unite
In a silent accord

Using words you will find are strange
And mesmerised as they light the flame

Feel the new wind of change
On the wings of the night

No more turning away
From the weak and the weary

No more turning away
From the coldness inside

Just a world that we all must share
It's not enough just to stand and stare

Is it only a dream that there'll be
No more turning away?

[mzmolly]

20. Apt poetry/song.

Thanks for sharing.

[FreedomAngel82]

17. That poor boy

Oh wow. :( I feel so bad for him. This is probably the real reason why he did what he did. I don't buy the whole "he was a fan of Hitler" angle.

[mzmolly]

19. Yea, the neo-nazi thing is a bit simplistic isn't it?

He was so victimized in his life, my guess is he felt that one has to choose between victim or victimizer, and he chose the later.

Since he rejected much of his native heritage and he was thought to be part german, he may have clung to the powerful image of a german dictator for some sort of sick solace? German Nazis were the feared, Native Americans were the slaughtered.

The entire situation is so sad because it seemed so "preventable" on many fronts.

[Zan_of_Texas]

23. Thanks for posting. One aspect of this tragedy is the

political and economic angle.

His tribe was the poorest in the nation.

His state of Minnesota used to have a Senator who actually visited reservations, and who was a national leader on mental health.

His name was Paul Wellstone. When Wellstone died (my opinion is that it was no accident), the hopes and opporunities of a lot of people were also destroyed.

[mzmolly]

25. I was thinking how Paul Wellstone would have been there supporting

the people of Red Lake.

Paul was my Senator, and he is so very missed.

[Pachamama]

29. Has his "replacement" (what's his face) gone to visit? What has he done

for the Native Americans? :shrug: What has he done for mental health?

I miss Paul Wellstone....and you can bet if Paul was here, he'd be on the floor of the Senate not sitting down until the Congress and Senate passed a bill (and he'd personally hand deliver it to Bush in his jammies in the middle of the night to sign) on getting all Americans the mental healthcoverage and health care that they need.

:cry:

[mzmolly]

36. Coleman hasn't said word one to my knowledge.

Wellstone would have been in Red Lake.

[mzmolly]

21. Here is Weise's Live Journal for those interested.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/weise/

[Blue_Tires]

22. good insight

but i don't know what shooting a bunch of schoolkids was going to solve...not to be judgemental, but i daresay he should have tried to put all that pent up emotion and energy into something positive

[NVMojo]

32. Depression is a KILLER!!!

After reading his journal, I am crying...

[LittleWoman]

24. My heart breaks for this young man and the many others like him

Unfortunately, I can put faces on a number of youngsters like this, but I am not in a position to do much for them as individuals. The best most of us can do is to try to work for change wherever we can. Changes such as better mental health care and real improvements in the education system (not just cute names with no money to back them up). I also have a feeling that the main goal of his shooting episode was a variation of suicide by cop. Even though he took the bullet proof vest I think his entire motive was his own death. He seems to have been so full of anger that it didn't matter who had to die with him. I haven't read any reason as to why he killed his grandfather and I don't suppose we will ever know.

[mzmolly]

26. Welcome to DU.

I've seen his film "Target Practice" and it ends with him putting a gun in his mouth shooting himself after shooting other people. I think he planned to kill as many as he could before the cops arrived, and then kill himself - seems it went according to plan. :(

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0323051weise1.html

[Pachamama]

27. This is the story the MSM and the US should be following! It speaks to

the problems of poverty, to the problems facing our Nation and our young (this kid was on PROZAC since last summer, look at the controversy alone surrounding teen depression and how many of America's kids are popping these pills, many of which are linked to increased risks of suicide).

Maybe America and the MSM have forgotten, but in that big hideous evil budget that Bush has proposed, there are FURTHER CUTS to Indian Reservations....as if they are even barely squeaking by making ends meet.

It took Bush how many "days" to respond to this tragedy and even offer his condolences? And the reality is that the tragedy here is much much more than just the act of violence that ended in the deaths of these 8 people.....

Our system and country failed these children, this tribe....This story just made my stomach ache and my heart want to jump out of my chest....I believe, that one of the great tragedies of our country's history is what we did to the Native Americans. They are still suffering the injustices done to them and I feel sick about how it continues to this day. Why isn't Congress convening in an emergency session (in order to err of the side of life) to try and get money and help to all the Indian Nations across our country to help combat the poverty, the rampant alcholism and abuse going on? And ofcourse, its not just the Indian Nations, its in everyday America this is happening, but the Indian Nations would sure be a good place to start....

I believe, just like our environment is showing the signs of its abuse by humans, our "humans" and especially the first ones here on this continent, are starting to show the signs of its abuse by humanity....

If people want something to "pray" about and something to change to save lives (and humanity and life) while they are at it, lets start here.....

Pachamama is crying :cry:

[walldude]

28. Excellent post..

Summed up my thoughts entirely. Thanks for saving me the trouble :toast:

[mzmolly]

34. Hugz to you Pachamama.

I agree with you, and have shed a few tears as well. :(

[Window]

30. Sad.

Thanks for sharing this insighful article.

Peace

[NVMojo]

31. this hurt my heart ....for him and for the victims and the ones still

living in a hell like this ...

[ikojo]

33. This story is not being given Columbine type coverage

for two reasons...

1. The kid who did the shooting is not white
2. The kid who did the shooting is not from an upper middle class suburb. He was from a poor family.

White America expects those who are not white and well off to go off the deep end, it confirms their worst fears and feeds into stereotypes that whites have of Native Americans being alcoholics and such. Of course little is said about the lack of opportunities on most reservations. White America is under the illusion that since Native Americans have won the right to set up casinos that all are awash in casino cash when this is simply not true for most communities.

end of rant.

[mzmolly]

35. Agreed.

This story is not being given Columbine type coverage"

for two reasons...

1. The kid who did the shooting is not white
2. The kid who did the shooting is not from an upper middle class suburb. He was from a poor family.

White America expects those who are not white and well off to go off the deep end...