Quote Originally Posted by Marigold2
I am sure there is a lot more to come, this story is more complex and there will be undercurrents here. My question at this point is how did the girl get this way? It will be interesting to see the facts. Perhaps as a society we can learn something from this horrible tragedy.
Well, I can see two possibilities.

1) Mental illness is stigmatized - you don't want your schoolmates knowing you're "cuckoo," and you don't want your neighbors knowing your kid is "cuckoo."

2) Medical care is fast becoming a privilege for the rich. Even if she were herded through a high-speed HMO checkup annually, this kid's illness probably wouldn't show up unless her folks heeded the clues, took the plunge, braved the potential ostracism, and had her evaluated for mental illness (most likely at their own expense, as "Managed Care" doesn't encourage diagnostics that might leave them no contractual recourse but to pay for treatment).

Love, Columbine