Dear FRONTLINE,
I'm affraid that Frontline's set of web pages on this topic tend to glorify Kip. Note the out pouring of sympathy in this discussion for him and little mention of all the children that he shot and killed. Also take a good look at the opening web page for this whole topic http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/kinkel/, it shows Kip's picture as being sharp and all of his other classmates pictures are blurred. I think this irresponsibly is putting at risk all other school children to copy cat tragedies!
Mike Quinn
College Station, TX
Dear FRONTLINE,
I watched the program about Kip Kipple last night and I cried. It is a horribly sad story. I am the parent of an eleven year old that had been diagnosed as having depression with psychotic tendencies. It is a very hard thing to deal with! I had trouble watching this show last night because I saw my son in Kip. My son never feels like he fits in, has trouble making friends, struggles in school, and reaaly struggles in life. He is a very unhappy boy. I know that what my son has is an illness but can you tell me a cure for this disease? ...
I have found a knife in my son's room and my husband and I have been threatened with our lives. There is no way ever that I would have a gun in our house, that would be like handing a robber a gun during a robbery when he wasn't armed to begin with. If I can't get help for my son he will turn out this way! the fact is that the only help there is for kids out there is "here take some Prozac" or whatever the doctor's choice drug is. Something more has to be done!
... I'm willing to go above and beyond to help him succeed in life and he still is a very depressed angry, young man. Kip Kipple had understanding, loving parents that were willing to do the same thing and still didn't succeed. ... I think that most parents that are dealing with a troubled child that have no clue to do. When you've loved them, gotten them the medical care that they need,and basically given them everything that as parent you are supposed to do and it still doesn't work, what next? I would appreciate some feedback on this because I have no clue what to do with my son as I'm sure many other in my situation don't know what to do either.
Polly Stevens
Mount Vernon, Ohio
Dear FRONTLINE,
I find this discussion as interesting as the show. I was left as troubled as many of you sound. What I find interesting however, is how we all struggle to find someone/something to blame which lets us sleep at night because it gives us reason to explain why it would never happen in our family, why our parenting would never be called to investigation under a microscope. I am the mother of two small children. Do I get upset and behave "autocratically" as I heard Kip's father countlessly described? You bet! Do I lose my cool and sometimes say things I regret? You bet! Do I love my children? More than anything! Am I perfect? Not even close. But I take parenting classes when I can, I stay home with my kids and give them as much time as I can and still get my other work done. Will this guarantee my children won't turn out like Kip? Absolutely not. I can only hope, and I think that is what disturbs us all.
Christiane Wilson-Grove
Kirkland, WA
Dear FRONTLINE,
The reason I just had to watch the program was that I saw an interview with the show's producer on a morning show yesterday, and when they played the interrogation tape, all I could think of was that never in my life had I heard such torment, other than in a movie or an opera. After watching the show, and hearing the interrogation tape for the second time, a different perspective presented itself to me, viz. how could someone so tormented by the irreversability of what he had done not have found it easier to take his own life, especially after his parents were already dead. What was he doing the whole night at the house, with the bodies of his parents neatly covered by sheets? He was planning his next murder! The high shool rampage the following morning was either the coldest or the most insane act I've ever had a chance to reflect on. ...
igor karpov
Dear FRONTLINE,
I just finished watching this story, and I was deeply moved. I am a high schooler, in fact the same age as Kinkel. I have experienced what it's like to go through the loneliness and hurt that Kip has. I even have the same Romeo and Juliet Soundtrack, as is that is my favorite movie. I fell that I can sympathize for Kip, although that does not condone his actions. Kip must have had violent tendencies throughout his entire life to have let it take him to this. I can appreciate the loneliness, the hurt, and the pain of regection, but not the violence. Violence is never the answer. I want this to be a message to all the other people out there NEVER to judge another person. Don't mock people, tease them or anything because of their clothes, their appearance, or their abilities. You have NO idea what they could be going through. ... Please keep the story of Kip Kinkel in mind the next time you consider pushing a 'nerd' or 'scrub' or any other person. You never know how that could have effect on them.
Ryan Fennell
Dear FRONTLINE,
I watched your program on the Killer at Thurston High last night and was a bit disturbed at the fact that you showed people where they can go on the Internet to find out how to make bombs. Also that you showed ingredients for bombs and the names of books that contain this material. I know itís really not that hard to find this kind of information anymore but I donít think it should be blatantly displayed on television. You complain that itís the violence in television, movies, and music; but refuse to lay some of the blame on yourselves. I donít think itís appropriate to be showing things that contain information on bombs and such on television where any child or teenager can see these and start a new ěhobbyî as you put it last night.
You give these kids the attention they donít deserve by doing shows like these. In most of the school shootings, the kids said that they lacked attention from someone in their life so they have to look for it somewhere else. Well Bingo! All a child has to do now is watch television news programs and see how much attention you will give them for these random acts of violence. Whether it be good or bad attention, they still see it as attention. I think that there should be a bigger deal made out of what will happen to these kids after they go on a shooting spree. For instance what happens to them in jail and how they will have to live with the memory of doing this for the rest of their lives, that this does not just go away. ...
Christa Rice
Christa Rice
Lansdale, PA
Dear FRONTLINE,
This is not an attempt to place blame, but I am totally mystified as to why the English teacher believed that that disgusting version of Romeo and Juliet had any educational merit or any place in a classroom. Have we gone this far in an attempt to make great literature "relevant" to our gun and violence crazed society?
Christy Robinson
Long Beach, CA
Dear FRONTLINE,
Thanks so much for your sensitive and thorough account of the Kinkel family's tragedy. It is clear from your analysis that Kip's feelings of isolation and inadequacy grew out of his inability to meet his parents expectations, particularly in athletics and in his school work.
Current statistics indicate that 10-15% of male children in our society are afflicted with some degree of dyslexia, a condition which seems to be sex-linked. This being the case, our educational system would do well to accommodate children who cannot keep up with their peers. If Kip had been given an activity in which he could excell, for example, a noncompetitive sport like swimming or a nurturing activity like pet rehabilitation at the local Humane Society, and if he his parents had supported such efforts, he might not have been tempted to achieve notoriety through antisocial violence.
We must rethink our school curriculum to give dyslexic boys nontraditional options for achieving success. It is clear from Kip's diary that what he lacked and desperately craved was self-esteem. Success is what we all want---that is what makes Kip's story OUR story.
Joan Reitz
Danbury, CT
Dear FRONTLINE,
Dear Frontline
I am a twenty four year old who works with children who have "Mental Illnesses." I found your story on Kip to be interesting in the fact that he claimed to "hear voices" and at one time was on Prozac. I believe many people in today's society feel that if they take a pill for a short amount of time their problems will be fixed. his parents believed he was "better" but he really did not learn any proper coping skills for his anger. Voices or depression is not something that just goes away, it is not like a headache that is relieved in several hours. One must find the right medications and release of frustration. There was no support for Kip, and he proved that to the world.
Jason doyle
Dear FRONTLINE,
I have an 11 year-old boy with learning disabilities and our family parallels the Kinkels in many ways. I can empathize with the frustrations of Kip's dad. It is very difficult to play two roles with an LD child - accepting the lack of achievement, and yet encouraging/forcing the child to continue striving because an LD child often does have to give 120% effort even to perform at a very average level in school. The show reinforced my desire to keep communication open with my son and to continually give him hope. I keep reminding myself that the Lord does not value people for their academic or sports skills, or even their social skills or kindness. The Lord values my son because he created him, and that is enough, and it should be enough for us, too.
Martha Hayden
Dear FRONTLINE,
I am simply OUTRAGED that pbs put this on television! I have a son who is quite like Kip. He is filled with rage for no clear reason. He has a chemical imbalance and refuses to take his medications. I pray to God he did NOT see this broadcast! I do not feel that this was a healty broadcast for ANYONE to see. There is absoluting nothing to gain by showing this. What is your reasoning? You think by sharing this horrific incident with the public that it is going to stop others from doing this? Or do you think it is entertainment? Do you really truly feel that other children battling with an imbalance would see this and think twice about doing it themselves? Not even close. A child with a disorder or the rage like Kip had, has absolutely no care for anyone or anything when their brain is telling them to do something...
We are to take our children by the hand and nuture them as much as we can. Seek help in anyway we can. Subjecting them to this is NOT healing, it is damaging. If my son saw this on pbs...it would severely hurt him. Is that your goal here? Let me tell you...the more our children are subjected to this kind of media, the more damage it causes them, weather they have chemical imbalances or not. This is NOT the kind of thing I expect from public television. I think you were trying to get ratings by riding the reporters bandwagon. ...
cathy williams
Ishpeming , mi
Dear FRONTLINE,
I thought of my relationship with my 15 year old and last child and the many, many times I find fault with him. Sadly, we do not communicate. He because of his fear of me and me because I expect more. Erik will find his dad a different person from now on.
I will show interest, ask how his day was, accept him as a young man in an environment different thanm ine was knowing that if I do not show him love and acceptance that he will find other sources to reinforce his efforts.
John Emmett
Portland, Oregon
Dear FRONTLINE,
As an adult dealing with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in conjunction with major depression I came to realize that at the momment I felt that I no longer had control over the situation I would likely commit suicide, and that those who do commit suicide probably have reached that point. Fortunately I never came even close. Kip expressed these sorts of feelings quite eloquently in his journal when he wrote of the need for hope. I cannot imagine dealing with these sorts of feelings as an adolescent. It was difficult enough as a highly educated adult with family and friends to advocate for me. When Kip says he had no choice but to do what he did I believe him.
The tragedy of this story is the lack of awareness that mental illness has physical causes and can be treated with great success. The program did nothing to promote this idea with its emphasis on the "nuturing" family and community that surrounded Kip. Nurture had nothing to do with it. Mental illness can appear in the best of families, and to suggest otherwise smacks of the eugenics of the early years of the 20th century. Frontline could have done better by its audience by investigating this aspect of Kip's story.
I commend Kip's sister for appearing on the program. I hope she continues to support her brother throughout his life. She and her extended family need our sympathy and support as well.
Margaret Gradie
Dear FRONTLINE,
Shame on you, Frontline. Your story sounded like one of those news magazines we see on the commercial stations. One more time at interviewing all the people involved, with little or no further insight when you could have used the program as a vehicle to explore and discuss the latest knowledge coming out of the fields of psychiatry and neurology. If you had watched the local Oregon Public Broadcasting station after Frontline you would have had an opportunity to hear Dr. Bosltad, a psychiatrist who spent about 30 HOURS interviewing Kip. He clearly stated that Kip is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and experienced such symptoms as hearing voices, paranoia and psychotic thinking, all symptoms which might have shed some additional light on his behavior and provoked a serious discussion about what can be done for people who suffer from such diseases. ...
Just a discussion around violence and mental illnesses would have made a great frontline topic and put your program where it belongs - giving people an opportunity to get in depth stories about topics that are otherwise covered superficially Come on, Frontline, keep going for the tough stories and giving us information that is really food for thought!.
Liz Mason
Dear FRONTLINE,
I don't think your show was very objective. I felt you were trying to make excuses/justify what he did. Kip Kinkel is responsible for those deaths. Yes, his parents were less than perfect. Yes, he was influenced by music and other media. So are a lot of other kids, but most do not choose to shoot people.
Kurt Nyquist
Bellefonte, PA 
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