Moving through different levels of education I have always struggled with two particular subjects: Math and History. I’ve never fully understood why or how Math works and probably never will. I’ve learned to accept the fact that my checkbook will never be balanced. History on the other hand is one of those subjects that I’m beginning to appreciate and starting to understand the importance.

It appears that most Americans are about as dumb as I am when it comes to history. It’s been said that we should learn from the past and that history is the window looking back.

However, history was ignored once again Monday when yet another student opened fire on his fellow classmates and teachers at a high school in Santee, Calif.

Has America learned nothing? Over the past several years there has been a number of painful lessons on school violence in America. But it seems like nothing has been learned from those lessons.

I’m left wondering what it will take for the violence and hatred that is prevalent in the school systems to come to an end.

Scrolling through various news organizations’ coverage on the Internet and the message boards that provide readers the opportunity to voice their opinions, I’m left thinking that we have, indeed, learned nothing from the past.

Scrolling through the message board of CNN.com I saw that the child responsible for the latest school tragedy was not held responsible by readers who wanted to throw their two cents in on the subject. In fact, nearly every excuse I could think of was given as an explanation to the common question: Why?

I’ll be the first to admit that I do not have the solution to the problem. I was fortunate enough to attend a high school where the threat of violence was left to fist fights in the school parking lot. I never worried about someone pulling a gun or knife on me or on other members of my school’s community.

Looking at the messages posted, one would think the shooter was the victim. Why?

Columbine is probably the most remembered and emotional school shooting in history. I felt deep sorrow for those who had to go through the painful ordeal and I’m sure others share my sympathy.

Here’s where history comes in. One of the deepest and most powerful lessons that came from Columbine was that when you hear someone taking about committing this violent act, you tell someone about it – even if you think the person might be joking.

This was clearly not the case this time. The news media picked up on the fact that at least two students were consulted about the shooting in California and even invited to take part in it, yet they did little to stop it.

The students who knew about the planned attack are not the only ones who did take the appropriate actions: an adult overheard the teen’s conversation and opted to do nothing about it.

Despite all of the psychological excuses given to the teen shooter the only one who is truly at fault is the teen who pulled the triggered that killed two students and injured a handful more.

Why would people offer excuses for this child? He pulled the trigger, not the music industry, NRA or God. These were among the common responses posted on the message board.

Hopefully it will not take more violence and losses of innocent lives for America to learn its lesson when it comes to stopping school violence.

After all, it’s a socially acceptable excuse to come up a little short in your checkbook balance, but it’s a little harder to forgive when a painful lesson in history is missed.