03-09-23 Aaron Stark, a Mental Health Advocate
In this episode, Scarlett Lewis speaks with Aaron Stark, a mental health advocate who planned but did not follow through with a school shooting in 1996. Aaron’s TED Talk, ‘I Was Almost A School Shooter,’ has over fifteen million views. In this episode, Aaron gives valuable insight on the pain that turns children into cold blooded killers. He talks with Scarlett about his childhood, being homeless, how he was bullied and then became a bully himself. He said he was expressing his pain and hurt outwardly. Aaron said, “When you have nothing to lose, you can do anything and that is a terrifying thought.” Aaron was able to turn his life around when he finally felt seen and supported.
Aaron talks about shooters wanting to be seen and how they are in a tremendous amount of pain which leads to these actions. Scarlett and Aaron discuss how to prevent school shootings and the importance of, “giving love to those you feel deserve it the least.” Listen to this powerful podcast and how you can ‘ Choose Love’ and become part of the solution.
Learn more About Scarlett here: https://chooselovemovement.org/
