I kind of get Elliot Rodger.

Every high school teen looks forward to going to college. It’s not just because of the new thought of “independence,” but also because of the intrinsic rewards that await; especially for boys, the “rewards” are the parties and the girls. But what if an eager high school boy were to go to college and find that nothing much changed in his life from high school? He would most likely be disappointed and possibly mad, but here’s the real question - how far would the boy go to take revenge on those who “stole” his privilege?

A 21-year-old virgin by the name of Elliot Rodger seems to have suffered from this kind of frustration. Having grown up in a wealthy family, Elliot was used to getting all he wanted; except for girls. Due to his personality, Elliot was never able to get girls in high school or college. A few months before the premeditated shooting, Elliot attended what would be the last party of his life. Elliot attempted to lose his virginity by flirting with girls. He later wrote in his manifesto that he was “giving the female gender one last chance to provide him with the pleasures he deserved from them.” After futile attempts and being physically beaten up by the boys at the party, Elliot became so frustrated and angry that he finally carried out his revenge fantasy which culminated in the brutal shooting in Santa Barbara, California.

Many people in the nation have speculated as to why Elliot would be so frustrated about not being able to lose his virginity. As high school students who will be entering college in the fall, many of my friends and I can empathize with the desire to fit in and be a part of many of the activities and things we associate with college life. In this way, we understand the cause of Elliot’s anger. To be a college student who is about to graduate and having never been accepted by peers in his entire college experience, Elliot was probably beyond disappointed. However, this is where Elliot differed from the (hopefully) average high school students. To most male teens, losing their virginity is something that is secretly yearned for during the first years of college life. Even if it does not happen, though, guys would try to find the fault within themselves and not the girls.

“What do I need to do differently?” they might ask themselves. They might even ask other guys for tips on how to approach girls better.

But this is not what Elliot Rodger thought. To Elliot, losing virginity was a right, not a privilege. He believed that he deserved the pleasure and found fault within the girls for not wanting him. They were objects that did not have the right to choose. They were there for his pleasure, he thought. This is where he differed from the rest of the guys. This is why Elliot Rodger was completely wrong.