Hi.

It's definitely not the weather. Maybe it's something in our genes? I don't know.. all I know is that I can feel depressed regardless of the country I'm living.
Unfortunately, there is no perfect society in the world and there propably never will be. But It feels good to be finnish because I know that even if I would be left completely alone, without family, there would be atleast my home country that would (hopefully) still care about me in some way.
What we need in this chaotic world right now is to care for other people and ourselves. Only this can make a society work better and make every country a better and safer place to live.

My deepest condolescens go to everyone who have lost their loved ones for mindless violence or war.
Peace be with you all.

Minttu, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

I totally agree with Maria. The kid was probably sitting all evenings with computer thinking about the philosophys of his idol and well, here is the result. This really could happen anywhere and has nothing to do with finland itself or "depressed finns" like mr. boeys said. I really hope that The Times will not release such ignorant releases from other people especially in times like these when major tragedy hits. In any country there are psychopats and this was just result of many incidents. When you read the crap he did all the days alone you don't need to be totally crazy to believe even some of it. And what comes to the weapon license. around 30% of finns have atleast 1 weapon in their home and still this was the first "mass school slaughter" in our history. My best regards to everyone which this tragedy touched.

Jeremias , Pori, Finland

"Cambridge University: Finns are second happiest in Europe.

According to researchers from Cambridge University Danes were ranked the happiest in Europe, followed by Finns.

Citizens of Denmark rated their average happiness at 8.31 out of 10. Finns rated their happiness at 8.05. The Irish ranked third. Younger and older people also said they were happier than middle-aged people.

Some 20,000 people from 15 EU countries participated in the research in 2004."

Source: AFP etc.

In light of the research the conclusion of The Times claiming Finns to be depressed and dark minded is not quite true at all. Therefore this unhappy incident can only be considered as a separated reaction of an unhappy and mentally unstable person and there is no justification to blame the whole nation.

Markus, Vantaa, Finland

This time I don´t think what happened has anything to do with Finland or our society in general, it could have happened anywhere. This is about a geeky kid who is kind of lonely with probably bad social skills, no chance with girls, but smart, or at least above the average teen. So he sits alone in his room night after night, dabbles with his computer, reads some Nietzsche, and realizes that he too can be powerful and a "star", by believing in all that Ubermensch crap, and doing what he did.

If you read his manifesto, you can see most of it is directly copied from his favourite philosofer, so I really hope other kids will not start idolizing him, for his deed or his ramblings on line. He was nothing to look up to, nor hate for that matter, just a sad, angry kid.

My condolances to all who are touched by this tragedy, and also to the family Auvinen in their darkest hour.

Maria, Helsinki, Finland

its crazy to blame the dark and cold. This could have happened anywhere, not just Finland - we have our share of loonies right here in England.

It was just a tragic isolated incident, my heart goes out to the families involved.

Louise Flower, Ashford, England

The police actually has told several hours ago that the victims were the headmaster, the school nurse and 6 students (1 girl and 5 boys). The female student was apparently an adultstudent because her age is told to be 25. The boys who were killed were 16-18 years old.

Veera, Keski-Suomi, Finland

You Tube doesn't kill people. People kill people. I hate when articles try to somehow blame the "internet" for these kinds of horrific acts of violence.

Tommy, New York, NY, USA

the nurse AND the headmistress was killed, so all together 8 people including the shooter himself.

Elisa Ala-Siuru, OULU, Finland

Hi, I come from finland. I have to say, that finnish people are't stop linving in winter. I think most of finnish love winter, particularly now, because last winter aren't snowy. Stop the blaming finnis, it's better help peoples whose needs help, before it's too late. I'm sorry my very bad english, but I hope you understand what I want tell.

Anni, Helsinki, Finland

I was thoug that this is the one of those things what won't ever happen in Finland. And it happened. In school where is some of my friends.

Kristiina, Jarvenpaa, Finland

I'm from Finland, too. I think everybody who wants to criticize what happened in Tuusula yesterday should read Pekka-Eric Auvinen's ''Manifesto''. He has some very brilliant thoughts, too.(I'm not on his side indeed)

I want also criticize foreign journalists because they say that in Finland one third of people has a gun. They should think that here nearly anybody is never using them or only to hunt or so on. And here most of us are very happy, we have maybe the bettest education system in the world and very good healtcare system and so on.

I also read from finnish newspage that the pupils of the Jokela High school had told to the principal that this Auvinen is really going to lose his mind but the principal hadn't done anything.
Finland also has warm summers(the temperature can climp up to thirty degrees at summer) and the little ''villages'' in Finland are much more comfortable to live than the big cities out there in the world.
Just few thoughts from a finnish 15-year-old boy

Iikka, Kouvola, Finland

How this is possible? Notice researches but It save anybody when something will happen.

Finns are the most happy people in the EU, after the Danes, is the result of this EU-research... That was 2006
http://www.iesaf.fi/sauna/printview.php?t=1822&start=15

According to The Economistin news 2007 finns are happiest nation in the world.

Jarmo, Tampere,

As you can see, mr. Boyes. When you read these texts what finnish people have written here, you can notice that when someone attack against us, in verbal way or otherwise, we stick together and we defend each other. We have strong solidarity and these are things that you don´t even have!!! We are proud that we live in Finland.

Sepeli, Pori, FINLAND!!!

My oppinion about this is in Finland there's not suppose to be that kind of people but apparently there was/is. This was a sad situation that got out of hands. This was a situation that shouldn't never happened and everyone in Finland are still in shock but this case doesn't mean that all finnish people are depressed or hermit. This kind of people are all around the world, people who's appinion are different than others. You can't think that we all are depressed or some way we wanna bring our own oppinion out. Finland is a welfarestate but still here is some improvement to make. Finland is not full of hill-billies or depressed people like everyone thinks. Maybe we are quite cos we don't trust every stranger, we have to get to know the person until we'll share our secrets, and even then some of us are withdrawn. This is the biggest shock in my 16-year life and although we live 300km away from the Tuusula we can almost feel their pain but we'll take care of eachother. I know it.

Tiia, Laitila, Finland

It is really annoying that foreign journalists blame the "darkness and coldness" at winter in Finland for everything that ever goes wrong here. Having lived 10 years in London myself, I don't feel that England is particularly any cheerier place with all the rain and draft in the winter months. People in Finland don't either stop living at winter, or stop socialicing, like the British journalist claimed.

Loneliness, bullying and the ostrasation due to internet is happening amongst all the young people in the Western developed world, not only in Finland. This is a truly isolated incident here, one of a kind. Yet it is time to think again, how we can get help sooner to these young people, no matter in which country, before it's too late.

Annika Vaisanen, Turku, Finland

my thoughts go out to the families of these people that have lost there lives.it's a shocking and horrible thing thats happened ,love and well wishes to all envolved and hope you have strength and a strong faith and friends to help you through this terrible time.

paul, berwick upon tweed, north of england

Hi!

I am from Finland, and maybe to your surprise, my life is extremely happy. We are used to the fact, that in the winter time it's dark and cold, but personally it does't bother me at all. I love when it's cold and snowy. Probably the person, who has written these articles here, has not ever visited Finland or met any Finnish people. This is a tragic and sad time for us all, and I wish that the families and friends will have enough strength through these terrible times. We shouldn't forget to help and listen to each other in this other wise hectic and stressy world. This was an act of one isolated and lonely person and now it is too late to help him. But from now on we should concentrate a lot more on the people around us and see early enough if there's something wrong.

Miranda, Salo, Finland