...That is the question I have running in my mind since that horrible event at Virginia Tech. Here are some other thoughts:
Noah goes to preschool that is very near a college campus. What if something like that happened here? I cannot imagine the fear I would feel.
I wonder if people homeschool their children so they think it will be safer. I just wonder if that is one of the reasons. But you still have to let them go to college, right? One of the victims at Virginia Tech was homeschooled.
I agree with those that say we should focus on why this person did it. But I also agree that we need to focus on stricter gun control. Something must be done. When Mexican government is saying that a lot of their crimes are being committed by guns smuggled in from the U.S., then I think we have a problem.
How do we keep our kids safe? What can we do to prevent this from happening again? I don't know. I have no answers. But I sure do want them.
3 comments:
I'd like answers too.
But I heard an interview yesterday with a college psychologist/counselor, being asked why the gunman hadn't been suspended or expelled from school since he was obviously unstable. The guy said that in cases like this, you can only do so much without infringing on the rights of the student. Then he said -- to paraphrase --"Everyone wants answers now because we want to assure ourselves that things like this can somehow be controlled and prevented. But sometimes things like this just happen." Which is no comfort, of course.
However, it certainly wouldn't have happened if this guy hadn't had access to guns in the first place.
Such a sad, sad tragedy!
There are so many questions and few answers. All I can think is this: I need to teach my own children to be sensitive to other people, to reach out in kindness when they can.
Ok. I have to put in my two cents. First, let me say that what this young man did was horrific. But I have to say something about the gun control issue. I am not much of a hunter, but I do believe in people's right to bear arms. However, I also agree with my wife (as we discussed this a couple of nights ago) that a person needs more than just a citizenship and a clean record of felonies to purchase a gun. If a person, wants to purchase and use a guy, I think that in addition to the current standards, a person would need to complete a reasonably tough gun safety course administered by local law enforcement. I think this would help.
However, make no mistake about it - eliminating access to guns will not make us any safer. Had he not had access to guns, I think this young man would have found a way to carry out his plan in a different way. Using the internet to learn how to build bombs, putting toxins in a food supply, or driving a truck full of fertilizer and gasoline into a building and setting the whole thing off. IMHO, Cheryl is right. The best thing we can do is try to recognize when people are having problems and reach out a loving hand to them to get them help.
My two cents. Seth
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