Legitimized guns enable school violence
Melissa R. Beiting
senior
I am writing in response to Scott Brodfuehrer's column of March 23 entitled, "Violence hurts." While I commend Mr. Brodfuehrer for taking the time to discuss this extremely important issue, I have to question his approach to the topic of school violence. We should question the validity of Mr. Brodfuehrer's claim that "these shootings continue to be especially disturbing because they do not occur in a violence-ridden area." While he seems shocked by the fact that these crimes are taking place even in "small Catholic schools," his analysis of the situation as a whole is perfunctory and lacks any real depth.
Ask the big question. Why do school shootings continue to happen in America? Regardless of where they take place, the perpetrators of these acts of violence make the same claims: They feel alone, rejected, mocked or unloved. Whether the motive behind the shooting is anger, revenge, bigotry or an attempt to regain a feeling of control in their lives, the young Americans who are picking up guns and threatening their fellow students feel left behind. The angst associated with being a teenager is not new — ever seen "Heathers?" — but something in our society has created this evolution in how young adults express their frustrations.
Perhaps it's the individualistic nature of American society that keeps these young gunmen from feeling that they can turn to another person to express their emotions. Perhaps it's this same characteristic that allows us to somehow justify permitting private citizens' ownership of firearms, despite the fact that nearly every other civilized nation in the world condemns it.
However, blaming the schools is not the answer. When children and teens plan to commit this type of crime, they tell someone. A recent article in Time noted that 75 percent of the perpetrators of school shootings told someone what they were planning before they took action. Schools have to rely on their students to come forward with this information. Is it logical to assume that an unhappy, lonely, angry 15-year-old is going to walk up to his high school principal and announce that he's planning on bringing a gun to school tomorrow? Of course not.
Massive administrative ineptitude is not the cause of these shootings. As the daughter of a high school administrator, I have seen my mother worry about the emotional state, home lives and personal lives of students in her high school. I have seen her and her staff try to take measures that would prevent a school shooting from happening. Believe me, Mr. Brodfuehrer, when I say that the students are most definitely not the only line of defense!
There is no longer a school in the country that has the luxury of thinking that it couldn't happen in its halls. But if the adults who are in contact with a child disregard his threats of violence, even the most "proactive" school can't be chastised for not picking up on the signs.
And please, don't think that the fact that these shootings are happening in white suburban schools makes them more worthy of our attention than any other form of gun-related violence that is going on in our country today. "Violence hurts" no matter where it is perpetrated. No matter by whom it is perpetrated. The young lives that were cut short by school violence were tragically lost, but their parents' pain is shared by the parents of a 6-year-old child who was killed playing with her father's gun, the parents of a young girl who was accidentally shot in a drive-by, and the parents of a 17-year-old boy who was shot because he was working behind the counter of the wrong convenient store on the wrong day. As long as guns are readily available in our country, I guarantee you, Mr. Brodfuehrer, the violence will continue.
Melissa R. Beiting
senior
Walsh Hall
March 23. 2001
All Viewpoint Stories for Monday, March 26, 2001
