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Once again riveting pictures and graphic accounts of another tragedy--kids shooting kids in their schools--takes front stage in our media. I, as a parent and a grandparent, along with millions of Americans feel helpless in the face of such insanity. It is impossible to comfort families who have lost one of their own children. It is impossible to comfort families who have lost a parent. It is impossible to comfort a community that is deeply wounded by such senseless tragedy.
But somehow we must begin. At the time of the Oregon school shooting a year ago, I grieved not only for all those innocent people affected by Kip Kinkel's actions but also for his parents, who had tried valiantly to save their son only to be repaid by being victims of his insanity. They were teachers who, if they had lived would have suffered immeasurably as a result of their son's murderous rampage. Their search for answers to their son's problems ended in their untimely death.
In an effort to cope with such horrific tragedy, people look for scapegoats. In a CNN online poll (http://www.cnn.com/POLL/results/128301.html) which asks "Who or what is most responsible for school violence?" the most popular response is parents. So suggestions are made to enact legislation to punish the "responsible adult" for children's aberrant behavior.
In addition, there are calls for new firearms' laws. Laws, which would turn any gun owner into a criminal, whose guns are stolen and then used illegally. These are the same measures that were suggested after two youngsters in Arkansas broke into their grandfather's home and stole the firearms they used to shoot their classmates and a teacher. Some people in their zeal for easy answers believe that sending the grandfather or the parents to prison will somehow stop the evil misdeeds of the children.
But the question after all is how do we as individuals and as a society prevent or address evil intentions and evil actions. Evil actions that are perpetrated by evil people, whether children or adults. After all evil deeds were committed 30 years ago--but not as many by children. So what has happened? Liberal attorney Gerry Spence appearing on Larry King the night of the Littleton tragedy gave us a clue. His comment was, "Larry, we hear people amazed and astounded at what happened, but maybe we ought not to be amazed and astounded. I mean...aren't these the seeds of the violence that we plant in this country?"
Guns laws were almost non-existent and guns were certainly more readily available when my generation and my children's generation were in school. Yet incidents such as Jonesboro, Springfield, and Littleton were extremely rare. My nightmare was grade school bullies pelting me with acorns as I ran the gauntlet from the bus stop to my home. The acorns stung and raised red welts, but somehow it never occurred to me that the appropriate response was to threaten them with my Red Ryder BB gun, let alone anything more deadly.
I believe it is a fact that evil exists. I also believe that Eric Harris, and Dylan Klebold were evil. I also believe that just as dark is the absence of light, evil is the absence of morality. Ronald Federici, a psychologist who specializes in treating violent adolescents, states, "There's an epidemic of people who think they have permission to be violent." Federici also makes the point that bad kids have no fear of punishment. "They figure they can get away with it by working the psychiatric route or that they can get out of jail time. They don't fear the criminal justice system. They are fearless of authority." Sounds just like what we have learned about Harris, Klebold, Kinkel, and other juvenile murderers. The fact is that current law against bringing guns and bombs to school did not deter these assassins. So how does society try and prevent even more of this type of carnage in our society?
First let's recognize that evil exists. It can't be blamed away with psychobabble and rationalization. And when we find it, we must stop the evil before it spreads. Secondly, we must stop "planting the seeds of violence." Finally, we must stop fertilizing those seeds should they find a fertile field. Too often the telltale signs of violent and anti-social behavior are very visible. We seem to celebrate diversity with an anything goes attitude until something goes wrong. Our leaders write books about villages caring for children and then the community turns a deaf ear when one child complains about the aberrant activities of others. Our teachers are asked to perform herculean tasks and then are afraid to speak up for fear of losing their jobs or being sued by angry parents.
Yet safety is everyone's responsibility. After the Jonesboro tragedy I stated on NBC that every threat should be taken seriously and acted upon by the authorities. Now schools and law enforcement are coming together and doing just that. In the wake of the Littleton massacre, copycat crimes have spread to every corner of the country and further terrorizing parents and children. (http://nt.excite.com/news/r/990424/00/news-crime-shooting-copycat). From Seattle to Florida and from Canada to Texas authorities are working hard at preventing more carnage by detaining, interrogating, and even arresting juveniles seeking their few minutes of fame. And that is appropriate and very necessary.
Yet, here goes Clinton and the anti-gun lobby using the tragedy to whip up the media to help pass more restrictive laws regarding guns and bombs. You can't read a newspaper, watch television, or go onto the internet without the ubiquitous polls asking questions such as: "Who or what is most responsible for school violence? or " Should the U.S. pass laws seeking to keep guns out of the hands of juveniles? One of the latest polls from msnbc (http://www.msnbc.com/news/262926.asp#BODY) makes every respondent choose a gun control legislative proposal without allowing an alternative such as "none of the proposed legislative solutions."
Many columnists, including Maureen Dowd, (http://www10.nytimes.com/library/opinion/dowd/042599dowd.html) Al Martinez, (http://www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/COLUMNS/MARTINEZ/t000037197.3.html) and Andrea Peyser (http://www.nypostonline.com/042199/commentary/6648.htm) are already on the offensive against NRA and its 2.7 million members. Peyser's column entitled, KIDS' CORPSES SILENTLY SHAME THE NRA on April 21, 1999 asks the question: "How about lobbying to make it illegal for anyone under 18 or 21 to possess a gun?" Well, Andrea and all you Internet pollsters here's your answer. Current federal law already prohibits anyone under the age of 21 to purchase a handgun, while the purchaser of a rifle or shotgun must be over 18. But if she knew the answer, then her column wouldn't have the same fervor. After all, the federal and state laws are very clear on guns in schools: THEY ARE PROHIBITED!!
When bad things happen it is human nature to try and affix
blame. Depending upon the perspective of the person the blame
is being assigned to the media, movies, TV shows, video games,
Marilyn Manson, and guns. And to date only one of these has ever
been legislatively prosecuted -- guns. By focusing attention on
inanimate objects, the east but ineffective fix, we will ignore
the real issue: personal and moral responsibility for one's actions.
It's time we began teaching our children about safety, responsibility
and the freedom that follows them.
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