Virginia Tech: the killer was also a victim
Gary is preparing an interview on video game violence and asked about my perspective.
Video games, gun control, religion. None of the above explain what happened. They are easy scapegoats that let us avoid thinking about own responsibility.
Like hundreds of thousands of others, the killer wasn't getting the help he needed. He was suicidal and psychotic. He was "the least of these".
There were people that noticed, tried to help him and/or protect themselves. It sadly wasn't enough.
Jeff Trexler is quoted in boingboing:In an eerie coincidence, the current issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education features an op-ed by two attorneys on Virginia & the law affecting how university administrators respond to students with suicidal students: Link. Its conclusion in a nutshell is that liability concerns & statutory restrictions keep universities from addressing otherwise preventable tragedies. The date of this issue is 4/20/07. It went to press before the VT shootings.
Preventable tragedies. Despite individuals that tried to do the right thing, we're not collectively set up to deal with these situations. We're not organized to provide hospitality - to students, visitors, immigrants. We can't welcome those that are ill.
The mass murderers are the tip of the iceberg - there are thousands of students that only kill themselves. It's a huge loss. If we can learn to deal effectively with those students, we'll also catch the occasional serial killer.
Video games, gun control, religion. None of the above explain what happened. They are easy scapegoats that let us avoid thinking about own responsibility.
Like hundreds of thousands of others, the killer wasn't getting the help he needed. He was suicidal and psychotic. He was "the least of these".
There were people that noticed, tried to help him and/or protect themselves. It sadly wasn't enough.
Jeff Trexler is quoted in boingboing:In an eerie coincidence, the current issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education features an op-ed by two attorneys on Virginia & the law affecting how university administrators respond to students with suicidal students: Link. Its conclusion in a nutshell is that liability concerns & statutory restrictions keep universities from addressing otherwise preventable tragedies. The date of this issue is 4/20/07. It went to press before the VT shootings.
Preventable tragedies. Despite individuals that tried to do the right thing, we're not collectively set up to deal with these situations. We're not organized to provide hospitality - to students, visitors, immigrants. We can't welcome those that are ill.
The mass murderers are the tip of the iceberg - there are thousands of students that only kill themselves. It's a huge loss. If we can learn to deal effectively with those students, we'll also catch the occasional serial killer.