School Violence (10-17-06)

I locked some doors today. After listening to discussion among members of the school board and members of the high school staff, I walked the building and secured all the doors that I could reasonably lock.

And it still isn’t enough.

Recently, a string of highly publicized acts of school violence or violence done on schools has generated much emotional debate. What can we do? Are we doing all we can? How can we be sure our children are safe?

So I locked a few doors. I also reviewed our crisis plan, had the staff post emergency information in their rooms, and soon we will conduct a school crisis drill, all in preparation of a storm that we hope will never come.

I want to make a clear distinction: Two of the recent shootings were examples of violence brought into schools. In Bailey, Colorado, and in the Pennsylvania Amish country, a gunman decided to pick a school as a place to inflict damage. These violent men could just have easily chosen a grocery store, shopping mall, or other crowded area to wreak their destruction. I am reminded of “going postal,” a phrase used in my youth which referred to a string of shootings that took place in post offices. Violent acts can occur wherever people gather, and it is just that much more tragic these recent killers targeted schools.

The other violent acts were perpetrated by students. One young man apparently wanted revenge against his school principal. The other student in Joplin, Missouri, was obsessed with Columbine and had plans to rampage before his automatic weapon jammed.

Regardless of why school violence (or violence brought into schools) does occur, all we as a community can do is be concerned. We must be concerned with those in our area, whether student or adult, who seem in any way to being pushed to violence. The man who attacked the school in Bailey had been living in his car. The boy obsessed with Columbine felt ostracized and alone. While these conditions do not excuse the violent acts, the lives of the killers do offer a glimpse into just what can drive a person to such extremes. We must be concerned for those who either school or society has pushed to side. A tornado can sometimes be predicted, and likewise, there are often warning signs associated by people contemplating mayhem.

Of course, not all acts of violence can be explained. The man who shot the girls in the Amish schoolhouse apparently displayed no outward signs, and had no obvious reason for wanting to kill and destroy. Like a random bolt of lightning, he struck without warning and without reason.

While all the locked doors, and all the safety drills, and all the concern in the world, cannot completely prevent violence, communities can come together and decide how they will carry on. One story will remain with me forever. The Pennsylvania Amish, after burying their young girls, then buried the killer in a ceremony of forgiveness. That’s right: they forgave their killer. In the end, a community will not be judged on how it prepared for the eventuality of violence, but by how it reacted and responded once the storm had passed through.

All we can ever do to prepare for catastrophe is to love one another, build strong relationships, and educate ourselves and our children as best we can about how to recognize and prevent societal and school violence.

One door that I will never lock is the one to my office. My door is and always will be open to any and all. Together we can make a difference. Together we can survive any storm.