Apr 18 2007
The Virginia Tech Tragedy
On Monday, April 16, 007, Virginia Tech University suffered a tragedy of monumental proportions, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, the families of the victims, and their entire university community. How do things like this happen? And when they do, why do we blame everyone else but the person who perpetrated the heinous act? Why do we have to worry about our loved ones just going to school or work? How do you explain this to a nine year old who asks “Mommy, why did that boy kill all those people? What did they do to him?” Why does a nine year old have to ask these questions? How do schools handle situations like this and why do they have to? When did the human race became so hateful and heartless?
5 Responses to “The Virginia Tech Tragedy”
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The Virgina Tech Massacre is indeed a profound tragedy for the families of the victims and the school community at large. As the facts come in about the case, it appears the perpetrator was a man suffering from severe mental illness. National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” offered a wonderful discussion of how universities can address mental illness. An audio link to the story can be found here http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9658210 The complex ethical and legal issues facing the ability of an institution to deal with this type of mental illness is covered very well but the guest speakers. All school administrators and teachers should listen. As far as how to address the questions a young child will inevitably ask, I would be curious to see how a mental health professional might help in these cases. Center for Leadership should do a show with Helen (Kelly) Dylag and the folks at The Far West Center. That is a great resource for teachers trying to deal with the issues you raise this evening.
How do schools handle situations like this and why do they have to? When did the human race become so hateful and heartless?
a) Certain members of the human race are or become hateful and heartless. That has been true since the beginning of time. It will be true until the end of time.
b) How do schools handle this situation? A better question in my mind, is this: What has happened to freedom of association and the school being able to retain or dismiss a student at will? There was a time when a school could say to students that they are not acceptable and just go home, get well if you can, and come back when you are ready. Now, in order to do this, there must be boards convened, lawyers consulted, and rear ends covered. My guess is that everyone who knew this guy wished he was anywhere but at Virginia Tech, but no one could do anything about it. Perhaps those signs, “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone” should be allowed to return.
c) Colleges and universities are institutions of higher learning. If there are students or instructors that interfere with at that goal, the institution should be permitted to make a change for the good of the institution. They should not expect to be institutions of higher therapy or rehabilitation. We don’t put bad apples in with the good ones, hoping that the good ones will cure the bad ones.
I can understand the emotional response, but am not sure of the questions asked are rhetorical so I will address them.
How do things like this happen?
Some dangerous and mentally ill people (not all are dangerous obviously) are high functioning and do so in a society that has in large part abdicated its responsibility to safeguard themselves and the mentally ill from the possibility of grievous acts.
Still, even if people were more careful and programs were more funded, the only guarantee of safety we can give is our own promises to do no harm. If a body does not make that promise for some reason, it puts everyone at potential risk.
And when they do, why do we blame everyone else but the person who perpetrated the heinous act?
This question makes and assumption without evidence to found it. If a person has a brain disorder they might not be responsible for their own actions no matter how much people do not want to believe it. We do not know enough of the facts about this boy to know if he was responsible or if he was suffering from a disorder. If there is any doubt as to how a person could not be responsible with such disorders, one should research that and not base opinions upon the media who are not mental health professionals (mostly).
I will say this, it’s very sad all the way around when there is nowhere to place responsibility and that makes my sympathy multiply and magnify a thousand fold for the families of the victims.
Why do we have to worry about our loved ones just going to school or work?
A person does or does not do this voluntarily there is no have about it.
How do you explain this to a nine year old who asks “Mommy, why did that boy kill all those people? What did they do to him?”
First of all and of crucial importance is to respond rationally and lovingly. Whatever opinions a parent has should be weighed carefully and whatever passions should be quelled. To strike fear in the hearts of children due to our own frustrations is unkind and damaging. That fear makes them even more unsafe.
What helps them is to feel empowered. Knowledge does that. Spend time with the nine year old researching his or her questions and follow-up questions. Do the hard time consuming work of raising a child. I think most parents do this already, but we are all human and sometimes do let our tempers show to the detriment of rational thought.
What is deplorable is the media and societies need to see and be a part of spectacle. It is more than difficult to teach a child appropriate behaviors when they are repeatedly shown poor ones at our sides because we can’t stop watching.
Why does a nine year old have to ask these questions?
Because a nine year old is gloriously curious and thank the powers that be for it. I would that we all were as engaged in the world so. But really, they don’t have to ask, but if they feel comfortable asking, I think that’s a win.
How do schools handle situations like this and why do they have to?
I let my students express themselves and ask questions. I answer if I can and if I can’t we try to research those answers together.
At our school we do our best to take preventative physical security measures. Still, you might be surprised that on the day after the shootings I witnessed a parent in the hallway, disrupting nearby classes, yelling her disagreement with our student ID policy.
It may sound corny but we love kids, teachers, staff and administrators, and we want them to succeed, be healthy and learn. Sometimes we have quite the battle on our hands to do that and not just from the students themselves who are often to young and inexperienced to understand the full scope of why policy exists.
The “have” is an erroneous assumption again. We do it because we love them. We do it voluntarily and we will not stop being there either. Shooting, terrorist attack or plain old natural disaster, we will do our best to help children cope.
When did the human race became so hateful and heartless?
I’m pretty sure it always was in part or so history and the poets have told us. But the truth is that America did and does have a problem when dealing with the mentally ill.
They have been forgotten and to a large degree the loopholes are vast. Here is a short contemporary history of the problem. In the end it seems, money is too important: http://www.sociology.org/content/vol003.004/thomas.html
All the way around this is sad.
I have some questions of my own. Why, when we know that mental health care is important, does the state not fund it adequately? Why does the federal government not help matters? Why do schools have counselors, who are trained to help students and spot problems like mental illness, doing schedules? Why are there so few counselors in the elementary schools? Why are we prevented from taking care of our children?
And when the children are of the majority, why do we not understand it is our responsibility to take care of those who would hurt themselves and others? Why don’t we want to get involved?
Clearly, I have made an assumption myself that may be erroneous and that is that this boy was mentally ill. And if that is the case, blame is irrelevant and grief increases with each missing minute for these families.
This was long and I am sorry for that. I have been moved by this horrible loss and wish there was something I could do to prevent such things from happening. I am not interested, however, in seating as yet unwarranted blame. Instead, this is a time to observe the solemnities of grief, and when that is not let to happen due to the current desire for scandal and spectacle, my response has to be one of dispassionate discourse.
I am offended for these families, and I am sure you are as sickened by the media coverage as I.
Blanket grammar apologies from here on out.
All of this input is very well thought out and reflects the ideas we all know to be true. A friend of mine whose daughter has struggled with mental health issues expressed to me another frustration last week. Her daughter, a college freshman was demonstrating signs of depression and when the parent contacted the private college to garner couselling support for her daughter, was told that because her daughter is an adult, they could not help her based on the parent’s request. My friend also was unable to see a copy of her daughter’s grades or attendance at classes so she could assess the total picture of her daughter’s struggles.
The same day, the mother received the bill for her daughter’s tuition for next fall.
Until we find a balance between rights and responsibilities and get everyone to be more reasonable, I doubt that we can avert tragedies such as Virginia Tech. I fear the legal system has made our world terribly “out of balance” and beyond reason.