Let The Discussion Begin ... School Violence

Now that a considerable amount of time has passed since Seung-Hui Cho's bloody assault at Virginia Tech in April 2007, perhaps emotions have cooled off enough to make rational discourse possible.

From Columbine to Virginia Tech, from the Holocaust to 9/11, from Saddam's gassing of the Kurds to the genocide in Darfur, people of goodwill have always seemed helpless when it comes to stopping violence. Yet, all violence has an underlying cause.

There was an underlying cause that allowed Adolf Hitler to come to power. There was an underlying cause that spawned 9/11. And, yes, there is an underlying cause that has been the catalyst for virtually every school shooting that has ever occurred - including the massacre perpetrated by Seung-Hui Cho at Virginia Tech.

Unfortunately, that underlying cause has never been addressed, because just about everyone - especially the media - has missed it. It's occasionally mentioned in passing, but not as a cause. From what I've seen and heard, it's clear to me that television pundits and "experts" haven't a clue as to what it is. School violence is sadly misunderstood - a malady glossed over and erroneously explained.

Forget about converting high schools and college campuses into locked-down fortresses. Yes, arming college professors with guns might be a step in the right direction, but it doesn't address the underlying cause of what happened at Virginia Tech last Fall. Now that things have calmed down a bit, the question is: Are people ready to consider genuine solutions to the grotesque problem of school shootings?

On a personal level, I would like to suggest that you take away at least one lesson from the Virginia Tech massacre that you can apply to your own life. When you ponder issues that cause you frustration and disappointment, recognize that it's self-delusive to address them only on a superficial level. Don't be afraid to go deep. Be intellectually honest with yourself by searching for underlying causes.

Such causes almost always require long-term solutions, and the longer a problem has been entrenched, the longer it takes to implement such solutions. Which means you must be prepared to expend a great deal of time and effort to deal with it effectively.

Forget about quick fixes and conventional wisdom offered by "experts." Drastic situations call for drastic solutions. I'll take a drastic solution every time over a superficial one that creates only the illusion of well-being for a brief period of time.

Having said this, it's time to recognize that the Virginia Tech incident was much more than just a case of random school violence inflicted by a depraved individual. What occurred is part of a number of much deeper societal issues - issues that define how each and every one of us conducts our lives on a day-to-day basis. In fact, to one extent or another, it affects just about every facet of life.

Before we begin this truth-seeking journey, let me make it clear that I do not claim to have a monopoly on truth, which is why I'm always open to other points of view. I do, however, tune out when minds are closed and the adjectives become abusive. The nastier and louder a person becomes, the more I discount - even ignore - what he has to say. It's been said that learning stops at the point where the mind becomes fixed.

I believe that far too many people make the mistake of seeing every discussion as an argument, and every argument as a battle that must be won at all costs. This is the quagmire that most so-called liberals and conservatives find themselves in today. Rather than seeing themselves as being in the Arena of Goodwill and Well-intentioned Ideas, they are perpetually decked out in their finest suits of armor and prepared to fight to the death on the Battlefield of Mandated Beliefs.

I'm not sure where The Cho Factor series will lead, but I'm confident that, for me, it will be a healthy intellectual exercise. I am especially looking forward to learning from my readers, who never fail to furnish me with fresh and thoughtful insights.

And to the extent I am able to expand your view of the world in some small way ... well, that's what I do for a living. In any event, I think it will prove to be an interesting ride for all of us.

Next - Part II, A Soul Without Purpose: An Undisputed Truth