Last week while preparing for a prayer service motivated by the recent tragedies at NIU and other campuses, I googled “Campus Shootings” to find any updated information. The results were saddening. The list of incidences - too long to really process - included numerous shootings that I had heard nothing about. In fact, as the news broke about NIU, so many people seemed to be hearing about the tragedies at Louisiana Tech, Mitchell HS (Memphis), and Green Jr High (CA) for the first time.
Remember Columbine? We were shocked, stunned, and glued to radio or TV wondering what could have motivated such a violent act. I’m not sure which is the greater tragedy – that children and young adults are shooting one another or that we’ve become so numb to the idea that we don’t even find these events “newsworthy”.
Why do children (why does anyone!) have access to these weapons? When did we decide that disagreements should be solved by shooting each other? Where have we failed in treating and caring for those with mental illnesses? How does anyone end up feeling this isolated?
I know there is no ONE answer, but when will we at least begin to address the issues?