College Massacres: Freedom Versus Security

Like many Americans, I was absolutely astonished when I heard about the Virginia Tech massacre on April 16^th, 2007 (Hauser & O’ Conner, 2007). It was difficult to believe we were facing another heinous crime on another academic campus. I remember viewing the news coverage and staring at the television in utter unbelief. While glaring at the screen, I asked myself repeatedly, “Who would do this? Why would anyone do such an awful thing?” A student of Virginia Tech, Seung-Hui Cho, took two hand guns and killed 32 people, wounded 17 others, and then took his own life. It was the worst act of mass murder on a college campus in the USA. Clearly something substantial must be done to prevent this from ever happening again.

Politically, I am a conservative with some moderate views and positions. With regards to civil liberties, I loathe arbitrary government interference, and specifically any denial of guaranteed Bill of Rights freedoms. I am a civil libertarian of moderate degree; I respect and value personal privacy. Like many Americans, I hate the idea of the government needlessly prying into the business of private citizens. As long as they live legally and ethically, leave people alone. However, I do support the Patriot Act, and those measures by the FBI, CIA, and other law enforcement agencies prosecuting the war on terror. I basically embrace the idea that safety and national security are worthy values and are just as important as our civil liberties. Admittedly, embracing both realities creates a critical tension that is undeniable. So I trust government agencies to execute their responsibilities without needlessly prying into American lives. Congress must hold them accountable on our behalf to protect our civil liberties. Regarding college campuses, US law makers, college administrators, teachers, and students must not only protect civil liberties, but by all means seriously endeavor to prevent such massacres.

Regarding law-makers, Second Amendment rights need to be protected, but effective gun control legislation must be passed and diligently enforced. It is imperative that law-makers take responsible actions concerning gun control legislation because this will impact campus security. The US Constitution provides for gun ownership as protection against hostile government takeover and private hand gun ownership for self-defense.  The US Supreme Court upheld this provision in District of Columbia vs. Heller (2008) and McDonald vs. Chicago (2010). Government is not to interfere with this guarantee to responsible law-abiding citizens; this must apply to eligible teachers and students. Simultaneously effective gun control legislation needs to be adopted on the state and federal levels to keep guns out of the wrong hands. Over 28,000 people die annually from gun violence. There are “more than 100,000 people each year who are killed or wounded with a gun in our country,” according to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence (http://www.bradycenter.org). Since 1980 approximately 300 people have lost their lives in school shootings in the United States (http://www.slate.com). Responsible reflection on these facts leads us to no other alternative; more must be done to bolster safety of children and young people on American campuses. It was Bill O’Reilly who advocates the federalization of all hand gun crimes with extended prison terms. He believes this will effectively reduce the number of criminal elements in society (http://www.foxnews.com). In the USA, it must be universally established that gun purchases can only be transacted after a Brady criminal background check. This involves any and all gun purchases to include those by ‘unlicensed merchants’ at gun shows. Furthermore gun owners who fail to secure their weapons properly should be regarded as complicit in crimes committed with their weapons. The aim is not to ban guns altogether, but to call Americans to responsibility regarding the sale and ownership of guns for the safety of students. Gun owners and potential gun owners must be willing to face a fair amount of scrutiny to achieve this goal.

Not only must campus safety be sought through legislation, but college administrators can make an important contribution to campus security also. While they uphold the importance of civil liberties, they must also craft policies to enhance campus security.  Enhancing safety in our educational institutions must become a higher priority and administrators establish priorities.  In addition, measures that support conceal and carry gun licenses should be revisited and reinforced particularly for qualifying teachers and college students. Campus security forces need to increase and be specifically trained to reduce the threat of murder on campus. Colleges should bring in subject matter experts to inform, train, and heighten awareness on campus relative to gun violence. Such information could be incorporated into students’ orientation packages, briefings, or official communications from the college. I have a daughter who will be off to college soon, and I certainly want the assurance that everything that could be done to protect her is being done.

Another major high-tension concern is the privacy of individual students. To some degree, teachers and student must honor individual privacy, but simultaneously emphasize community member’s responsibility for the safety of the whole (Goldstein, 1997). A certain level of privacy must be sacrificed for greater safety. Goldstein in an article entitled “Why It’s OK to Rat on Other Students,” rightly advocates, both ideals saying, “we can begin a long-over-due discussion about how we encourage and defend our students’ civil liberties—while doing a lot more to enhance their safety” (1997, para. 6). He further purports that both teachers and students identify and “rat out” students with strange behavioral patterns (para. 16). Both parties have a vested interest in detecting and reporting students or faculty that could pose a threat to the institution. Students must be encouraged to inform on fellow students for the sake of campus safety (para. 15). Looking the other way when something suspicious happens or merely minding one’s own business is no longer a luxury we can afford. If one sees something, then report it to someone in authority. While civil liberties, including the right to privacy, should remain as free as possible of arbitrary government or private interference, students must do more to safeguard themselves on college campuses.

Clearly American college campuses must undertake thoughtful measures to address gun violence and campus security.  American law makers on the state and federal levels, education administrators, teachers, and students must take this matter seriously. Every reasonable initiative to ensure safety on college campuses must be diligently considered. This demands vigorous exploration because valuable bedrock civil liberties are at stake. Yes, protecting students’ civil rights and privacy are important, but so is protecting college campuses from mass murderers. The inherent tension is significant, but law-makers, college administrators, professors, and students must meet this challenge with common sense workable solutions. Without a doubt, we need God’s wisdom to decide for a more hopeful future on our campuses.

References

Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Retrieved from http://bradycampaign.org

Goldstein, W. 1997, “Why Its OK to Rat on Other Students.” Chronicles of Higher Education, Vol. 53, Issue 35.

Hauser, C. & O’ Conner A. (2007, April 16) Virginia Tech shooting leaves 33 dead. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

Kirk, C. (2012, Dec. 19) “Since 1980, 297 people have been killed in school shootings.” Retrieved from http://www.slate.com

Muller, G. & Wiener, H. S. (2009). To the point reading and writing short arguments, (2nd ed.) Pearson Education, Inc., NY: Pearson Longman

O’Reilly, B. (Political Commentator). (2013, February 08). Bill O’Reilly on gun control: all gun crimes should be federal offenses, Guns, Football, and Murder [Cable television series episode]. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com