There’s already so much being written and discussed on the tragedy in Virginia, that it’s hard to know what to say and which chorus to join.
There will be calls for stricter gun control, particularly regarding the 19-round 9mm ammunition magazines found in Cho Seung-hui’s possession. Formerly illegal under the expired Assault Weapons Ban, these will certainly be the centerpiece of much debate.
There will be investigations into the university’s response, specifically the two-hour delay between shootings, during which time campus police failed to lock down the facility, or notify students and faculty. There will be many procedural questions, no doubt followed by a flurry of ineffective and ove-compensatory regulation, legislation and resignations.
What stuck with me the most, though, was the descriptions of this troubled young man’s psyche that grew increasingly disturbing throughout the day – like a diseased onion.
The clincher, however, was listening to one of his English professors recount her experiences with Seung-hui. Concerned with his behavior, she advised VT’s administration that he may be a threat to himself or others – last year. He also had run-ins with campus police over stalking and other predatory behavior – two years ago.
Unfortunately, as with Columbine, there was no procedure in place to provide much-needed mental health care to this ticking bomb of a human being. In addition, school administrators, on every level, tread too carefully in fear of a lawsuit and become ineffective in any situation without a clear procedure.
So the chorus I will lend my voice to is the one that calls for the expanded availability of mental health care, and the means by which to connect it with the people that need it. Colleges and universities need to provide facilities for mental health, as well as physical health. The government needs to make provisions that allow the faculty to trust their instincts and take steps to protect themselves and their students, and to get potentially dangerous students the help they desperately need.
More information: HealthyMinds.org, National School Safety Center, US Department of Health and Human Services.
