Ananda Daydream, 3.12.2001 (artwork by same)
On March 5, Charles Williams, a fifteen-year old student in California, came to school with a gun, and let loose fire in a bathroom, shooting anyone nearby. This resulted in fifteen students being shot, and two killed. The student had told friends prior to the shooting what he was planning, but they didn't believe that he would actually follow through with it, and didn't tell anyone.
This could have been avoided, but not directly, with security measures or something. Granted, had the students that knew about it told someone in charge, perhaps something could have been done, but then again, maybe not. If they had been told about it in confidence, and then told someone, the student could have gotten even angrier, and done worse. Any actions taken on the part of the staff, etc. may or may not have helped. Really, though, it all comes down to the student himself - he's the only one who could really have stopped it, by seeking some other outlet for his frustrations.
This was wrong. And there's very little the schools can do to prevent such atrocities from happening. Increased security can't stop the violence - if someone really wants to bring a gun in or whatever, they'll find a way around security. Heck, some might even be more likely to bring in a gun with security, just to see if/prove that they can do it. The only way the violence can be stopped is by changing people's attitudes, bringing values into their upbringing. Many kids grow up thinking violence is OK. It's partly the media and society, for shoving atrocity down our throats 'cos it's good for their ratings, desensitizing us in their incessant impersonal "full coverage" (how many people do you see crying as they watch the news, listening to the role call of the numerous murders, suicides, etc., each day?). Many view suicide as an acceptable way out, and aren't shaken a bit when there's a homicide a night in their hometown. It seems many parents aren't making the difference between television and reality clear enough - how many children have been injured or killed by others emulating the "wrestling" they see on TV? (They don't know how carefully orchestrated each move is, the special effects added in to make it look more painful than it is, how unreal it all is.) Gun control could lessen the outbreaks of violence, but at the same time, even a licensed gun can kill, Daddy's hunting shotgun or pistol in the drawer "just in case" isn't always so carefully hidden from his children, and if the parents don't instill the values in their children that would keep them from ever considering using a gun on someone, they can't assume that nothing'll happen. And the children themselves - to an extent, some younger kids don't always know what they're doing, but even five-year olds know whether they've been told something's right or wrong, and as a teenager... you know if it's wrong or not, you know what will hurt someone, or get you in trouble, or is just wrong, by any moral code. Whether you're angry or not, popular or scorned, had a rough life or a privileged one, there's no excuse for killing others because of it. No matter how unpopular you are, you can make something good of your life - even if no-one likes you, you can help to change that, try helping someone worse off than yourself, heck, just read the paper some weekend, you'll see you're not so bad off...