The Red and Black

Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: Opinions

JAY GRAHAM

Another college shooting. More dead, and more families and friends to grieve for the rest of their lives. And one more family and set of friends to mourn for the perpetrator that enacted the whole deal.

What is up with college students? This is a place of higher learning, the best of the best.

Has democracy gone so far that even the well-to-do have become disenfranchised to the point they are willing to kill those who have done nothing to them? It's getting to where I'm becoming scared to go to class now.

Who knows what the motive is going to be this time?

I'd hate to judge our society by a couple of irrational weirdos. But it is safe to say that pop culture and the state of things is producing a class of outsiders who see violence and suicide as the only solution.

It's just sick. I want to understand the 1966 Texas belltower sniper, the Virginia Tech gunman and now the Northern Illinois killer.

I want to know their grievances to try to avert this from happening again - but, is that possible?

Are they sick or are they simply unable to achieve the status of the typical happy-go-lucky college kid having the time of his or her life?

Could things have changed by a simple smile from a nice girl, a "what's up, man" from some guy or an invitation to a group assignment? We'll never know.

The point is: It's not your fault, it's not the college's fault, it's no one's fault. There are plenty of people who feel left out at times, but we don't kill people.

Rap music isn't to blame, Marilyn Manson isn't to blame, video games and movies aren't to blame. In a world that needs scapegoats, who's left?

You could blame parents and the "bullies" in school, but the truth is, for someone to open fire on innocent people they don't know requires a mind with no remorse and no rationality.

Are they free from guilt? No. Are they a lost cause? Well, maybe. We can do all the test studies and reach-out programs we want, but I'm afraid we never will be able to prevent this kind of thing from happening.

We are so advanced and focused on production rather than on prevention that this kind of thing always will be a possibility. It's sad.

And how can a university look a mother in the eye and say, "Your child will be safe?" It's impossible in the world we live in.

So, if it's impossible to divert these irrational things from happening, is there anything we can do? Heck yeah.

Be nice. Remember the basic rules of elementary school? We're not in high school anymore - talk to people. To heck with confining yourself into a clique - make conversation. That weirdo sitting next to you may end up being the coolest person you've ever met.

I'm not trying to bring back the '60s, but let's have some fun.

And that goes for all you riding the buses. Staring at one spot for 20 minutes may seem safe, but take those silly iPod earbuds out of your ears and say "hi" to somebody once in a while. This world may end up being a happier place after all.

- Jay Graham is a junior from Sautee majoring in magazines.

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