Get Herald RSSOn April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and himself at Virginia Tech in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. For those of us on campuses far from Blacksburg, Va., the tragedy sparked an outpouring of grief and empathy that came with the knowledge that, perhaps, it could have happened here.
This month, a panel appointed by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine to review the attack and response released its report, noting that the tragedy at Virginia Tech still "assaults the senses: 32 innocent victims of homicide, 26 physically injured, and many others who carry deep emotional wounds."
The mental health system should have flagged Cho as a threat and treated him, the report notes. In fact, he was identified as a person in need of help. Mistakes were made, but it seems incredibly difficult to prevent a determined madman from carrying out such a crime, in Virginia or anywhere else. The openness and trust that define our colleges and universities - indeed, much of our society - can work against us, as well.
We want to feel safe in our classrooms and residence halls, walking across the Main Green or talking to a professor at office hours. We don't want to substitute complacency for security and do nothing. But putting airport-style security measures - bag searches and metal detectors - at every door doesn't strike us as an effective or realistic solution, either. The problem of balancing security concerns with free exchange - and civil liberties - certainly isn't limited to college campuses, and the vigorous debate over federal surveillance programs expected this fall in Congress is a sign of our times.
Here on College Hill, we're encouraged by the University's implementation of a campus-wide emergency alert system this summer, which will allow officials to contact just about everyone on campus immediately by phone, e-mail or text message in the case of an emergency. We're also glad that the MIR3 inCampusAlert and other measures, such as training for Brown police officers in how to deal with "active shooter" and hostage situations, were in the works before the Virginia Tech incident. It's good to know that the Department of Public Safety and the University aren't merely reacting in the wake of a horrifying disaster.
Of course, pitch-perfect policies and large-scale siren systems do not leave us immune to tragedy. The Virginia Tech panel's report concludes, "the police from Virginia Tech and Blacksburg did an outstanding job in responding quickly" to the massacre in Norris Hall, where 30 people were murdered by Cho before he turned one of his guns on himself.
As the panel's report indicates, a comprehensive approach is the best strategy to address threats, and efforts should not be limited to individual campuses. Most importantly, our national mental health system needs the resources and funding to prevent people like Cho from slipping through the cracks. Many threats can, and should, be defused long before a disturbed individual picks up a firearm. U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., whose district includes Brown's campus, has long been at the forefront of the fight for parity for mental and physical issues in health insurance coverage - a goal worth fighting for on several grounds.
And here on campus, Brown's office of Psychological Services is run by hard-working, dedicated individuals who deserve much credit and recognition for the invaluable services they provide to this campus. In our community, we hope no one should ever hesitate to ask for help - or be unable to get it.
