e.” The truth is that until we have the ability to reach into the minds of these young killers and monitor their every thought we will never know what it is that prompts them to resort violence, and even then we might never understand it. What I believe to be important is that we don’t point fingers. Let us say that we all agree that it is the media’s “fault,” that real-world violence is undoubtedly connected with violence in the media. Great. So what? The government is not about to censor pop culture, a huge commercial enterprise. And, more importantly, Americans are not about to stop buying it. So, you ask, “What can we do to prevent further shootings, then?”In wake of the growing trend of school shootings, the Secret Service has spent the last year studying these terrifying events. In the study of 41 children involved in 37 shootings the Secret Service found that there was one thing to be sure of, there is no profile for the “typical child killer.” The children studied came from all different walks of life, held different interests, and participated in school on different levels. There was, however, one aspect in which these child killers did not differ. Secret Service members found that these children do not simply “snap,” as once thought. They take their time; they plan, and talk about it. Though I don’t feel that pointing our fingers at all the possible “causes” of school violence will in any way prevent further incidents from occurring, I do not believe that all hope is not lost. There is one way that we can help. Luke Woodham, who killed his mother and two students at his high school in Pearl, Mississippi, offered some advice to those seeking an answer to school violence. Woodham admitted that no adult had been knowledgeable of the hate he held within him. He claimed that had any adult ever taken the time to sit down and talk wi...
