The age of blame in a world of violence

By Bob Kunzinger

In this new age of blame, it is no surprise that after Jared Loughner was accused of shooting Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 12 others and killing six, officials discovered this troubled young man suffered compromising behavior at Pima Community College in Arizona and sought the cause of his behavior.

Immediately, speculation from media, including The New York Times and Anderson Cooper, criticized the college for not doing more to avoid the tragedy. Surely, they insisted, the college should have taken the necessary steps to prevent Loughner from hurting people in the community at large.

No, the college is not responsible. It is not to blame, and to suggest such is an injustice to all community colleges.

For 21 years my students have ranged from stellar to socially inept. They have screamed, threatened, intimidated and challenged all powers that be, from professors like me to provosts and other students. In these cases, evaluations ensue; counseling is recommended; sometimes security is called, sometimes police, often parents. However, these students are not minors; they are adults, even if they don't act as such.

The record of community colleges is outstanding when it comes to the lost youth of this country. While we assist transitional students on their way to universities or careers, we also tend to the troubled citizens who are on occasion seeking professional help, or should be, or just out of prison or on their way there.

It is hard to predict, and certainly the random screaming from the seats or hall is not an accurate indicator of which student might snap, if any. I worry just as much about the quiet young man in the raincoat keeping his mouth shut as the one with psychotic behavior calling desperate attention to himself.

Should counselors have been called? They were. Should further help have been sought, including contacting family? It was. Is anyone at the college responsible for what happened in the city, off campus, in the midst of police and security? Absolutely not.

It would have been as justified to ask how the faculty and staff of Pima Community College kept this man from killing more people, shooting up one of his classrooms, instigating further damage to Tucson and those in attendance, but no one yet has.

Clearly, it is just as accurate to speculate that if not for the faculty and staff of PCC, this tragic situation could have been even worse.

How many times this sort of crazed behavior has been curbed by our counselors and through communication in class is impossible to tell, but it is just as worthy of consideration as the irresponsible blame so many have suggested.

Bob Kunzinger is an associate professor of humanities at Tidewater Community College in Virginia Beach.