Gripped with Fear

Slightly over a month ago, the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings started a ripple through the nation that has led to increased fear about such isolated atrocities and intense discussion about reforms that might protect against them. The 33 left dead by the actions of Cho Seung Hui put the nation in a state of horror and wonder. Confused questions could be heard around every water cooler in the country: Why? Who could do such a thing? Where were the authorities? How can we prevent this from happening again?\nAfter the shootings, news reports outlined the warning signs and engendered fear of the perpetrator’s characteristics, and many citizens found themselves looking over their shoulders. Accounts from gun shop owners who said requests for hand gun peramits have increased since the shootings highlighted the anxiety. As always, we are looking for someone to blame.\nNow, in our home state, it is clear that fear perpetuated by the media can leave us open to exploitation. Last week, in Franklin, Ind., a school janitor named Shaun Starks reported hearing and witnessing the discharge of a weapon inside Franklin Community High School. The police evacuated the 200 people who had stayed in the building after school hours. After a 45-minute investigation, the police determined that the report was a hoax, arrested Starks and charged him with felony intimidation. Sentencing is expected to be heavy-handed.\nStarks exploited the community by anticipating its fears and playing a joke intended for his own amusement. The joke was a morbid one for the community, and it will serve to intensify the already extreme wariness of Indiana citizens and the need to place blame. It is unclear whether such catastrophes are the result of the “if it bleeds, it leads” mentality of the American news media, the extreme violence of our popular culture, the proliferation of hand guns in the U.S. or simply the isolated work of mentally deficient individuals. So rather than attempt to place blame, we should turn our heads toward the future. \nOur generation is taking its place as the leaders of tomorrow. We are charged with the handling of societal affairs in the nation that we will soon inherit. It is our duty to evaluate current protocol and practice, reworking both so that they achieve the greatest benefit for the community. Their desire to progress toward this end led a student group to hold the conference “Call to Action: Campaign to Stop Youth Violence” Saturday at IUPUI, where attendees expressed concern about violence across the state.\nBut Shaun Starks also provides us with an important example. He was able to make a school evacuate 200 people from its campus with only a phone call and a dark sense of humor. Imagine what a well-organized perpetrator could do with such control. If we have nothing to fear but fear itself, then the current terror with which we face future attacks might be our biggest weakness.