Violent acts can't really be prevented

In the aftermath of the senseless and tragic school shootings in Pennsylvania, the Bush administration is calling a summit to discuss potential federal action to help communities prevent school violence. Officials are to be commended for at least trying to discuss the complex subject of violence but, in fact, there is little we can do.

Here's the truth. If someone is bent on violence for whatever warped reason, then they can achieve that violence. We can hold all the summits in the world and put metal detectors at every school. We can hire security officers or what other creative plan we want. And still, someone who is determined to cause harm can still cause harm.

Here's a case in point and I make this point not to attach blame to anyone. I needed to sign some paperwork at the high school here this week. I walked into the school building just after school had adjourned, went to the office and signed the documents. No one asked my intentions or for identification. And they should not have. Schools are public facilities and you cannot and should not make them a fortress. That is an over-reaction to put it mildly.

As this column is written, five girls in Pennsylvania have now died from the deadly attack. I pray that number does not increase before today's paper is delivered. But regardless, school officials are not to blame and law enforcement is not to blame. An obviously deranged individual decided for whatever reason that he wanted to kill. The explanation ends there.

A similar attack in Colorado last week also ended tragically. In that case as well, a deranged man entered a school and began shooting. When we try to find some understanding in these tragedies, we will always fail. There simply is no understanding.

We can ease our minds by saying these killers were mentally ill. But the Pennsylvania killer was active in youth sports programs, was by all accounts an attentive and loving father and had not one blemish on his record. If there are that many deranged individuals in society who display no signs of their problem, then the issue goes far beyond school violence.

A man in Chicago last year opened fire in a church. A man scaled a security fence at the Capitol in Washington two weeks ago and entered the building. You can go on and on.

We mere mortals can never comprehend what happens to drive a person to this level of violence. We can try to prepare and address issues that might stop a tragedy here or there. But in the end, our limited response is to mourn for those lost and the pray for understanding.

Beyond that, this is our world.