I HAD THE HONOR OF BEING INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN VIRGINIA TECH’S INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT ON TRANSDISCIPLINEARY APPROACHES TO VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND THE STUDENT RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM ON VIOLENCE PREVENTION HELD IN BLACKSBURG FROM NOVEMBER 12 TO 14, 2010. I DEVOTED MY TIME TO THE STUDENT SYMPOSIUM, WHERE I HEARD INCREDIBLY IMPRESSIVE AND DEDICATED YOUNG PEOPLE TALK ABOUT VIOLENCE PREVENTION. LISTENING TO THE IDEAS OF THOSE DEDICATED AND BRIGHT YOUNG STUDENTS WAS TRULY AN INSPIRATION.
THE FOLLOWING ARE MY COMMENTS AT THE OPEING SESSION I FACILITATED:
THANK YOU PROFESSOR NOWAK FOR SPONSORING THIS SYMPOSIUM. I MUST BEGIN BY SAYING THAT I AM SOMEWHAT CONCERNED THAT WE ARE SITING ON THE CAMPUS WHERE THE MOST HORRIFIC MASS MURDER TOOK PLACE IN THIS COUNTRY’S HISTORY—WE ARE ATTENDING AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND A SYMPOSIUM ON VIOLENCE PREVENTION, AND YET THERE HAS BEEN NO MENTION OF THAT TRAGEDY. I FIND THIS FACT TROUBLING. SO, AS A TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE 32 INNOCENT VICTIMS OF APRIL 16, 2007 SLAUGHTER, I WOULD LIKE TO DEDICATE THIS SESSION TO THEIR MEMORY.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE YOU PROFESSOR NOWAK. ALL OF US HERE KNOW THAT YOU LOST YOUR WIFE IN THE SHOOTING. YOU AND YOUR FAMILY PAID A TERRIBLE PRICE THAT APRIL DAY, YET YOU HAVE TURNED A TRAGEDY INTO SOMETHING EXTREMELY POSITIVE, “THE CENTER FOR PEACE STUDIES & VIOLENCE PRVENTION,” WHICH IS SPONSORING THIS SYMPOSIUM. I KNOW I SPEAK FOR EVERY ONE IN THIS ROOM IN EXPRESSNG THANKS AND ADMIRATION FOR YOUR WORK. SPECIFICALLY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE “CENTER FOR PEACE STUDIES AND VIOLENCE PROVENTION” WHICH IS AN OUTSTANDING AND FITTING WAY TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF THOSE 32 INNOCENT INDIVIDUALS.
IT IS AN HONOR FOR ME TO SIT ON THIS PANEL –I BELIEVE THAT IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO BRING IN THE MINDS AND IDEAS OF YOUNG PEOPLE SUCH SEATED IN THIS ROOM INTO TACKING THE PROBLEM OF VIOLENCE,—ESPECIALLY IF WE ARE EVERY TO MAKE PROGRESS IN PREVENTING THE ALL TOO FREQUENT SLAUGHTER THAT HAS OCCURRED ON OUR NATION’S CAMPUSES.
WHEN PROFESSOR NOWAK ASKED ME TO PARTICIPATE, I ASKED WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY? HE SAID PERHAPS SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR BACKGROUND. THIS SYMPOSIUM, HOWEVER IS NOT ABOUT ME; IT IS NOT ABOUT ANYONE IN ATTENDENCE OR THE PEOPLE SPEAKING, IT IS ABOUT FINDING WAYS TO PREVENT VIOLENCE. IF ANYONE WANTS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ME, I HAVE A SHORT BIO YOU CAN PICK UP AT THE END OF THE SESSION. IF ANY OF YOU SUFFER FROM INSOMNEIA, PICK UP MY BIO—YOU WILL BE SOUND ASLEEP AT THE END OF THE SECOND SENTENCE.
WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW IS THAT MY JOURNEY IN THIS QUEST TO FIND ANSWERS TO PREVENTING WANTON VIOLENCE BEGAN ON JANUARY 16, 2002, WHEN THE MOTHER OF MY OLDEST GRANDCHILD WAS GUNNED DOWN ON THE CAMPUS OF THE APPALACHIAN SCHOOL OF LAW—LESS THAN 200 MILES FROM WHERE WE SIT.
THE PARALLELS BETWEEN THAT SHOOTING AND THE SHOOTINGS HERE AT VIRGINIA TECH ARE FRIGHTENING. PARALLELS IN THE PROFILES OF THE KILLERS, PARALELS IN THE FAILURE OF PEOPLE IN POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY TO HEED THE WARNING SIGNS, PARALLELS IN THE POOR RESPONSES AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING (IN BOTH CASES COSTING LIVES), AND PARALLELS IN THE LACK OF CANDOR IN RAISING QUESTIONS AS TO WHAT WENT WRONG. THERE WERE ALSO FAILURES TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS WHO FAILED IN THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES (AND TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE), FAILURES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO DO THEIR JOBS, AND A WILLINGNESS OF POLITICIANS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISLE TO GLOSS OVER HARSH REALITIES OF BOTH TRAGEDIES AND IN SO DOING, TO CREATE A COVER-UP.
ONE LAST THING—BEFORE THE PAPERS ARE PRESENTED. I TAKE NO MONEY FOR ANYTHING I DO RELATED TO THE SHOOTINGS AT THE APPALACHIAN SCHOOL OF LAW OR VIRGINIA TECH. I HAVE WRITTEN A BOOK ENTITLED “A QUESTION OF ACCOUNTABILITY: THE MURDER OF ANGELA DALES” THAT DISECTS THE LAW SCHOOL KILLILNGS. ALL OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THAT BOOK GO TO MY GRANDCHILD AND CHARITIES HERE IN VIRGINIA. I WORK CLOSELY WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS OF THE VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTING, BUT DO NOT SPEAK FOR THEM. MY TEXT BOOK ON INTELLIGENCE AND CRIME ANALYSIS (DUE OUT IN THE SPRING OF 2011) CONTAINS A MAJOR CASE STUDY EXERCISE EXAMINING THE FATALLY FLAWED GOVERNOR’S REVIEW PANEL REPORT ON THE SHOOTINGS HERE AT TECH.
AT THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE VIRGINIA TECH VICTIMS’ FAMILIES I WROTE AN ANALYSIS OF THE GOVERNOR’S REVIEW PANEL REPORT AND THE ADDENDUM TO THAT REPORT. IF ANY OF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN COPIES OF THOSE TWO DOCUMENTS, I HAVE CLIP BOARD AND PLEASE PUT YOUR NAME, ORGANIZATION OR SCHOOL YOU REPRESENT, AND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. FOR OTHER WRITNGS OF MINE ON THE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS—YOU CAN ACCESS MY BLOG BY GOING TO MY WEB SITE—WWW.AQUESTIONOFACCOUNTABILITY.COM
AND NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODCE THE FIRST SPEAKER.
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