Editorial: Reform policies in response to tragedy

The horrifying elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., has made our country realize that we finally need to take more dramatic action in our prevention of weapons-related violence.

President Barack Obama has asked Vice President Joe Biden to organize a committee to make policy recommendations. On Wednesday, Biden met with victims’ families, and today, he will meet with the National Rifle Association. The White House has also scheduled meetings with businesses and mental health and disability advocacy groups. Biden aims to gain a consensus on policy proposals, as Obama has asked that he report back with policy initiatives by the end of January.

Closer to home, the Association of American Universities issued a statement on Jan. 2 signed by the organization’s executive committee — on which Chancellor Mark Nordenberg sits as a board member. The statement recommended that Obama consider how to better evaluate and treat mental illnesses, the effects of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines by citizens and the effects of the media on our country’s culture and attitudes toward weapons and violence.

While it may seem unusual for a group of college administrators to release a statement about gun-control policy — they acknowledge they aren’t experts on the topic — it is important for influential people to take stances encouraging government action: gun-related violence unfortunately impacts college campuses nationwide.

We agree with the Association of American Universities that significant changes must be made in gun control and mental health treatment and screening policies. It’s high time that the expired 1994 federal ban on the sale of assault weapons be reinstated. High-powered weapons, with no legitimate use in hunting, sports or self-defense, should not be in circulation to citizens; the risk of harm they present is far too great.

While much needs to be improved in the infrastructure of health care in the United States so that everyone can access affordable and adequate mental health treatment, it also seems necessary to require mental health screenings prior to the purchase of weapons.

In the wake of a tragedy, many citizens wonder what they can do. Many have pointed to problems in the United States’ culture that might contribute to violence — and everyone has some influence over our society’s culture. Glorification of violence, and the treatment of violence or weapons as unserious topics must stop. Using violence as the topic of crude humor and treating it as anything less than a highly serious topic perpetuates insensitivity.

The recent tragedy makes us reflect on our own preparedness in the event of emergency. How many students would know what to do in the case of a gun-related threat on campus? The University maintains an emergency preparedness Web page and an extensive PDF document of instructions, but the only services that are specifically geared toward students are the Emergency Notification Service text messages and phone calls. Although these are useful tools to communicate with a large group of people quickly, we can take from this tragedy that everyone on a campus should know how to respond to an emergency before they receive a text or an email.

In addition, as Pitt students, we are fortunate to have access to free mental health services through the University. Even when mental health treatment isn’t in the spotlight, we urge students to take advantage of Pitt’s resources.

In response to tragedy, we must reform policies and critically examine our cultural attitudes toward violence.