Much of the current public debate, about the college campus, revolves around left-right ideology and speech codes. But the Ironman is right when he says that "unsupervised youth" is the more pressing issue. He thinks that large groups of college kids, far from their homes, idly "hanging out" in dorms or fraternities is a recipe for disaster. Two recent campus-related crimes illustrate that observation.
Consider this fight - which resulted in six stabbings at UMass/Amherst.
Or, even worse, the fate of this fresh-faced 17-year-old at Virginia Commonwealth University.
For my friends, who are campus ministers, these disturbing events will provide an opportunity to love their neighbors. I appreciate that level of risk and commitment.
However, these type of personal safety nightmares might have been avoided if American society - my scapegoat du jour - encouraged parents to parent longer. (Positive adult peer pressure works!) Nowadays, home is viewed as a place to escape from at the tender age of 18. As a result, the emotionally and spiritually underdeveloped frequently find themselves in unnecessary moral crucibles at State U. 'Tis a pity.
