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De(ja)Vos: Education chief's decision to ignore guns' role in shootings echos Bush debacle

James Alan Fox, Opinion columnist
Published 1:48 p.m. ET June 7, 2018 | Updated 1:53 p.m. ET June 7, 2018

Video games, mental health the NRA-backed Trump administration will do anything to make sure guns don't enter the school violence conversation.

Speaking before a Senate subcommittee, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced on Tuesday that the role of guns would not be a topic for the new federal commission on school violence as it begins holding public hearings.

"So you are studying gun violence, but not considering the role of guns" remarked Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., reflecting the kind of dismay that countless Americans are likely feeling, especially the cadre of survivors of the Parkland massacre who have become outspoken advocates for gun control.

As stunning as DeVos's marks may be, we really shouldn't be surprised. The White House has done its best to backpedal on President Trump's initial post-Parkland promises to deal with guns after he received a strong rebuke from his friends and supporters in the NRA.

To me, this seems like De(ja)Vos, a posture reminiscent of a similar case of gun-blindness during the George W. Bush administration. In October 2006, following a spate of school shootings in Wisconsin, Missouri, Colorado and Pennsylvania within the first few weeks of the academic year, President Bush, also a friend of the gun lobby, felt compelled to convene a White House Conference on School Safety. Gun control groups, including the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, were not invited to participate as the G-word was verboten. The issue of gun control was not on the agenda. Instead, the focus was on character education.

Back to the present, DeVos rattled off a litany of topics that the commission would be considering, including ratings systems for video games and other entertainment. This too is eerily De(ja)Vos.

Reports following the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting that the assailant Adam Lanzawas deeply immersed in violent video games prompted questions about whether gamesmanship instilled in him the will and the skill to commit mass murder. This served as powerful ammunition for those who looked to deflect blame away from guns and over to the gaming industry for the school massacre and similar atrocities.

Preoccupation with video games, although hardly healthy, is more a symptom of personal problems than a cause of them. For Lanza, it was his social awkwardness and reclusiveness that impacted both his spending long hours playing games (violent games as well as non-violent ones) and his desire to strike back against a society that he perceived as unwelcoming.

DeVos also pointed out that commission would examine mental health issues. This is a worthy focus, but no worthier than the issue of guns. Expanding access to mental health services is critical for many reasons, not just the prevention of school violence. Certainly, students could benefit from expanding the number of teachers, guidance counselors and school psychologists. Schools should adopt a variety of proven curricula for teaching empathy, self-control and other life skills. But are we willing to invest the resources? We have witnessed sit-ins and walk outs by concerned teachers demanding enhanced funding for education.

Doing the right thing in terms of expanded student services as well as enhanced gun control requires bold leadership in Washington. Maybe if the students protesting gun policy all pledged to stand for the national anthem at the beginning of the school day, the president would listen.

This country needs better control of who can have access to guns as well as limits on the type of weapons that are available. This country needs a White House that is not beholden to the NRA.

Among the many types and venues for gun violence, that which occurs in our nation's schools has the greatest impact on our sense of safety and well-being. In the wake of two horrific school massacres, this is a prime opportunity to address the role of guns. The majority of Americans who now support stricter gun control must insist that the commission reassess its agenda.

James Alan Fox is the Lipman Professor of Criminology, Law and Public Policy at Northeastern University and a member of the USA TODAY Board of Contributors. He is co-author of Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder.  Follow him on Twitter @jamesalanfox.