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Guns remain a problem

Who would have thought the tragic shootings and subsequent suicide at Virginia Tech would result in an effort to relax gun-control laws and allow students to carry weapons on college campuses ("Students push for guns on campus," Page 1, Monday)?

According to a December 2006 report by the Virginia Department of Health's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, 60.9 percent of violent deaths in Virginia in 2004 were by firearm. Of the 816 Virginians who died by suicide in 2004, 59.4 percent used a firearm to end their lives, according to the same report.

The number of deaths by homicide in Virginia is outnumbered consistently by the number of suicides, particularly on college campuses. Nationwide, suicide is the second leading cause of death for college-age students; in Virginia, suicide is the third leading cause of death for individuals age 15 to 24.

Instead of pushing for students to be permitted to carry concealed weapons on campus, we should turn our focus to implementing Virginia's law directing the governing boards of each Virginia public institution of higher education to develop and implement policies advising students, faculty and staff — including residence hall staff — of the proper procedures for identifying and addressing the needs of students who show signs of suicidal behavior.

We also should advocate for more funding for federal Campus Suicide Prevention Grants (Garrett Lee Smith grants) that assist colleges and universities in their efforts to prevent suicide. Fifty-five colleges across the nation receive such grants, yet not one has been awarded in Virginia.

As we prepare to send our nation's sons and daughters back to campus this fall, we should be advocating increased mental-health and suicide-prevention services on our campuses, not increased authority to carry concealed firearms. More guns on campus is not the answer.

JERRY REED

Executive director

Suicide Prevention Action Network USA