<p>“It is not anyone’s intention to make the victim of crime feel worse, but this forum is open to all students and parents who are also trying to learn how to prevent this sort of crime from happening to them. We shouldn’t stifle such a conversation.”</p>
<p>My point exactly. As I wrote above, “Crime is only caused by criminals, but there are commonsense ways to help avoid getting into trouble, and this should be Topic A on the USC campus right now.” I hope that my words have not been misinterpreted. We all – students, parents, prospective students, etc. – should be able to have frank discussions about all angles of these important issues. </p>
<p>I’m a bit perplexed by some of the points above. Is it being suggested, for example, that students should <em>not</em> spend more time considering what time they are on the streets, who they’re with, and whether or not they’re going to be impaired when they’re out late, because if something happens, it’s not their fault? I’d like to think it’s possible to acquire wisdom and discuss ways to help students have future plans of action, based on lessons learned from past experience, without that equating with “blame the victim.” </p>
<p>The above is, of course, just one aspect for discussion. As I also mentioned in my post, increasing security is another topic that needs to be addressed. I like Columbia Student’s suggestion of more lights and cameras.</p>