Ed Sec'y Says Rage, Not Guns, to Blame for School Violence

3/13/01

U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige said a student's alienation and rage are

the biggest factors in school shootings, the Associated Press reported March

11.

Paige stated that addressing these factors should be the country's top

priority, rather than changing gun laws. He said that guns should not be

blamed because several reports indicated that students were plotting violence

with bombs and other devices.

"We think just focusing on guns is much too narrow, it's beyond guns. The

guns may be the instrument of the violence, but they're not the cause of the

violence," said Paige on CNN's "Late Edition."

Paige made his comments after students were shot last week in schools in

California and Pennsylvania.

"We need to look to the cause of the situation," said Paige. During an

appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation," he said, "Probably the biggest problem

we have is the amount of alienation and rage in our young people."

Paige said there is a need for more after-school programs, parental

involvement, and character education. "Character education offers an

opportunity to teach kids things like empathy, compassion, tolerance -- all

values that we all know are wonderful," Paige said.

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