Tipping Point

I have a great deal of sympathy for the students of Virginia Tech as well as the victims of other "gun-free zone" shootings. By now, I think it has become abundantly clear that evil does not follow the rules. And as a result, sometimes those well meaning rules put us at an even greater disadvantage.

I sense that this PostSecret is from a student who finds herself at a crossroads - between survivor and victim.
She has been exposed to a brutal reality and we can debate how best to keep it from happening again. But the fact remains that evil ignores the rules. I would submit that having a plan to exit every room you enter should not be viewed as paranoid. It should be viewed as practical common sense. Whether you choose to go to the next level by arming yourself is a personal decision and a decision many are not willing to make - so an exit strategy is a viable alternative. Then again, only worrying about "when the gunman comes" is not productive.

It may also be instructional to consult someone with vast experience and who better than the Marines. Their rules are fairly straight forward "Be polite, be professional, and have a plan to kill everyone you meet." Does this apply to civilians too? Only if you want to be the survivor and not the victim.