I Have An Idea To Help NIU Administrators

The administration at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb is struggling to decide on the fate of Cole Hall, where a man entered a lecture hall and murdered five students before turning a gun on himself.

"University President John Peters initially wanted to tear down Cole and build a memorial in its place. Some students wanted the building razed, arguing that they should not have to face tragedy on a daily basis."

People should never forget what happened on the 25,000-student campus nearly two months ago.

"There is no easy answer for what to do with sites of horrible violence. Columbine High School's library was destroyed and rebuilt. The Amish community of Nickel Mines, Pa., bulldozed the schoolhouse where five girls were killed. Virginia Tech, where a gunman killed 32 students a year ago this month before killing himself, converted its shooting site into a peace center. Officials there remember how difficult it was to navigate their way past last year's killings."

I've got an idea, but it will probably come across to some as cold and heartless. Oh let's throw it out there anyway.

My recommendation: Use Cole Hall for teaching self defense, firearms safety and marksmanship classes. Straight-forward, hands-on knowledge that students can use, not just ponder.

Of course, the Illinois legislature and touchy-feely campus administrators would never let such a progressive idea be put into practice.

It's just a thought . . .