From Newtown to Your Town

The slaughter of 26 young children and school employees at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last Friday reminds us again that, sadly, we need to be prepared to counter violence in our home towns, in public spaces, in our workplaces. Tips for protecting yourself from workplace violence are covered here. Clearly, we need more than defensive mechanisms to offset these horrific happenings.

Here’s what I think I know about those random acts of violence in Newtown: The killer was “off,” maybe autistic, apparently a nerd, definitely a loser. He came from a broken home. No one seems to know what his mother did for a living, but now the world is aware that she shot guns as a hobby. News reports seem to imply that this family was fractured by more than a divorce. Siblings seem not to have seen each other for years. No one seems to be able to provide details about whether and to what extent the killer received help, about whether his mother was crazy too, about whether she was capable of providing the help he clearly needed.

No one seems to have known these two people, the killer and his mother, living in a neighborhood. What did the killer do after graduating from high school? What had he been doing since? How did the mother make her living? How did the mother deal with her off son? Did she deny the seriousness of the problem? Did anyone know how bad it was for this kid?

These sad events are already triggering renewed interest in gun control and in curbing violence in films and video games. What they should inspire is a new interest in community. Whether you’re a lawyer or not, working in a law firm or not, get to know your neighbors. Talk to the geeky staff person at the office party. Reach out to the snotty legal secretary with whom you clearly have nothing in common. Find a commonality. Away from your office, in your neighborhood, do the same. Learn more. Talk more. Who is hurting? Who needs help? Who might benefit from just a little bit of interest shown? In your social circle, don’t just stick to your kind, the people who are the same, with the same interests, the same sorts of families, the same income levels. Extend yourself. Give. Be kind to the loner in the neighborhood who seems not to have a friend in the world. A few minutes of pleasantries might spare the world another massacre.

—Lori Tripoli

Post-Aurora Resolution: Protect Yourself from Workplace Violence

Last week’s rampage at a movie theater in Aurora serves as a tragic reminder that none of us can ever be too safe, whether we are socializing on a Thursday night or sitting in our office perusing some paperwork. Just as you might look for fire exits in a crowded movie theater, so should you be ready to run, call for help, or protect yourself from violence in the workplace. I learned this lesson early on when a coworker of mine was killed in her office at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency back in 1985. What I learned then:

• Know where you are: What is the address of your office building? What are its cross streets? What is the name of the building? This seems so obvious, but if you take the subway every day and are snaking through underground corridors to get to your office, you may not have learned the building’s correct street address, especially if your business’s mailing address is not the same. Do you know where you are in your building? Is there a room number, a wing name, any identifying information? Could you describe your location accurately to someone outside the building who is not familiar with its layout?
• Have the police department on speed dial: Even my three-year-old knew how to call 9-1-1, but doing so on a cell phone can be tricky. You may have to answer several questions just to get through to the correct police department (what state are you in? what county? What town?). Don’t waste precious time when you’re in a crisis. Similarly, an office phone isn’t always as user-friendly as one might like it to be. Do you have to dial 1 to get an outside line? Do you know the number of the security desk in your lobby?
• Be prepared to protect yourself: Is there a lock on your door? Can a portion of your workspace be locked off?  If a gunman enters your workplace, where would you go? Could you barricade yourself in your office? Do your office windows open? Is there a fire escape? Are there any silent alarms in your office?

 It is all too easy to be very cavalier about matters such as these. “Don’t overreact,” critics might say. Try asking people if they have ever encountered unexpected criminal violence or have a friend or family member who has. Shrug off the naysayers and make sure you are as ready as you can be should something horrific start happening.