As I read this story today on MSN, I was reminded of Anne Li last fall murdered by a co-worker at Yale University. Now another Ivy League school faces a similar tragedy at the University of Virginia.

George Huguely, 22, of Chevy Chase, Maryland., has been charged in the death of Yeardley Love, 22, of Cockeysville, Maryland. Both were seniors and in a relationship at some point in the past.

As tragic as this is, once again it serves to remind us (especially parents) that there are no such things as safe or unsafe “places” - only safe or unsafe “people.” We must teach our children and teens how to better read the early-warning signs of danger, how to know when someone, even someone we think we know, is taking on a different persona.

Years ago when I represented the CHILD LURES Crime Prevention program, we used the weather as an analogy, noting that “Most people are like the weather…nice, warm and safe.” However, just as the weather can change…change rapidly…become suddenly violent, the same is true with people. We all have “bad weather days” - all of us. However, there is a difference between bad weather and violent weather, and sometimes only minutes or the right set of atmospheric circumstances separate the two. Again, the same is true with people.

Our heart goes out to the parents of this slain young lady, Yeardley Love. In the last week I’ve had two friends give birth to their first-borns and have seen the joy on their faces. I cannot even begin to imagine the angst on the faces of Yeardley’s parents now. This is a tragedy no parent should suffer, especially when it is so easily preventable.

Let’s learn yet again from a tragedy never, ever to take our safety for granted…even when around those we know.

Jeff McKissack
Defense By Design

This entry was posted on Monday, May 3rd, 2010 at 11:55 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.