the Mind’s Chew Toy

As Thanksgiving draws closer, I figured it was time I weighed in on why I think there is so much violence in schools these days. With the school shootings epidemic continuing through the 00’s, we’ve almost grown a bit immune to it. Think about it. Remember Columbine? That was a shocker that seemed to shake us down to our roots. Now, when it seems there is another school shooting every couple of months or so, we merely say “That’s so sad” and continue on with our lives. Just goes to show what we can be accustomed to, I suppose. But why do these shootings keep happening? Let’s look at a couple of typical responses.

“It’s That Horrible Rock Music”

Okay, this one doesn’t seem to get mentioned that much anymore - maybe that’s because Tipper is no longer so close to the seat of power, or maybe it’s because most of us have wised up a little by this point. This was never a really valid reason, in my book. Listening to music causes people to shoot each other? Are we seriously that inept as humans that lyrics control the very fabric of our beings? I doubt it, unless we’re mentally disturbed to begin with, which leads us to reason #2:

“Those Kids Were Mentally Disturbed”

Here’s one that seemed to be a good reason to begin with, but is dwindling as more and more school shootings are reported. It’s easy to shrug it off, and say “Yeah, that kid was messed up in the head”, but it doesn’t really explain it, does it? Instead, this is used for pretty much anything and everything, and has become kind of a dumping ground for unexplained behavior. But with so many school shootings, are we still really thinking that all these kids are just “mentally disturbed”? Obviously, that has to be a part of it, but that can’t be the entire reason. So, maybe it’s reason #3:

“It’s Those Awful Video Games”

This, along with the rock music reason, has annoyed me. If video games or rock music was the actual culprit, we would have a heck of a lot more school shootings than we actually do. After all, what kid hasn’t played a video game or listened to rock music? Not very many - and most of us don’t go out and kill someone after. Plus, the recent Amish school shooting rules both of those out completely, doesn’t it? On to reason #4:

“It’s A Sign Of Armageddon”

This one is another of those reasons, similar to the “mentally disturbed” reasoning, that is being so over-used. Now, everything from a bad loaf of bread to the 9/11 tragedy is lumped into this reasoning. If there are so many signs of Armageddon, why isn’t it here yet? This one seems to be just another category to fit anything not normal.

“It’s The Parents Fault”

This one is getting a lot of play - and with good reason. With both parents working, kids are left to fend a lot more for themselves these days than they used to. But, if it were solely the parents fault, why do so many kids from broken or abusive homes turn out okay? Well, if it’s not this one, then it has to be:

“Television Is Too Violent”

This reasoning has prompted a rating system for televsion shows - but neglected to rate the news. Why is that? The news is usually much more violent than anything shown in most basic cable television shows, so why don’t they get a rating? Apparently, it’s okay to show whatever you like about what happened today, but if you show it again tomorrow (ie… The History Channel, VH1″s Best Week Ever), then it has to be rated. Can someone explain that to me?

But I digress. Television again can’t be the sole culprit, as most of us are television viewers, and most of us aren’t out killing people afterwards - and again, there was recently an Amish school shooting.

So What Is The Cause?

Since not one of these could be the cause by itself, it has to be a combination of a few of them. Mix a bit of mentally disturbed with neglective parents and some exposure to violence, and voila! If only it could be that easy. If only there was a formula (ie. 2 neglective parents + 15% mental instability * exposure to violence = kid with gun) to watch out for.

I’d say that it’s got to do more with our insensitivity to our fellow human being. Life just isn’t worth what it used to be to most of us. Now, more than ever, it’s all about getting paid and getting more loot than it is about caring for our fellow man. Just take a look around: Identity Theft is on the rise, Scam artists are a dime a dozen, and Big Business cares less and less about it’s employees and it’s customers each and every day.

So, how do we stop this disturbing trend? Reinvest in life. Stop thinking all about ourselves, and parents, try to instill a love of your fellow human being in your kids. But remember, actions speak louder than words, so be a good role model for them, whether they are around or not.

P.S. Stop complaining that kids don’t use parents as role models anymore. Try acting like one, and maybe they will.