The More Things Change ...
May 19, 2018 at 4:07 a.m.
By Gary [email protected]
But in my heart I know there will be another mass shooting – and another – and another – no matter how many guns you ban and no matter how many laws you pass.
This is one of those cases where I truly hate to be right.
As I am writing this Friday afternoon the TV is abuzz with the “Breaking News” of another school shooting that claimed the lives of at least nine students and a teacher at Santa Fe High School in Houston.
The 17-year-old shooter – Dimitrios Pagourtzis – was in custody, a second individual was being questioned, and there apparently were several pressure-cooker and pipe bombs found around the area.
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(If only we could pass some meaningful pressure cooker or PVC pipe control legislation.)
Sadly, I am convinced that until we fix whatever it is in our culture that drives somebody to shoot up a school, people will continue to shoot up schools.
Why? Well, allow me to regurgitate a portion of a column I wrote in April 1999, right after the shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.
I hear the government talking about task forces, about new gun laws, about surveys, studies and handbooks.
We have to do something. But does anybody really think any of that will make a dent?
Will any of that help quell the violence, help erase the hate?
We have created this society. A society of tolerance. A society of political correctness.
We have created a society where there are virtually no rights or wrongs and very few absolutes. There are situational ethics. There is moral relativism.
We have raised rationalization to an art form.
We can rationalize and excuse virtually any type of deviant behavior – even murder.
The perpetrators are the victims. Victims of their social environment. Victims of substance abuse. Victims of a bad childhood.
Personal responsibility is an outdated concept. Our deviant behavior is someone else's fault. We can't be held responsible.
We stand idly by and accept these concepts because we fear that we might be labeled judgmental if we oppose them.
We have completely desensitized a generation of our youth to sex and violence.
We feed them a steady diet of violence in all forms of "entertainment."
The most popular musicians are the ones who have the most vile lyrics.
The best-selling video games are the ones that are most graphic. You know, the one where you rip the spine out of your opponent as he crumples to the ground. The word "FATALITY" appears on the screen, written in blood.
The most watched movies and videos are the most graphically violent and sexually oriented.
And as each sequel is produced, the body count must rise, the dying must look more real to hold our interest.
Sure, when I was a kid, there was violence on television. But Batman never killed anyone. Neither did Superman. And when John Wayne shot someone, it was always a bad guy. And it looked phony. Never realistic. Never graphic.
Today's continual stream of gratuitous savagery has to have an effect on our society, on our children. We truly have created a culture of violence.
I believe it's akin to alcohol or pornography. Most people can handle alcohol. They have a drink now and then. No problem.
Other people can't handle it. They become alcoholics.
Most people look at pornography without it ruining their lives. Others become obsessed and try to turn the images into reality. They become rapists or pedophiles.
An incredibly high percentage of sex offenders in prison say they started out looking at pornography.
I think the problem of violence and teens is similar.
Most teens can play violent video games, watch violent movies and listen to "death metal" with no ill effects.
But a few go off.
Of course there is no one cause for the bloodshed at Columbine High School.
Of course media aren't directly and obviously responsible. But there is no denying that media in America are enormously influential. And media in America glorify violence. Violence as a means to an end, a way to solve problems. Violence as art. Violence as fun.
At the same time, we have removed any sense of final judgment from the minds of many of our youths.
They believe there is no power higher than the cops or the government.
Government and media have trivialized and belittled religion. People who consider themselves religious tend to keep it to themselves for fear of being labeled old-fashioned, unenlightened or just plain stupid.
People who suggest that perhaps we should "do unto others" are accused of attempting to force their morality on someone else.
Even the value of human life has been degraded. We abort 1.3 million babies a year. The least safest place for a child in America is in its mother's womb.
Over the years, slowly, inadvertently, we have crafted the perfect recipe for a predator.
Start with a teenage male.
Show him a couple thousand graphic murders a year on television and film to desensitize him from violence. Fill his spare time with violent music and violent video games.
Remove any sense of final judgment, morality or responsibility for his own actions.
Remove any sense of respect for the sanctity of human life.
Instill in him a sense of "I, My, Me" – the view that self is the single most important thing in life.
Instill in him a sense of materialism and consumerism. Life is a game. The one with the most toys at the end, wins.
Then label him a failure for being different or not measuring up. Make him feel left out.
Make him feel the need for 15 minutes of fame. Make him want to do something, anything, for recognition.
Then stand back and wait for the inevitable.
When the bullets fly, those who support the policies that nurture this culture of violence wring their hands and wonder why.
What can we do?
Send in the federal grief counselors.
I wrote that in 1999. Has anything changed? Are things getting better?
You know.
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But in my heart I know there will be another mass shooting – and another – and another – no matter how many guns you ban and no matter how many laws you pass.
This is one of those cases where I truly hate to be right.
As I am writing this Friday afternoon the TV is abuzz with the “Breaking News” of another school shooting that claimed the lives of at least nine students and a teacher at Santa Fe High School in Houston.
The 17-year-old shooter – Dimitrios Pagourtzis – was in custody, a second individual was being questioned, and there apparently were several pressure-cooker and pipe bombs found around the area.
[[In-content Ad]]
(If only we could pass some meaningful pressure cooker or PVC pipe control legislation.)
Sadly, I am convinced that until we fix whatever it is in our culture that drives somebody to shoot up a school, people will continue to shoot up schools.
Why? Well, allow me to regurgitate a portion of a column I wrote in April 1999, right after the shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.
I hear the government talking about task forces, about new gun laws, about surveys, studies and handbooks.
We have to do something. But does anybody really think any of that will make a dent?
Will any of that help quell the violence, help erase the hate?
We have created this society. A society of tolerance. A society of political correctness.
We have created a society where there are virtually no rights or wrongs and very few absolutes. There are situational ethics. There is moral relativism.
We have raised rationalization to an art form.
We can rationalize and excuse virtually any type of deviant behavior – even murder.
The perpetrators are the victims. Victims of their social environment. Victims of substance abuse. Victims of a bad childhood.
Personal responsibility is an outdated concept. Our deviant behavior is someone else's fault. We can't be held responsible.
We stand idly by and accept these concepts because we fear that we might be labeled judgmental if we oppose them.
We have completely desensitized a generation of our youth to sex and violence.
We feed them a steady diet of violence in all forms of "entertainment."
The most popular musicians are the ones who have the most vile lyrics.
The best-selling video games are the ones that are most graphic. You know, the one where you rip the spine out of your opponent as he crumples to the ground. The word "FATALITY" appears on the screen, written in blood.
The most watched movies and videos are the most graphically violent and sexually oriented.
And as each sequel is produced, the body count must rise, the dying must look more real to hold our interest.
Sure, when I was a kid, there was violence on television. But Batman never killed anyone. Neither did Superman. And when John Wayne shot someone, it was always a bad guy. And it looked phony. Never realistic. Never graphic.
Today's continual stream of gratuitous savagery has to have an effect on our society, on our children. We truly have created a culture of violence.
I believe it's akin to alcohol or pornography. Most people can handle alcohol. They have a drink now and then. No problem.
Other people can't handle it. They become alcoholics.
Most people look at pornography without it ruining their lives. Others become obsessed and try to turn the images into reality. They become rapists or pedophiles.
An incredibly high percentage of sex offenders in prison say they started out looking at pornography.
I think the problem of violence and teens is similar.
Most teens can play violent video games, watch violent movies and listen to "death metal" with no ill effects.
But a few go off.
Of course there is no one cause for the bloodshed at Columbine High School.
Of course media aren't directly and obviously responsible. But there is no denying that media in America are enormously influential. And media in America glorify violence. Violence as a means to an end, a way to solve problems. Violence as art. Violence as fun.
At the same time, we have removed any sense of final judgment from the minds of many of our youths.
They believe there is no power higher than the cops or the government.
Government and media have trivialized and belittled religion. People who consider themselves religious tend to keep it to themselves for fear of being labeled old-fashioned, unenlightened or just plain stupid.
People who suggest that perhaps we should "do unto others" are accused of attempting to force their morality on someone else.
Even the value of human life has been degraded. We abort 1.3 million babies a year. The least safest place for a child in America is in its mother's womb.
Over the years, slowly, inadvertently, we have crafted the perfect recipe for a predator.
Start with a teenage male.
Show him a couple thousand graphic murders a year on television and film to desensitize him from violence. Fill his spare time with violent music and violent video games.
Remove any sense of final judgment, morality or responsibility for his own actions.
Remove any sense of respect for the sanctity of human life.
Instill in him a sense of "I, My, Me" – the view that self is the single most important thing in life.
Instill in him a sense of materialism and consumerism. Life is a game. The one with the most toys at the end, wins.
Then label him a failure for being different or not measuring up. Make him feel left out.
Make him feel the need for 15 minutes of fame. Make him want to do something, anything, for recognition.
Then stand back and wait for the inevitable.
When the bullets fly, those who support the policies that nurture this culture of violence wring their hands and wonder why.
What can we do?
Send in the federal grief counselors.
I wrote that in 1999. Has anything changed? Are things getting better?
You know.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092