There has been another school shooting. It seems like it is becoming commonplace in America. So the outcry begins for gun control as if the gun walks itself into a school and begins firing all on its own. How American it is to want to put a band-aid on an issue that is much deeper. Somehow we think that if we get rid of guns, the people behind the guns will disappear as well.
How naïve we are. The real issue is what causes a human being to pick up a weapon and want to go and shoot a multitude of people? What is it about our society that produces these individuals?
I have a few suggestions:
-Mental illness. Sadly, our society still stigmatizes anyone with a mental illness. Who wants to get help for their mental illness if there is a chance it will affect their livelihood or their relationships with family, friends, and society?
A society that puts more faith in possessions than in God. We are a culture of the biggest and the best, and we seem to place that over our relationship with God. Our society is morally bankrupt.
Families that seldom spend quality time together. Few families have dinner together or spend true quality time together anymore. We are a culture of technological devices, and we are addicted. Parents are just as addicted as their children are. Parents let the devices do the babysitting, and feel safe because they at least know where their children are. Parents miss a lot by not interacting with their children on a personal level. They may miss those warning signs that signal their child may need help.
A culture of bullying in our schools. Kids can be incredibly cruel. These days bullying takes place not only at school, but also on social media. Not enough attention is being paid to the bullying culture that is in our schools. More needs to be done.
Young people that have a sense of entitlement. Many young people today have a sense of entitlement that tends to make them believe good things should just be handed to them rather than worked for. When things don’t go their way…they can have a meltdown.
The lack of involvement with neighbors. When we know our neighbors, we gain an awareness of our environment. It we are living next to someone who seems to be a ticking time bomb, there are ways to make authorities aware. Better to make a mistake than to ignore the behavior and find that your neighbor shot up a school. Don’t be afraid to voice your concerns. You could save many lives as a result.
As for guns? They are a right in America. Every American of legal age has the right to legally carry a gun and protect themselves. Should there be restrictions? Of course. There should be restrictions based on age and a criminal or mental health background. Guns are not the problem, however. People are the problem.
We need to stop trying to slap band-aids on the real issues that we, as a society, seem too scared to face. Only then will the school shootings and the church massacres lessen. Even if guns were completely unavailable, a person bent on killing others would find a way….thanks to the Internet.
It is time we all open our eyes.
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