Initial opinions...
For the most part, I like Internet. It gives me access to a lot of news and opinions, which I think is a good thing, as long as I am able to distinguish between the two. The tragic deaths of so many in Connecticut has resulted in a lot of both. I've read a lot of stories about what happened, and a lot of opinions on why it happened, and a lot of opinions on how it could have been avoided.
I'm not sure we can place the blame on one single cause, or fix what is wrong with one single solution. I do agree that we live in a society that accepts and even promotes violence. I've read several opinions that place the blame, among other things, on movies, or video games, and even music. Maybe we would be better of if we steered our children away from such violence. Maybe, but those are not where we find the most widespread acceptance of violence.
The school where the recent shootings occurred was a gun-free zone. I'm not going to argue that if a teacher, principal, or custodian would have had access to a gun, several lives could have been saved. I'll save that for another opinion. What I will point out, is that if a teacher, principal, or custodian would have carried a gun into school, they would have been arrested. And if they had protested and resisted arrest because they knew they would need that gun when a situation arose as it did last Friday, they would likely have been attacked by a SWAT team using the same type of weapons that Friday's murderer used.
It turns out that we, as a nation, are not opposed to the initiation of violence. In fact, we expect it. But only if the violence is initiated by the government in support of a law or program that we personally support. Every domestic law and government program we adopt is ultimately backed up with violence. Our current foreign policy is predicated on the initiation of violence, or the threat of it. Sometimes when administering that policy, sometimes when raising the money to fund it, and sometimes both.
I don't know what the total solution might be, but I think a good starting point would be to take a stand that the initiation of violence is never acceptable. Not even if the government initiates it. Not even if a lot of people think it is alright. Not even if most people think it is alright.
Maybe it would be a start if we stopped electing and supporting people who think it's okay for the government to do that. Anywhere.
At least it's worth a try, in my opinion.
I'm not sure we can place the blame on one single cause, or fix what is wrong with one single solution. I do agree that we live in a society that accepts and even promotes violence. I've read several opinions that place the blame, among other things, on movies, or video games, and even music. Maybe we would be better of if we steered our children away from such violence. Maybe, but those are not where we find the most widespread acceptance of violence.
The school where the recent shootings occurred was a gun-free zone. I'm not going to argue that if a teacher, principal, or custodian would have had access to a gun, several lives could have been saved. I'll save that for another opinion. What I will point out, is that if a teacher, principal, or custodian would have carried a gun into school, they would have been arrested. And if they had protested and resisted arrest because they knew they would need that gun when a situation arose as it did last Friday, they would likely have been attacked by a SWAT team using the same type of weapons that Friday's murderer used.
It turns out that we, as a nation, are not opposed to the initiation of violence. In fact, we expect it. But only if the violence is initiated by the government in support of a law or program that we personally support. Every domestic law and government program we adopt is ultimately backed up with violence. Our current foreign policy is predicated on the initiation of violence, or the threat of it. Sometimes when administering that policy, sometimes when raising the money to fund it, and sometimes both.
I don't know what the total solution might be, but I think a good starting point would be to take a stand that the initiation of violence is never acceptable. Not even if the government initiates it. Not even if a lot of people think it is alright. Not even if most people think it is alright.
Maybe it would be a start if we stopped electing and supporting people who think it's okay for the government to do that. Anywhere.
At least it's worth a try, in my opinion.
posted by Rex Bell at 7:07 PM
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