Of course you all know the topic that was discussed in my theology class once we began.
My lesson plan was set aside as my students aired out their fears and other feelings and I listened carefully while offering whatever thoughts I had along with words of comfort when needed. There was one girl though, who said something that I'll never forget (paraphrasing): I am so sorry that this happened but the thing that kind of bothers me about this is that this sort of thing happens all the time in the inner city but only seems to make the news when it's in a nicer part of town.
In hearing this some may say that no, school shootings don't happen every single day and thank God for that. But I would respond by saying that perhaps my student wasn't clear with what she was trying to say. Violence happens every day in our culture and I would like to add to her statement by stating that if you look closely we in fact celebrate most forms of violence.
And here are a just a few examples:
1) Does anyone frequent the Yahoo! page? Does anyone notice that most of their journalists simply read Twitter all day and write stories about those who unload on someone? Of course that doesn't include those who just go to the source themselves so they can re-tweet the same obnoxious statements made by cowards hiding behind a mobile device. Still, it is a form of violence and most obvious when people go as far a making a threat towards those that are the subject of their tweets.
2) If any of you watched the Super Bowl we know that there was yet another helmet to helmet hit during the game. And, if it's not ESPN sharing the footage from such a hit during their Sportscenter highlights it will be posted on social media by fans who celebrate the fact that another player was laid out during the game. Of course if you miss any of these highlights or posts you can simply go to You Tube and see one of many compilations put together by fans celebrating such behavior.
3) Just about everything on television or in the movies has someone being humiliated for the sake of entertaining others. The one I find most interesting is when a satirist (with the assistance of some obnoxious writers) unloads on someone from a television studio in front of a camera hundreds of miles away from the person they are insulting. There is usually a studio audience who laughs at what is said with a television audience that is probably doing the same.
4) For those who watch cable news...does anyone have a discussion anymore? Is there a fair or even honest debate about the issues or do people simply express their hatred for the those who dare to have a different opinion? And this is a daily thing to the point where these people sound more like teenagers who can't get over their ex rather than a professional journalist offering a well detailed editorial.
5) Thanks to social media and mobile devices bullying and just nasty gossip is now totally out of control. As a person who works with teenagers I see this all too often but it's not just teens doing this kind of stuff. There are adults out there who air out all of their nonsense on their social media pages or in some kind of group chat in order to speak ill of others.
Notice that most of what I shared was NOT a form of physical violence. Still, does anyone think that this kind of thing doesn't have an impact on the way we behave? Most of this nonsense angers so many people so much that I would guess that they they probably go to bed angry and then wake up and go right to their messages and updates to see what will offend them at the beginning of their day. Then the rest of us have the privilege of having to be around these people most of the day at work or at school.
The First Problem
Many people my age and older comment almost daily that things are worse than ever. If that is true then we have to ask ourselves why this is so. Of course everyone has their opinions about this and sadly, most of these opinions are formed by the talking heads on television rather than individuals taking the time to study the world around them.
The problem I see is that people usually end their reflections on many issues with a shrug and the famous, what can we actually do about it? In other words, I surrender!
Perhaps I can offer another solution or two. First off, turn off your television! Stop letting these strategists who in fact have an agenda influence your thinking. They thrive only if we cooperate with them. We all need to step out of the nonsense because we are all smart enough to see the world with our own eyes and not through the corrupted lens of the media or other activist groups.
Second, don't contribute to the gossip and bullying around you. Yes, I know it's exciting at times to hear something juicy about those we dislike but if we participate we are just as guilty as those who are stirring the pot.
I don't know about most people but when I don't like someone I don't spend time around them. If there is a celebrity or public figure I don't like then it's the same thing. I have better things to do with my time and have never cared much for what famous people think about anything because I believe that I am intelligent enough to form my opinions thank you very much.
Now I would like for all of us to take a moment to think about something a little more personal: how much time do we waste getting involved with this kind of stuff? Imagine how much better our lives would be if we removed this filth from our daily routine and say, paid more attention to our loves ones, devoted that time to other causes such as taking care of the homeless as well as our Veterans or perhaps, used more of that time to work on all of those dreams and goals we talk about fulfilling in between these gossip sessions? Think of the contribution we would all make as individuals to making this world a better place.
Second Problem
We are so concerned about not offending others that we no longer have a social standard of morality. Along with that we also have a hands off way of handling things as we take a live and let live approach to life, which I will argue is not exactly how we feel. If we really believed in this idea then everyone who makes a living criticizing others would be out of a job. Those who gossip about others would have nothing to talk about. Mind you, most of what we see really has no impact on our lives? Yet, we all have opinions about the thoughts and actions of others rather than just shrugging it off and saying, well, if that's what makes them happy.
What are the consequences of being so hands off? One look at these articles and we will see that at times it will cost people their lives. https://www.yahoo.com/news/plenty-warnings-florida-school-shooting-suspects-past-missed-signs-154926468.html and https://www.yahoo.com/news/florida-shooter-apos-former-friend-141541134.html Are we so afraid of speaking out that we won't share our concerns regarding those who really need our help (in this case it was the shooter who obviously had some serious problems along with protecting the students at this school)? Or, are we so busy with our lives and with the fear of offending someone that we just leave things alone and hope for the best? The events in Parkland, FL were sure a hard price to pay in order to step back and wait for things to unfold themselves. I guess it's easier to blame the NRA than those who failed to take the time to act.
Speaking of the NRA, there are gun advocates who claim out of fear that a ban on certain types of weapons will lead to a total disarming of American citizens. Yes, there are those out there who want to remove all guns from our society but there are also those who claim that they are simply concerned about the availability of certain types of weapons to the public. I don't know why expressing such a concern and perhaps wanting to have a conversation about this concern is so alarming to some but that is just one example of how a strong and stubborn reaction leads to further gridlock. I guess for some it's more important to have the right to have weapons used for war in their possession than to consider those who could be in the line of fire if such a weapon fell into the hands of the wrong and/or if they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Third Problem
No, it's not all about one person or a particular group. We live in a society of complicated people with different beliefs and practices and while it will never be easy to live harmoniously we do have to find a way to give everyone enough space to live in the free country that we claim to love. Yet, these are the things that we hear all too often in our culture such as but not limited to:
I have a right to X!
I hate Republicans (or Democrats)!
I am entitled to this!
I want this!
I demand this!
He (or she) doesn't speak for me!
He's not my President!
I don't like these people!
Do we see a pattern here? Aside from being a vast selection of self-centered quotes it's also a distorted view of what it means to be free. Sorry, but the real world is a little messier.
No, we don't simply have a right to anything and everything.
No, we can't just throw a fit and suddenly all that is in our mind suddenly becomes reality.
No, not everyone is going to agree with you.
No, you're not going to get along with everyone around you and/or avoid being in situations that make you uncomfortable.
This is called real life! I'm surprised that those who think this way haven't asked for the banning of a popular saying from a famous Inauguration speech: Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. After all, they seek to ban just about anything else that isn't welcome in their safe space.
Freedom is more than allowing an individual to do what they want. Freedom also allows a person to do what they believe to be right while also not having to worry about others imposing their will on those who choose to live as they wish. Still, there are so many out there who call for tolerance and equality but fail to give the same to others in return, especially if others have the audacity to live their lives in a different way. Meanwhile, in the background, while most people see such hypocrisy they only comment about it...in private.
Why do so many of us fail to act on all that we see that is wrong with our culture. Do we not realize that in most cases we're not taking anything away from anyone but simply reminding some that they need to give others the same room to live that they themselves demand from the rest of us? Yes, I am aware of the fact that they may respond with aggression and may go as far as call us terrible names but if we know that we are trying to correct their behavior and not using derogatory language then what are we afraid of? What, do distorted opinions by spoiled brats really have that much of an impact on our self-esteem? If so, fine but is it worth watching the further collapse of our culture simply because some of us don't want to get our hands dirty?
Personally, I love this country and so much of what we call our American culture. This place has given me so much in terms of opportunity as well as the chance to meet so many different types of people who have taught me so much about life. As I get older I have also learned a lot about the differences people have, which includes the types of wounds and experiences that make them a challenge to deal with. But, that doesn't mean that they are beyond help and/or so different from me that I can't become their friend.
I don't have all of the answers but I simply wanted to share some thoughts that I hope might get more of us to think about what we should do; even if it takes us out of our comfort zone. So I'll leave you with some quotes from some amazing people that I hope might encourage all of us to act more than watch.
The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything. -Albert Einstein
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. -Edmund Burke
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while band people will find a way around the laws. -Plato
To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing and be nothing. -Aristotle
@csolorzano18
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