How do you all deal with the pain of a violent society??

[adigal]

Since 9/11, I am careful about what I expose myself to. I have no TV, so haven't seen any live video from the scene yesterday. But still, I cannot get the idea of little, shattered babies, and the grief their families feel, out of my head. I assume since we are Democrats here, we are all pretty sensitive. How do you deal with the violence we are exposed to, over and over? I don't drink, I have a therapist from 9/11 scars. (My husband was a NYC firefighter, working that day, and on "the pile" for the next year.)

I try to shield my consumption of violent news. But everyone in the civilized world heard this story. It can make empathetic people crazy.

Suggestions??

[NoOneMan]

1. Psilocybin

[adigal]

5. Ha! Had to look that up. Thanks! :) nt

[NoOneMan]

8. Im serious by the way

3.5 to 5 grams every 6-9 months may be quite beneficial for anyone open to developing a different understanding of our system and coping with what it is producing

[adigal]

9. Well, I may be up for it, cause I'm not coping very well with all this violence.

I didn't even pay any attention at all to,the movie theater shooting, I just couldn't, but I am a teacher, and my students were upset Friday. Sigh.

[MadrasT]

2. Withdrawal.

I can't take it.

[slackmaster]

3. Drink as much as possible, and do whatever my cat tells me to do.

[adigal]

4. Thanks for the chuckle. I needed it. :) nt

[a la izquierda]

6. I teach Latin American history...

I live in a violent past and a violent present. I'm frequently depressed. I work out a lot to keep from going crazy.

[adigal]

11. I need to,start running again

I do a lot of art...pottery, jewelry, quilting.

[FarCenter]

7. It is media and perception -- the wired world connects you to more painful incidents

However, the level of violence has gone down a lot over the last 500 years.

Long-Term Historical Trends in Violent Crime
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/postgraduate/ma_studies/mamodules/hi971/topics/interpersonal/long-term-historical-trends-of-violent-crime.pdf

Consider in this country that slaves can no longer be whipped or killed at the whim of their master. We no longer consider that "the only good Indian is a dead Indian", and we have discontinued paying bounty for Indian scalps.

Also note that many more little children die from preventable disease than from violence on any given day.

[adigal]

10. I know, you are right, but still...how can we shield ourselves

In a wired world? I already got rid of TV!

[Fumesucker]

13. And Madeline Albright said that 500,000 dead Iraqi children were a price worth paying

But of course that wasn't a crime, in fact I bet people got medals for it.

[adigal]

17. She said that??? I guess only white American kids count. Nt

[RB TexLa]

12. I guess I'm jaded. I'm from Louisiana, it's a way of life.

Television here doesn't make as big a deal out of murders.

[adigal]

20. That's so sad. I understand the culture, I did dog rescue from the south

Sadly, you have even more ignorant people than we do up here.

[deek]

14. I'm a recluse n/t

.

[Barack_America]

15. Honestly? Look up houses for sale in Canada.

We're fortunate to have a move to Canada be a very real possibility. I don't think I want my son growing up in this country.

I'm sorry that I don't have suggestions for a better way to cope.

[adigal]

19. I have been thinking of Nova Scotia for a while

Beautiful, safe and peaceful.

[Honeycombe8]

16. Hmmm. I guess I'm somewhat desensitized to violence...

from the reality of it, and movies. But not desensitized to the point it's not upsetting. This incident was very upsetting to me. I almost shed tears reading about it.

I actually had a harder time with this incident than 9/11. Maybe it's because it was children, and up close and personal.

Why are you in therapy for 9/11? Did you know someone who was injured or killed in those incidents?

[adigal]

18. My husband got sick from the clean up. He was a NYC fireman

It was a horrible, traumatic time, but so is this, because it was babies. Just horrible.