The Rot

[BronxBoy]

Well another mass shooting has led to the inevitable heated Gun vs No Gun threads that are always, if nothing else, very entertaining to read. I generally stay out of those threads. Partly because both sides have cogent points and I have clue what the resolution. But the larger reason is those threads often simply focus on the aspect of the gun and no more. But there is more to this issue than whether we should ban guns. And it has to do with the darkening of our national soul.

When the Virgina Tech shootings happened, I was struck by a phrase that all the talking heads used over and over: "The worst school shooting in the country's history"

Think about that for a moment: "The worst school shooting in the country's history" And then ask yourself what other supposedly civilized, advanced and enlightened country has had so many of these types of incidents that they can readily pull out a list and run through a grisly scorecard of where the latest shooting ranks. I mean, the gun issue aside, what is going on in the consciousness of our nation that not only are the types of incidents happening, they seem to be happening with increasing frequency and more efficient carnage.

Yes the gun issue is an important issue to discuss but I feel that isolating it from other things that are going on in this country is a mistake. We wring our hands over the devastation at home yet elect governments that start preemptive wars that kill millions of people without an afterthought. We bemoan the fate of these innocent victims yet allow a situation in which thousands of people have been left to languish in the Gulf Coast states and we do nothing. Seniors and sick people are denied life saving medical treatments. Mentally ill people are beings to be scorned not helped. In short, our collective consciousness has become indifferent to life. Peace and compassion have morphed into foibles to be ridiculed while greed and selfishness have become idolized. And when vices become virtues, human life becomes cheap.

So this incident will pass. There will not be any meaningful conversation between gun control and gun rights activists to try to avoid these tragedies. And we'll go back to living our lives until the next incident and the whole cycle of hand-wringing will commence again. And of course, no one will address how these incidents are not just an issue of a gun rights but more a manifestation of the rotting of our national psyche.

Why has human life become so cheap in our country?

[Winterblues]

1. I remember something about a study of mice that when cooped up

too long they would go mad and start attacking each other..I feel something similar is happening here in America. We aren't really cooped up but we are suffering similar symptoms..America has flipped it's collective wig..There is no other explanation IMO for the Bush* Cabal and America engaging in torture and so many in america thinking it is just fine and dandy that we do it..

[BronxBoy]

2. Yep

A lot of stress and no outlet for it.


And things may get worse before they get better.