There Are No Words
I have no words to deal with the tragedy that unfolded this week. Some others have written things that have had me thinking, so, all I can do is share those with you. Please take the time to head over to the other blogs and read what they said.
The Anarchist Soccer Mom: Thinking the Unthinkable.
Excerpt – “In the wake of another horrific national tragedy, it’s easy to talk about guns. But it’s time to talk about mental illness.”
Matt’s Political Thoughts: Reflections on today and sound public policy.
Excerpt – “If we, as individuals, cannot rise above our knee-jerk reactions, how can we expect our government or other institutions to do so?”
From Benjamin Ketchum -
“There is a sickness in our society. It’s not gun violence. It’s not religious zealotry. It’s not violent video games or TV or movies. These are all symptoms of a greater problem that faces us: the fear of one another.
What has happened today in Connecticut is a failure of us. It is a failure of our communities. Our lack of community cohesion and the resurgence of this arrogant and selfish sense of “rugged individualism” has taken from us the basic fact that we are all here together. We all have to share this world. We all have to live next to each other. We all have basic needs which must be met.
Each time something like this happens the finger pointing begins. Too many guns. Too much violence in music. Not enough religion or too much of it. A bad childhood. Violent movies. That’s not what causes these senseless acts.
Almost every time a massacre like this takes place, we learn later that the individual or individuals who committed it were very disturbed. They show signs. They withdraw. They act out. They are neglected by the mental health system. Their neighbors don’t check in on them. The community turns its back on them.
We need to stop looking for scapegoats to take responsibility. We need to own up to our own lack of attention to the individuals in our society that need it most. Without increased community involvement and vigilance and more effective and accessible mental health care, these events will continue.
For now, let’s just open out hearts to the grieving of the innocents who have, today, been caught in the crossfire.”
“We need to own up to our own lack of attention to the individuals in our society that need it most. ”
My pastor said something similar this morning. Rather than assuming laws can somehow override man’s depravity, we should make an effort to reach out to those around us who are lonely or struggling. Great post.