School shootings are not the problem. They are a result of something bigger.
As with every new school shooting the two sides of the 2nd Amendment argument start to rear their ugly heads. And it's the same argument each time. One side says that guns should be regulated and we wouldn't have these issues if guns were off the streets. The other side says that these things will still happen even if no one had guns and guns are the only things that stop the criminals. Both sides are correct and both sides are idiotic.
These things will keep going on because we don't understand the problem. Most are blaming the wrong things. We fail to recognize that we are only treating the symptoms without addressing the disease. Most don't even know the difference. To every disease there are a few things we need to know about it. There is a direct cause for the disease. The disease shows symptoms. Other factors come into play that affect the way the disease spreads. And then we have to deal with the results. But just like any disease it could have been prevented if we know the cause. Like most diseases it can be treated. Like some diseases we can control the factors. But once it gets this far, like no disease it can be stopped.
Here are the steps of the disease, in reverse order.
- The results---Death. We have mass carnage that we have to deal with. We have families that are torn apart. We have children who are traumatized for life. We have schools who feel unsafe and fear grips us. Others get angry and start to blame the factors or symptoms. We offer prayers. We grieve. And then we move on until it happens again.
- The factors---Blame. We tend to blame these and feel as though dealing with these is the answer. This is not to say that we should not be dealing with these because we should, but this will not solve the whole problem. We shouldn't just blame these and feel justified. Mental illness is a factor. We live in a world that has fallen and mental illness is a result of that. Bullying is a factor. We live in a world where the stronger feel that they can control others through intimidation Worshiping the famous is a factor. We uplift those who are famous and want to be like them. When others get attention it causes some to desire that infamy. People get famous for the news they make. Some even do it on social media and get paid millions of dollars for posting videos of how stupid they are. That brings in the fact that social media is a factor. It just adds into the infamy, bullying and worshiping that has already been mentioned. And perhaps that biggest factor is how lazy we have become with parenting. Adults who have children are no longer in the lives of their children. They don't get involved. They don't ask. They don't share in their feelings. And they don't know what is going no in their lives. Children have no guidance. But all of these are results of the symptoms.
- The symptoms---Selfishness. Guns are a symptom. But it's not what you think. The argument of "guns don't kill people, people kill people" and "yes, but if the person didn't have a gun then the gun wouldn't be a problem" is always brought up. Look, both have good valid points. If there were less guns then there would be less gun violence, period. And yes, the gun in and of itself sitting there will not kill anyone. All should know about gun safety. Blah, blah, blah. Overall the gun is not the issue. Freedom to own a gun is not the issue. The issue about guns and what makes it a symptom is the fact that some feel the need to have a gun. Guns have been around for 600 years. It's only the last 50 years that the problem has been around and has escalated in the last 20 years. The feeling we need to have a gun is the issue and a symptom. The entitlement attitude is a symptom. Some feel they need to have things and that they deserve things and the should have it now. This causes self and instant gratification. We become disrespectful of traditions, order, wisdom, and authority. The main symptom is our selfishness. But this selfishness is caused by the disease.
- The disease---Our culture. We live in a world that has lost its purpose. This disease has a cause.
- The cause---We lack love. But even more we don't know what love is. We have masked love as tolerance and acceptance. We say that we love our partners, spouses, significant others, but too many times it's only lust. We have so many distorted ideas of love that we feel love is only temporal. Love is conditional. We treat love as though it is okay to be apathetic.
The problem is that we think we can change the result if we find a cure. But our cure to all of this is with anger and loud voices. We can protest, write letters, run for office or whatever all we want. We blame the factors by making wild claims and forget the other side. We treat the symptoms by passing laws. We get paralyzed by the results and settle for non-action. We need to address the disease by acknowledging the cause.
The cure is true love. True love is patient, kind, doesn't envy, doesn't boast, and isn't proud. It's doesn't disrespect, or is self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It forgives. It doesn't like evil but it rejoices in the truth. It protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. True love lays down its life for its friends.
Until we know this kind of love, the disease spreads.
