Taking responsibility for our actions... *all* of us.

[helpimarock]

I'm not sure if I can accurately express myself right now. Partially b/c I just haven't been in the writing mood lately and partially b/c this post is going to be about the Virginia Tech shootings which is probably the most frustrating incident to comprehend since the Columbine High School shootings. It is for me at any rate

Comments

[infloresence]

People don't go on killing sprees for no reason and this isn't a case where the assailant made delusional claims such as the devil told him to do it

Ack, yes. I was saying this to John yesterday, expressing my dismay at the coverage of the shooting here. We've got newspapers featuring the guy's face, shouting "The face of evil!" or "The dark heart of evil".

The problem there is that it wasn't some supernatural element at play. There's nothing more human than murder, unfortunately. It's probably a more basic impulse than forgiveness, love (which can be both actions and impulses, just as murder can be both an internal wish and an external action). So all this crap people are talking about "murder" and "darkness" just further serves to distance ourselves from the truth: we could all be murderers, in the right milieu and with the right damage and pressures. We could all be Cho. Maybe we're all pretty terrified and can't admit that deep down, we know we could all be Cho in a snap.

Another issue, not really related to the content of your post, is why the fuck he could arm himself. I thank my stars that I live in a country that had a gun amnesty in the 90s and now has extremely tight gun laws. I'm sorry, but the right to bear arms is utter, utter bullshit and needs to be removed from the US constitution NOW. It is the most ridiculous 'right' I've ever heard of.

[voiceboxx]

I agree about the gun thing.

Any sociopath can get a gun on the internet these days! When you get down to it, people mainly use it as a "right" to kill other people.

And, while we're on that topic, why don't they thoroughly screen people who want to buy guns? Or at least give them a full psychological evaluation beforehand, to make sure they're not some total homocidal psychopath??

[blozor]

The only problem is that they did screen him. Up to the point that he bought the gun, he was clean cut with no criminal record. Even the most clinically depressed person can put on a mask and be quite personable when it suits their needs, and depressed people are more than experienced at doning that mask so they don't have to put up with talking about their issues to people who don't understand or care.

Prohibiting guns in America is no more a solution than prohibiting alcohol was. It's already fairly easy for anyone to get a gun off the black market, and prohibiting them would just proliferate the black market gun trade more. At least now, we have some safeguards set up to regulate gun purchases, even if those safeguards sometimes fail.

Instead of simply eliminating the item in question, we should focus, as a society, on teaching our children responsibility and consequences, and how to properly deal with their problems. Unfortunately, how much we care about the welfare of our children and others is proven by how little time the majority of parents spend trying to instill good, strong morals and values in their children. Ultimately, we blame music, movies, video games, handguns, immigration, etc., because we don't want to face the notion that we only have ourselves to blame.

Sorry if this makes little or no sense. I'm extremely tired right now. Like, fighting to stay awake tired.

[voiceboxx]

I meant doing a psychological screening, not just a criminal background check. Even corporate jobs do this. They actually give you personality tests and other psychological tests to not only make sure you're not a nut case, but to also make sure you'll 'fit in' and do well at that kind of job.

Why can't the people who sell guns do this??

[blozor]

That's actually a good idea. A really good idea. They should make it a mandatory part of getting your gun license.

[infloresence]

Actually, upon further mulling, and some reading, I take this statement back:

There's nothing more human than murder, unfortunately. It's probably a more basic impulse than forgiveness, love (which can be both actions and impulses, just as murder can be both an internal wish and an external action).

More in my journal later, when I can be arsed to type it out.