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MASS SHOOTINGS ARE on the increase. They are tragic and devastating. Families and children are fearful and law enforcement is not able to prevent them or reduce the incidence of these merciless killings.
I don’t see gun control, confiscation or more regulations as the only answer to reducing this growing problem. It’s a much, much deeper problem in our society and I think we’ve been skirting the root cause.
What creates so much anger that provokes young men to walk into a school and kill innocent children and teachers?
What creates so much hatred that provokes a person to walk into a place of worship and kill innocent people who only want to exercise their freedom of religion, or to kill people simply because of the color of their skin or sexual orientation?
I fear for our country. As an American, democratic society, I think we have lost our way. We have broken homes, children not being raised by parents, poverty, poor educational systems, and gangs. Violence is everywhere—on television, in the movies, on the Internet, in video games, on social media and in real-life news programs.
Today there is a disrespect for law and order, for police, for teachers, for employers, for parents and for each other.
We have lost many of the fundamentals of civil life. Perhaps it’s partly the decline in church attendance that has led to this, or parents no longer teaching basic manners and politeness to children. Worse, many parents may also lack these attributes. The moral fabric of this country seems to be coming apart.
Many people who feel isolated, marginalized and insignificant are susceptible to dangerous messages found on social media and the Internet.
Unless we begin to make progress solving these deeper problems of our society, I don’t see mass shootings going away.
Our society, beginning with children, has lost respect for the responsibility of being parents. We have lost some of the basic fundamentals of civility and rules for living that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai known as the Ten Commandments.
Today many pastors through their sermon communication are finding it difficult to challenge areas of immorality and ethics in our society.
There is fear of reprisal, fear that their church won’t grow or it will lose financially.
People are trying to rewrite the Constitution. In the first place, they should read it and understand it.
Our government and our elected representatives are supposed to serve the people, not concentrate on personal financial gain.
What information can you trust today? The Bible is our manufacturer’s handbook. It is God-inspired word, but throughout history sinful people have turned against God. They have lost what the words “Love your neighbor as yourself” mean.
Our nation is on the road to self-destruction and we cannot continue on this path. If we don’t make changes, we will continue to lose freedoms that we have fought so hard to protect.
You can make a difference. Be an encourager. Invite people to church and help them be involved. Read the Bible or attend a Bible study. You may discover that the society written about and condemned in the Bible is very similar to our society today. Check it out!
Gene Johnson is publisher emeritus of Press Publications.
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There is also a connection between school lockdowns and increased juvenile crime that the media isn't making. These kids sacrificed their mental health and general wellbeing to protect the health of their elders. They grew bored and hopeless; they lost their routines for which they had been conditioned since pre-school. Weekday, weekend, night, day, nothing mattered, school seemed pointless. They've lost faith in their institutions, including schools and churches. They've watched their parents struggle financially, motivating some to commit crimes. We'll be paying for the cancelation of school for years in terms of crime, deaths of despair (addiction, suicide), and delayed development. This is a lost generation and the blame rests partially on those who took school away. There are places in the world where kids go to school under sniper fire. It was too much for too long. I agree with many of the author's observations, but just wanted to add mine to the list!
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