Why Do We Have School Shootings and Gang Violence?

The Soul Lives by What it Feeds On
@bagarad (14283)
Paso Robles, California
February 14, 2018 11:43pm CST
Part the reason is that we a provide a climate for this violence by diluting our traditional American culture and values. When I was growing up over half a century ago, Americans mostly loved their country and knew why it was unique. They had mostly shared values, ideals, and hopes. They believed that someone lower on the economic scale could improve his or her economic standing with education, hard work and wisdom in using money. No one wanted to be on welfare. People appreciated their ethnic background and celebrated its special holidays, but they also assimilated into American culture. A country's history, folk heroes, religion, and legends (such as Washington's cutting down the cherry tree and then saying "I cannot tell a lie") that reinforce its values help unite people in a common culture. A common language, English, a belief in the value of our American Constitution and its uniqueness , a common flag respected by most, and our body of literature and patriotic songs we all used to learn in school 50 years ago, help define our culture. Cultural literacy includes a knowledge of these common things: The Constitution, the Ten Commandments, the songs and stories everyone used to learn in school, sayings like "A penny saved is penny earned" and knowledge of the highlights of our history and our founding fathers. Almost every country has a unique culture with its own music, stories, sayings, government, religion, and customs. The citizens of those countries know those things. They teach them to their children. They are a common bond between citizens. They help preserve national unity. As our cultural values, our morality, and our families have been disintegrating, crime as been escalating and young people who are no longer culturally literate in American culture don't know where they fit. They know the world is a dangerous place because they see it on TV and social media. What they don't see is the antidote -- a relationship with a loving God who will help and guide them through the maze of life, help them to love and forgive, and who always loves and forgives them when they have sinned. It's up to parents to teach these things, with help from their places of worship. They also need to learn to respect those of other cultures and religions they meet so they can live in peace together. Those with no faith, no hope, or no trust in a living God may live just for today because they aren't sure they will have a tomorrow. If they want to get even with someone, they may act out in violence. They may escape into alcohol or drugs so they don't have to think about their internal pain or their fears. Many of these alienated young people have druggie and/or abusive parents that make even home an unsafe place. Or maybe dad left home and mom is always busy trying to support the family and doesn't have all the time she'd like to spend with her children. When children don't feel they fit into a supportive family or anywhere else, they are ripe for gang or terrorism recruitment. Our society has equated loving discipline with abusive behavior and started taking children away from parents who spank their children. Almost everyone I knew when I was growing up got spanked. I'm not talking about beatings. I'm talking about a bit of pain on the rear end that did not injure, but did make one want to avoid having it happen again. Violent crime in my home town was almost non-existent. We learned to obey and respect our parents and others in authority. Schools were mostly peaceful places, where there might be a fist fight between two students who had a grievance to settle. Yes, there was some bullying, but it was dealt with when parents found out. There was no extortion in the restrooms, hardly anyone used illegal drugs in secondary schools and no one used them in elementary schools. Most mothers stayed home unless they had to work. Almost everyone I knew went to a church or synagogue. We all got along. Though our religious practices might differ, they all had common roots. America wasn't perfect, but it had freedoms that those in many other countries could only dream of. That's why so many of them emigrated here. They wanted to become Americans. Many of today's American immigrants are different. A good portion begin their sojourn here by breaking our laws to enter the country. They want to share in the good things America has but they don't want to assimilate into the American culture and become Americans. Instead they try to change our culture so it is more to their liking. They may want to bring their own system of law that is incompatible with our Constitution and then claim they have a religious right to do that because of our freedom of religion. Others have no religion and want to make sure all the religious values our country was founded on are removed from public life. Instead they say everything is relative and what's true for you may not be true for them. They believe there are no absolute truths. They want to remove any mention of God from public life. This, too, dilutes American culture. Many public schools are teaching that our country is bad and are also encouraging division along racial lines, making some people more ashamed of their race and other people hate other races more, blaming them for what they don't have. Much of what is politically correct today and taught in public schools tends to alienate students from each other, from their families, and from traditional American culture. Add to that the immorality and violence young people may have seen at home, among their neighbors, in the media, social media, and in the games they play and they may have no foundation on which to build a mentally healthy life. Fortunately there are still enough solid families and patriots left to keep most young people grounded. Those who feel family love and have been given a moral framework and an appreciation for their American culture aren't the ones shooting up schools or joining gangs. Those who feel like part a culture they can be proud of aren't alienated from their country. They don't become terrorists or gang members. They grow up, get jobs or start businesses, and start families of their own. They participate in their communities and try to make them better. I believe the real cause of school shootings is the corruption of our culture by those who wanted to destroy it. The plan is actually spelled out in the Communist Manifesto -- a document most people have never read. Add Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals for more modern practices based on this. Then watch our educators, media, and politicians and see how they are using what's taught in these books to transform our culture into one where it is easier to destroy our liberty. They are quite happy to see the school shootings and gang warfare so they can blame it on guns and call for gun control. They know gun control is what they must have to make Americans defenseless against what a corrupt government can do. Every government that wanted to destroy liberty in a country first took the people's guns away. I've heard my friends who lived in Communist countries and fled them tell of the guns being taken away before the government got full control. My own husband fled such a country. It's also true that if good people with guns had been on the scene at in Parkland, Florida today, some of the carnage could have been prevented. By the time armed police arrive, it's too late. The carnage won't be prevented by tougher gun laws. Ask those in Chicago how well that's working for them. There is not overnight answer that can be provided by the government. We need to build a more culturally cohesive country again where people have hope and feel that they belong. We need strong families and faith in a loving God.
7 people like this
3 responses
@just4him (303324)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
15 Feb 18
Well said. We do need strong families and faith in a loving God. If more people would embrace what their parents and grandparents learned, again, this country would get back on the right path. What happened yesterday is tragic, and those kinds of situations will continue to happen until people take a hard look at what they are doing to their children and grandchildren, by sitting on their hands and doing nothing.
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
15 Feb 18
We have a couple of generations at least who have been raised in a "If it feels good do it" society in which TV commentators make money by having guests argue over each other instead of actually listening to each other. What a horrid example of political discourse! Where are the examples of respectfully listening and considering what others have to say? Where is moral guidance? Where are the heroes tht deserve our respect? They've been replaced by celebrities who encourage people to be immoral by their example and to disrespect anyone they disagree with. We celebrate politicians,sports figures, and Hollywood and New York celebrities we see in the media even though they may have abused their wives or cheated on them many times if they bothered to get married at all. At grocery store checkouts we are treated to disgusting photos on magazines designed to help us feed the worst part of our natures. It is any wonder those under forty often have no idea what is right or whom to trust or believe? Many of their parents don't either.
2 people like this
@just4him (303324)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
15 Feb 18
@bagarad It's up to those of us who were raised with good moral values to instill it in our children. I did my best to do that, but it was difficult with all that you mentioned becoming the daily norm.
1 person likes this
@just4him (303324)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
16 Feb 18
@bagarad I agree. It's tough being a parent and a child. It would almost be best to get rid of all the electronics, but I know that's not wise. Even I depend on my computer.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (84628)
• United States
15 Feb 18
I would so vote for you if you ran for office. You may not have experience, but you have common sense, which is better.
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
15 Feb 18
I have no administrative ability or interest in governing. I campaign for those I think will do the best job and try to influence voters one at a time. As someone said long ago, you can't legislate morality and only God can change human hearts to want to do what's right.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (84628)
• United States
15 Feb 18
@bagarad It just seems that people with the desire and experience to govern lack common sense, and strong, moral convictions. We took the Ten Commandments out of schools. Because who wants don't murder, don't steal, and don't cheat being seen by students every day. I mean, really? We objected to that?!
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
16 Feb 18
@AmbiePam That's the sort of thing I mean. The Ten Commandments are the basis for the most important of our laws. But as you can see, many people ignore some or all of them. Adultery, for example, is flaunted in Hollywood and elsewhere. It's now considered normal, as is lack of respect for parents. One only has to read the news to know that theft is rampant. Who doesn't covet? If people obeyed all the commandments, there would be no crime because the commandments even cover the morality we can't legislate, like coveting, that are the root causes of many of the other crimes like murder and theft.
2 people like this
@galileo2008 (1141)
• Philippines
15 Feb 18
It's so sad to see and hear these types of news on the television, on the radio, and on the internet. The world is full of hatred and violence has been happening not only in America but also in other parts of the planet. They say the world is about to end because another world war is about to happen, and I firmly hope that it won't progress. Our world can heal on its own and the question is if humankind is ready to change for the better?
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
15 Feb 18
Mankind is just all of the individuals on earth. Each one has to make an individual decision to do what is right before the world will change. Man's natural inclination is not to do good, but evil. But any person can choose to follow Jesus and love his or her neighbor with God's help. No person is beyond redemption and forgiveness or the reach of God's love. But God's love and redemption are not forced on anyone. Each person must choose whether to reach out to God and accept his love or to give in to despair and act in violent or hateful ways.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
15 Feb 18
@bagarad That's true. I fervently pray for peace in the whole world, and peace within ourselves. Thanks for replying to my comment. God bless you.
1 person likes this