We truly live in a blind word. I realize, it is easier for
the world to turn a blind eye and say – “Sandy Hook was all the result of one
crazy kid and a gun fanatic mom” and cast if off their hands. It actually
angers me. Why? Because with every person that buys into this foolishness…we
fail to realize how easily it can happen again if we don’t ALL step up and hold one another [and ourselves] accountable to change.
No, I’m not some religious nut that’s going to say God took
these kids home to punish these families and America because that is not the
God I serve… but what I will say is America has played a major part in this
being what it is today.
We used to be a nation that said “It takes a village to
raise a child” now we say “That’s not my child, not my responsibility”. We used
to be a nation that refused to put extreme violence, gore, sex, drugs, etc in
the public eye for all to see- in fact, these things were shameful and those
who did them hid in shame but today, everyone has freedom of everything and if
you speak against it – you’re some right wing zealot or religious freak who is
stuck in the “old days”.
Well let’s think about this clearly….while the old days
definitely had some terrible things that I wouldn’t bring back for a second
(segregation, denial of women’s rights, slavery, etc) they weren’t off the
marker on everything. Violence was not as graphic on television and it was not
glorified the way it is today. I remember when only married couples could sleep
in the beds together and even they didn’t have hot raunchy sex scenes and talk
openly (or joke) about sex the way they do now! Most of us would pass out if
Bill and Claire Huxtable would have had some hot raunchy sex scene in the midst
of such a family show! I couldn’t even imagine….gross! [These days, more and
more children are pregnant and living with STD’s – but that’s another topic for
another day…smh.]
Also in these days, movies are more and more violent – the
more realistic the “better” in many eyes.
Even some of my favorite shows have sex scenes that make me feel like
I’m still a little too young to be watching it, and these are shows that are
readily and easily accessible to children – not to mention they are indeed
watching it. Our music is extremely
sexual and violent and we make more excuses for people to go out and engage in
these behaviors than we do actually standing and saying NO- THIS IS NOT RIGHT.
It is easier for us as a nation to say, this is the act of
one random individual and we are not all responsible for ensuring this does not
happen again, because if we actually admit that maybe…just maybe… we all play a
role in it; we’d all have to look at our actions and the things we do and…MAKE
A CHANGE….dun dun dunnnnnnn!
America never wants to take responsibility for anything. Not
in our public lives…not in our private lives. Every time we go see a movie that promotes
violence and gore, when we turn a blind eye to the fights for gun control
because we’re too busy or we just don’t care, when we see children doing wrong
and we cast them off as thugs or say “it’s not my problem”….when we see
tragedies like Sandy Hook, pray for a day or two, then go back to pointing the
finger and move on with our lives – we are all responsible. Instead, we should
be saying – what can I do to help stop these things? What is MY part?
It’s so easy to point the finger at the parents or one
community and say, oh it’s their fault, but we all have a duty to do. Stop
supporting the violence in music, movies and on T.V. – refuse to allow it in
your homes or support it with your money and keep it away from your children
[instead have meaningful conversations with them in regards to these things
where they can gain understanding instead of see it in a glorified light] We
all need to stand up for bullying and set a better example in regards to the
matter, I personally know adults can be much bigger bullies than children and
we do so in front of them. We all need to talk about and actively see to it
that congress does something about these gun laws – even if you don’t have a
gun or even if you think you do have the right to “bear arms”. We all have a
responsibility! It’s not just one individual’s problem because if this were
truth then we wouldn’t have so many incidents such as Sandy Hook happening in
this country over and over again.
Even when we blame things like this on “mental illness” we
are wrong! True a person may have a mental illness but did mental illness just
come out three weeks ago? Is it new to 2012? NO! Mental illness has been around
since the beginning of time and people weren’t walking in shooting up malls,
schools, and stores and such. In the past, communities took care of those with
mental illness, not just the families but entire communities, churches,
schools, law enforcement knew them by name…and people did what they could to
give them help – these days children start young picking on these kids at
school, in the neighborhood and even adults have negative things to say…and
then we all go home, close our doors and say “it’s not my problem”.
Blaming it on childhood abuse, drug use, emotional abuse and
all these things is not the sole cause and that is why we spend so much time in
speculation rather because no one thing can contribute to such a horrific
action. It is a sum of many things and many people turning a blind eye and
saying “it’s not my problem” - IS THE PROBLEM!
I have been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, PTSD, and
Depression by doctors. I even went into a mental ward once where I was help for
observation because of suicidal/homicidal feelings after being continuously hurt
and harmed by adults in my life. I also grew
up with abuse – sexual and emotional – I was bullied at school and I was also
shunned and cast out by people (other students, people in the church, even my
family at times – especially after I came out). There was a time when I was
full of rage and I would have violent outburst and sadly there were more people
willing to exploit and/or talk about me than there were to help – even within
the family and churches. Thank God for the few friends who were supportive and
even more, that God instilled something in me long ago that drew me back to Him
and enabled me to open up to Him changing my life.
[Today I live medication free and I understand how to manage
my illness without taking it out on others
- I also surround myself with people and things that help me remain calm
– but if there ever should be a problem I and my family understand the signs
and how to help]
Damn we’re blind! Damn WE ARE BLIND! We shun those who ask
for stricter laws and censorship on television and we embrace those who say, NO
IT’S NOT US – IT’S THE INDIVIDUAL OR THE FAMILY – THEY AREN’T OUR
RESPONSIBILITY.
Already people are out and about pointing fingers in regards
to the tragedy at Sandy Hook. One minute it’s the media, the next it’s the
mother who was a gun enthusiast, then it’s the government and gun laws. Well
maybe, just maybe, for a second you could stop and think – what am I doing to
contribute to this or – furthermore, to help stop it?
Stop supporting the violence glorified through music and
media (and we know what I am referring too), don’t turn a blind eye to laws
that need to be made to make it harder to get guns and make it easier to
prosecute those who do, don’t turn a blind eye to children who are in tough
situations or seem like they need help by saying “it’s not my problem”!
Even if your efforts
don’t seem to make much of a difference or change you can know that you
certainly aren’t one of the one contributing to it.
Get off your high horse and put your feet to the ground and
DO SOMETHING!
Imagine what could happen, if we all did.
Now imagine what will continue to happen, if we don’t.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that
good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)
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