How do we begin to understand the number of massacres this country has endured? I am constantly finding myself in the middle of this question. Here are my thoughts. This is not a political statement or a gun statement. It is a statement of what I see as a line of explanation for the frequency of massacres at this time.
I’m 57. Growing up we did not see mass murders. We would hear of some serial murders but not mass shootings/killings. The weapons that were available back then were not much different than today. In fact, some of the weaponry was the same. Yet, the way people murdered was different. Back then it was one person at a time. Back then we talked a lot about copycat murders. We don’t hear that on the news anymore. I want to talk about the copycat concept together with modern day massacres.
I believe that our society has changed. Some say we’ve become more sick mentally but I don’t know about that. I do, however, believe we have become more fearful. Our society is fragmented. A fragmented society is a fear-based society. Further, fear causes fragmentation. Fear and fragmentation have been on the rise in this country for well over a decade almost two. Within this fragmented society we now have social media, smart phones, video games and violent video games. This is a combination for even greater fragmentation and fear. Bullying, violation, and isolation are on the rise partly, if not mostly, due to all of these technological changes. So, we have a combination of increased fear, fragmentation, and isolation. Add to that information the fact that anger is the secondary emotion that is a response/reaction to the fragmentation and its effects as well as every other fear-based emotion that may exist in this fear-based time. We are seeing bursts of anger and rage throughout this country and world. It is somewhat contagious. It is a time for release of the aggression and aggressive energies. This is a time of upheaval and scarcity. It is a time of taking and righteousness.
As a secondary issue, there is angry divisive fighting (not discussing or debating) about all these guns. That makes these weapons that much more seductive to the emotionally wrought individual who chooses to use it. Mass killings could not happen easily without the weaponry for it.
Add to all of that the ease of purchasing mass-killing weaponry and it’s the perfect storm for the copycat murders of today. At the core of ALL murder (other than self defense or accident) is mental illness. It is the common denominator. We have known this for all of time! Mental illness will always exist but the style of murder changes. Those who are not stable tend to follow NOT lead. Our country and community has changed. The world has changed. The style of murder has changed with it and so we need to change the way we prevent the actions of the murderous mind or being.
