March 18, 2001
The World has gone mad…
This past week, a disgruntled employee returned to his former plant and shot and killed 4 people, injured 6 more, terrorized 100’s and then took his own life. This happened less than 1 mile from where I work.
Earlier today, a man stabbed another to death due to road rage.
A few weeks ago a man murdered a child because she wouldn’t stop crying.
Last year 2 young boys walked into their school and murdered their classmates and teachers. Shortly after that – several more teenagers did “copycat” acts that took more lives. It’s still happening.
What is wrong with this world? Who are these people and how can they be considered humans?
I’m in a tailspin because of the workplace massacre. I’m terrified. If that could happen there – what’s to say it can’t happen at my work?
We live in a society that has locks everywhere.
My work has electronic security doors, 24-hour cameras and motion alarms. My home has locks, deadbolts, alarm systems and two very big, very mean (to strangers) dogs. My car has an alarm, lo-jack and built in security that automatically locks the doors when I enter. My bicycle has a lock I can barely get open. I carry pepper spray and am NOT afraid to use it. I’m currently in an advanced obedience class with one of my dogs. After this class, she’ll be ready for the next step – which is to teach her to attack on command. Our other dog, a Rottweiler will go next. I don’t only want people to be guarded at the sight of my dogs, I want them to be terrified of them. Yes, they are pets, but they are also protection.
I’m nervous of strangers. I’m aware of my surroundings and walk guarded at all times.
A few weeks ago I was at the neighborhood grocery store. As I stood in line, 3 young men came up and stood behind me. They were dressed in today’s fashion of baggy pants, hooded sweatshirts and shaved heads. Every other word out of their mouths was F**K. They scared the crap out of me. One of their friends was the checker. As I was paying, he asked me to re-swipe my debit card and re-enter the pin number. I did. Then he asked me to do it again and re-enter the number. The 3 boys were watching every move I made. I told him no. I was convinced they were ‘casing’ me so I used a credit card instead and practically ran to my car looking back to make sure they didn’t follow me.
Everyday something new and horrible happens. Everyday I find myself getting further lost in my own terror.
I remember when I was a little girl and I would play on my block. Parents weren’t worried someone would snatch us. Doors and screens were unlocked. Car doors and windows were always open. Children didn’t dream of going into their schools and blowing their classmates away with a machine gun.
Who is to blame? Society? Movies? Music?
When I was young we watched cartoons and movies and listened to music just like the youth of today. I remember people saying Tom and Jerry were violent. I remember people being scared of Kiss and Aerosmith. Yet I don’t remember EVER hearing of someone killing their classmates then.
I don’t think that some of the movies that are made today are necessary. For example, a respected director made “Natural Born Killers” years ago. That movie made me sick! In my opinion it glorified killing and had absolutely no redeeming qualities. Yet thousands heralded it as brilliant insightful storytelling. I find that scary! However, I also believe in the right for someone to make that film. It’s simply up to us to NOT go and see that kind of garbage. If we don’t ask for it, they won’t continue to make it. I make it a point NOT to see ANYTHING that director does again – simply out of my own internal protest.
The same goes for music. Cultural differences abound. Rap was started with a message for the African American community. Now it’s turned into a freak show. M&M writes songs about fellow musicians wishing them speedy deaths. MTV glorifies that. They run specials on it. Our children are hearing this and thinking it’s cool. It’s no big deal. Death threats are no big deal because they are recorded and Kurt Loeder talks about it?
So what went wrong? How did we get from a society in the 50’s thru the 80’s to what we have now?
Murder and mayhem has always been around – it’s nothing new. However, it’s more widespread than ever before. Children are committing murder at a drastic rate. Why? What on earth could prompt a child to kill and think it’s right?
People are not being punished properly for their crimes; therefore they continue to commit them. Others see the leniency and they commit them as well. American’s need to take a firm stand. American’s somehow, someway need to rethink our justice system and make criminals more leery of committing crimes. The ACLU and the Liberals (myself included) need to take a step back and stop letting the inmates run the asylum. American’s NEED to take guns away from the streets and OUT of the hands of children. Registered gun owners should not be afraid of gun laws, if they are responsible, law abiding citizens, they should welcome them. If you obtained your gun legally and it’s registered for hunting, than that’s what it should be used for. What on earth does ANY American need a license for a machine gun for? We are not living in a war-zone or police state. What do you need a weapon of that magnitude for?
It’s not just guns. Several years ago, a group of boys were convicted for throwing a playmate out a balcony to his death. Now a young child is in the news for killing his playmate. He claims it was a wrestling move gone bad. Prosecutors feel differently. They feel it was murder. What was it? How will we ever know? However, and I firmly believe this, that because it’s so controversial, the boy should be punished as an adult. Perhaps other children will see this and realize that if they do something like that – they will be punished for their whole lives not just until they’re 18. It’s sad to say but that boy needs to be made an example of.
Where are the families? Where is their moral structure? From the time I was born, I was taught that killing ANYTHING was wrong. I was taught NOT to fight. I was taught to RESPECT the differences in people. I was taught that cartoons and movies are MAKE BELIEVE!! Wile E. Coyote comes back to life after the cannon blows him away because he is a CARTOON!! Who and what is teaching our children? How are adults coming to believe that they can do whatever comes to mind, regardless of the consequences? Are they passing that stupidity along to their children?
But what can we do to make it better? Will it get any better? Will we sink lower in the hole in which we’ve dug for ourselves?
I am a strong, opinionated woman. I am not afraid to voice my objections to anything or to ever stand up for what I believe in. Yet, I’m afraid of the world we live in and even more afraid of some of the people that walk around it.