What’s going on in this great land of ours from sea to shining sea? A teen-ager grabs a couple guns from his father’s cabinet hides them under a trench-coat, makes his way to the school where he’s a student in good standing and then pulls the trigger aiming and killing some of his class-mates. What was going in in the mind of this kid? Why? Why is it happening more and more in this 21st century of ours compared with previous times?
In researching this list of previous shootings and rampages in our schools, I landed upon a Wikipedia page listing EVERY shooting in America’s schools going back to the first in 1764 when 10 were murdered by American Indians in what has been named the Enoch Brown massacre. [1] It was considered a school shooting because a school principal was shot while the others not affiliated with the school were killed in hand to hand combat. Knives and hatchets? Bows and Arrows?
Tracing these shootings through history reveals that in earlier times most were angry outbursts, disagreements of parents angry over the treatment of a child, disagreements of an employee being fired, angriness of one sort or another. Then in 1966, the first mass shooting occurred at the University of Texas when 17 were killed and 31 injured by 25-year-old engineering student, who from the observation deck continuously pulled the trigger on innocents at Sandy Hook for 96 minutes. He had previously taken out his hatred for his parents by killing them that morning. [2]
Fast forward to the 21st century. The first decade had 65 shootings with 110 killed. From 2011 thru 2014: 94 shootings and 36 deaths. 2015 to present: 66 shootings with 84 killed. And now less than 5 months into 2018 there’s been 3 school shootings resulting in 47 deaths.
Let’s go back a few decades.
1940’s- 8 shootings.
1950’s-14,
1960’s-19,
1970’s- 31,
1980’s- 41,
1990’s- 66 separate shootings including the famous ’99 Columbine massacre where 2-teens ambushed fellow students killing 15 and injuring 21.
Why the escalation? What has changed, what changes occurred in our culture over those decades?
It’s easy to surmise that the trend is escalating, but again, why? Is it because guns are available? Is it because the legal requirements for obtaining a license to purchase and own a gun are not strict enough? How many of these assaults on human life has been made with an illegally obtained gun? How many of the incidents have been committed with a legally purchased weapon obtained by a student from his parents.
There have been many contributing factors suggested by various leaders, media and politicos including: Failure of government background checks. Higher accessibility and ownership of guns. Desire for fame and notoriety. Copycatism. The gap between expectations and actual achievement. Mental Illness. Bullying. Psychiatric Drugs. Bullying.
All it just takes is just one to destroy the peace of many.
The political speak is all about gun safety, about the availability of guns, about the need for more additional gun restrictions and even the concept of outlawing guns altogether has hit the airwaves. “Our children are precious to us and their safety is our main concern, so let’s do this now. We must ban fully automatic assault rifles now.” The same old measures are being floated to prevent these shootings from ever happening again. How about around the world? How do other countries restrict personal gun ownership? Ah, all that is another story.
Allow me to boil it down to just two factors: 1. One or more guns have been used. 2. One human pulled the trigger of the guns.
Do we outlaw all humans from attending schools?
Yes, it’s a human problem of that inherent free-will nature of ours. The first historical account of a human killing another is that of Cain slaying his brother Able. Jealousy is said to be the motivating factor.
There is only ONE solution to this dilemma. Yes, one only, and it’s been known for the last 2000 years.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40 New International Version (NIV)
Yep, if parents, students and school officials lived respecting and loving each other as themselves it would end school shootings. Centuries before that humans were provided the Ten commandments. And Yep, if everyone obeyed and lived by these standards set forth in those tablets of stone, that would end school shootings.
But, throughout history, a lone Wolf can destroy the peace.
But, these two simple codes cannot even be discussed in schools anymore, nor displayed anywhere in our public-school system. Outlawed by the court. It’s been considered a violation of that separation of church and state doctrine.
Madalyn Murray O’Hair, the founder of American Atheists, Inc. became famous in the 60’s for pushing the concept of separation of church and state. She eventual won the banning of mandatory prayer and the daily reading of bible passages from the public schools in 2 supreme Court cases of ’62 and ’63. The Ten commandments were banned from being displayed in public schools in 1980.
Since then, oh how the basic nuclear family unit as the backbone of society has been slowly degraded. Now it’s meism. Me first. A disrespect for each other, no more honoring each other above selfish desires. Adultery became a no big deal. Then divorce. It’s our sensuousness, our selfishness. Abortion legalized in 1973. Teen pregnancies. Drug use. Foul language. Cheating. Lying. Stealing. Murder. Rape. Incest. Homosexuality. Bisexuality. Oh, and also, dress codes have changed too. In the 50’s the high school required girls to wear lode fitting blouses and dresses that covered their knees and boys had to wear button-down shirts and slacks, no shorts. Nowadays, well anything goes . . . . just cover your genitals is about the only unspoken dress code.
Summary.
Oh, this part is easy. Even in the churches, the Fear of the Almighty God is not being preached and emphasized. The fear of what happens after we die: Heaven or Hell. Yes, the creator destroyed the entire population of this earth except for one family because the rest of humanity was living as they desired. The ability of God to do this is not being preached. Yes, God threw His first humans away from that beautiful garden because they did not listen to His one wish. Instead they desired to be like God, to be their own master knowing both good and evil. Oh yes, we do know about evil.
Let me present an analogy. You’ve been hired to work for a certain company and the owner has informed you of his expectations and rules. Obey those and you’ll enjoy the work, the benefits and the comradery of the fellow employees. You also know that if you don’t live up to those standards the owner has the right to call you into his office and say; you’re fired.
“Fired.” Yes, that phase had its beginnings with the concept of spending eternity in the Lake of Fire.
One Day at a Time 