| Why? Many people ask "Why" in the aftermath of | | | | What is even more alarming is that so many young |
| any tragedy. An appropriate question...but, | | | | children have so much access to all this violence. |
| unfortunately, there are no very good answers. | | | | What are we telling our children about violence and |
| There are, however, are few considerations for all of | | | | life? What are we teaching them about coping with |
| us to examine. | | | | life and feelings? What seeds are we planting for |
| We have become a violent culture and this violence | | | | future generations? |
| has occurred very subtly. Via movies and TV shows, | | | | I have family in Sweden and when I have been there |
| through the internet, computer and videogames, and | | | | I have noticed they have far less violence on their |
| of course through the media's "live" coverage of | | | | television shows. Interestingly enough they also have |
| wars. I don't believe a day goes by in our culture | | | | amazingly low murder and assault rates. I have to |
| without a major emphasis on violence. | | | | believe there is some correlation there. |
| Does this explain why a tragedy happens? No, not | | | | Again, I am not saying that this explains what |
| entirely, but if we do not do change our values about | | | | happens when tragedies occur, but I am saying we |
| violence we will likely see more and more of these | | | | need to wake up and adjust our values around |
| occurrences, as we have already witnessed too | | | | violence. If we do not make changes and we allow all |
| many similar scenarios. | | | | this violence to continue to grow as part of our |
| What is this attraction we have with violence? Why | | | | cultural "pastime" we will surely reap some very |
| do we turn to it so easily and readily? And why have | | | | negative consequences in the future. |
| we become so numb to it? | | | | This all starts with you and me. |
| I have only one answer: We use it as a way to | | | | Will you refuse to watch TV shows that are |
| escape. Yes, as odd as it sounds, we use violence as | | | | violent? |
| a coping mechanism for life. | | | | Will you contact the sponsors of these shows |
| When you watch intensely violent scenes there are a | | | | and boycott their products if they continue to |
| number of chemical reactions that occur in your body. | | | | sponsor violence? |
| These neurotransmitter and hormonal reactions inside | | | | Will you refuse to purchase video games that |
| you all mix together to create an internal "cocktail" | | | | are violent? |
| that actually gets you high very similar to the ways | | | | Will you refuse to go to movies which have |
| drugs would get someone high. | | | | violence as their primary theme? |
| The difference, however, is that you never ingested | | | | Will you request that all the major networks and |
| anything and because all this violence is so common | | | | newspapers decrease the amount of emphasis put |
| place, you may think of it as being "normal" and | | | | on violence? |
| therefore not even notice that you shifted your | | | | If you don't do this, who will? |
| mood. Most people are not even aware that | | | | Will you instead surround yourself with games, |
| subjecting themselves to violence is actually creating | | | | shows and media which embrace life and stimulates |
| an altered state of consciousness. | | | | thinking and creativity? |
| Simply put, subjecting ourselves to violence changes | | | | Will you practice mediation and other "peaceful" |
| the way we feel and this change allows us to escape | | | | activities to calm yourself? |
| from life temporarily. This is NO different than what a | | | | Will you commit to be more in touch with how |
| drug addict does. ALL addiction is driven by the | | | | you feel so you will be less likely to go on "auto-pilot" |
| desire to NOT feel. | | | | and disconnect from your feelings unconsciously? |
| As weird and far-out as it may sound, we are | | | | The choice is ours to make...what will you choose? |
| becoming addicted to violence. | | | | |