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Pittsburgh Shooting Suspect, After Massacre, ... ‘Wanted All Jews to Die’ (What is Problem, Guns or

JBG

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I posted this as new topic to focus discussion on what I see as real causes of Pittsburgh, Parkland, Sandy Hook, Charleston and most similar mass slayings. I have previously addressed this topic before (link).

We are treated to lectures about gun control and about racism. I just returned from a stomach-turning "vigil" at a local synagogue, replete with speeches of clergy and elected officials. The biggest applause lines were when gun control was mentioned. People were urged to vote "in a way that encouraged" gun control. And also discussed was the need to "turn down the rhetoric" from "the President on down."

Personal responsibility of rational people was ignored.. Genesis 4:9 provides the Biblical link: "G-d said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" And he said "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" Group settings such as high schools and colleges are a unique setting to put that Biblical injunction to work. Typically, students know each other over a period of time, often stretching from near-infancy but usually at least a few years. While we don't yet know who Bowers knew, either currently or in his past, someone must have known of his explosive potential.


OldIgnoring "oddballs" and "loners" aggravates the situation.

I came to be conscious of this issue with McGovern's cashiering of Eagleton as a candidate in the 1972 campaign. This sorry episode is part of what started my path away from believing that liberals are necessarily good people. I had thought they really believed in love, help and compassion before that. I was 15 at time, and had bought into the "peace, love and helping hand" myth the liberals and Democrats presented themselves as adhering to. I believed strongly then, and still do believe, that people are capable of making something of themselves after facing obstacles. To have unceremoniously tossed such a person off the ticket showed a total lack of spine and leadership we see all too often.

In recent years there have been other mass shootings. Parkland, Jared Lochner, James Holmes, Elliot Rodger (Santa Barbara) and Adam Lanza (Sandy Hook) come to mind. All of these people were obviously troubled. All of these people, except maybe Adam Lanza, were in regular contact with other students, teachers and administrators at their respective schools. Dylan Roof was in regular contact with friends, roommates and his parents. The societal problem is that it is easier to ignore people who are not sociable and not pleasant to be with than to engage them.

I am not saying it is the role of untrained people to be psychologists. Far from it. But when people are left friendless for long periods, and no one reaches out to them a tragedy will sometimes occur. It is our job, as a society, to know our neighbors, students and colleagues.

I feel that forming real communities will solve some of these problems. Trying to remove the implements of crime from people who are far beyond obeying any law of any kind is futile and useless.

It is far easier and more satisfying to inveigh against guns and racism. It feels good and typical for liberals that's what matters as was pointed out here.
 
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