Jerking the Trigger

Sadly, there is another mass shooting in the news. I’ve been thinking about these tragedies more intently since my oldest daughters are at an age when they are becoming more aware and thoughtful about such things.

I’ve been attempting to piece together some coherent thoughts about this kind of overwhelming violence so that I can talk to my girls in an honest way. I don’t know that I’ve reached any great epiphanies or that I have any of the answers, but I do know that most of the rhetoric out there is self-serving and aimed at symptoms instead of root causes.

What Changed?

Why don’t people ask themselves what has changed to cause the increase in these types of attacks? We hear on the news that these mass shootings are on the rise (I understand there is some valid debate about whether this is true or not) but no one seems to be asking why this is so beyond the immediate knee jerk reaction to blame guns.

It isn’t guns in general. Guns have been part of the fabric of our nation as long (or longer) than there have been organized schools. It isn’t any specific type of gun. Semi-auto firearms (and even full autos if you go back a few decades) have been around and accessible for decades. It isn’t kids. Every kid starts out life just as flawed but with as much potential as any other. So, what changed?

Our culture changed and we changed with it.

Guns are incapable of doing anything on their own and kids are a reflection of their parents so neither can truly be at the root of problem with violence. The mass violence we are seeing is the result of the godless, self-centered, largely absent form of child rearing that our culture peddles. It is a result of a cultural devaluation of human life and relative morality. These are the deep seeded issues. These are hard to face issues that you can’t assuage with legislation. But, these are also deeply offensive issues in today’s politically correct environment.

The answers won’t come from politicians. Politicians seem to be happy to sell the lie as it is a useful means to their political ends. It would not be politically correct address the root cause of the problems we face as a culture. It could hurt someone’s feelings, after all, to hear that they are personally responsible for their actions and that their choices have consequences – even in the lives of subsequent generations. Beyond that, it is too scary to think that, even when a culture is on the straight and narrow, evil still exists and there is no accounting for what it will do.

Maybe I am overreaching by even attempting to discuss root causes. We can’t even get a politician to address the symptoms effectively (allowing or providing some form of armed recourse)! They are only interested in a quick and easy “solution” that lets them tell their constituents that they’ve done something.

The Change Will Start in Your Own Home

Our culture did not become what it is overnight. Changing it will not happen over night. It won’t be as easy as writing a letter or throwing money at it.

Yes, you should absolutely invest money in your favorite Second Amendment advocacy groups but also invest your time in your kids. Yes, you should write a letter to your representatives to let them know you are still here, demanding representation. But, you should also let your kids know that you are still here and always will be here for them. Yes, you should demand common sense, honesty, and strong morals from your politicians but you should demonstrate the same qualities to your children in your own home.

The future of your liberty might depend on the actions that you take to counteract the culture in your own family today.