School Shootings: Ban Violence Now

Our nation remains numbed by the horrific shooting at a Florida high school.  The random murder of innocent children is so evil we cannot comprehend it.  In our grief, we fumble for answers and motives but none make sense. How can they?  Our despair leaves us feeling helpless and hopeless.

This is becoming an all too familiar nightmare.  Since 1990, there have been 70 shootings at kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools killing more than 150 children and adults, according to a Wall Street Journal review of federal statistics.

In the aftermath of each shooting, a pattern emerges.  Police missed the telltale signs of a troubled individual prone to violence.  School kids and often teachers knew the shooter was a ticking time bomb. Yet no one stopped the youth from his deadly desire.  That should haunt every American.

In the hunt for answers, the narrative always shifts to gun control.  It is the false-hope solution.  There is no evidence gun control stops violence.  Countries such as Belgium, France and the Netherlands have stricter gun control laws but their mass shooting rates are as high as the U.S. 

Pandering politicians often single out Australia as a shining example to emulate.  In 1987, Australia launched a buyback program for certain lethal weapons.  More than a million guns were confiscated. Since then, gun ownership in Australia has grown three times faster than the population.

Guns aren't the villain.  Guns have always been a part of America.  What has changed is the media's cultural appropriation of weapons and death.  Influential media--music, movies, video games, Internet and social media--celebrate guns and violence.  The evidence is all around us, but we ignore it.

Consider that as this is written there are scores of rap songs with lyrics about weapons and killing. A current rap song contains this line: "I gotta gun and your family will be resting with you." From raw country to gangsta rap to hardcore hip hop, lyrics and music videos glorify violence and guns.

Exposure to such swill pollutes young souls.  A 2017 study shared by JAMA Pediatrics concluded that "children who see movie characters use guns are more likely to use guns themselves." Even movies rated PG-13, often contain brutal killings, guns, bloody fights and wanton destruction.

The National Center for Health Research (NCHR) has published a number of studies that document playing violent video games increases aggressive thoughts, feelings and behavior in real life.  In fact, researchers have concluded video games are more harmful than movies because they are interactive.

Social media is the newest platform for gratuitous violence.  Young people on social media and the Internet are exposed to a steady stream of dehumanizing, graphically violent, ghastly images.  Teens spend nearly nine hours every day consuming media.  Nine hours. Think about that.

Americans have no excuse for claiming they are unaware of the cultural rot.  As early as 2000, the American Psychiatric Association and the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry cited more than 1,000 studies asserting the connection between media violence and behavior.

How many more young people have to become addicted to violence peddled in music, movies, social media and video games until we act?  Before we ban a single gun, our children would be safer and less troubled if America outlawed gun killings, violence and graphic mayhem in media.

Hollywood glitterati, musicians and others will protest that freedom of expression protects their right to hawk violence.  These hypocrites are the first to clamor for banning guns but the last to take ownership of their contributions to the problem.  Why do we allow them to skirt responsibility?

In addition to banning violent gun images and words, America should compel the news media to quit making celebrities out of criminals whose only claim to fame is killing human beings.  Their names and faces should only appear after they are charged.  And then never again in public.

Perhaps, this latest slaughter of children will be the wake up call that finally shakes Americans out of their tendency to fall for easy solutions.  Every American who wants to protect children should fight to clean up the raw sewage that is being dumped on our impressionable kids by irresponsible media.

How long must we wait until America tackles this festering problem?