The second wave came from people who believe that violence in movies and video games is to blame for our violence-prone culture. I don't believe this, either.
Canada has the same video games, movies, and music we do, and they also have one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world; yet, the rates of homicide are significantly lower there than in the United States (above image from Wikipedia). What, then, could the difference be between our country and other developed countries? Why are Americans so violent?
Canada has the same video games, movies, and music we do, and they also have one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world; yet, the rates of homicide are significantly lower there than in the United States (above image from Wikipedia). What, then, could the difference be between our country and other developed countries? Why are Americans so violent?
One statistic that is higher in the U.S. than in any other country in the world is the rate of children and adolescents on psychotropic medication.
While mental disorders can be associated with higher rates of crime, examining the issue further reveals that the drugs used to treat certain psychiatric conditions can actually cause brain damage in children and adolescents, and can increase suicidal and violent behavior. Over-medicating children could very well be causing some of the issues leading to violent acts. In fact, many of the school shooters are known to have been taking antidepressant medications at the time they committed their violent acts.
The other issue is the entitlement factor Americans have. We are a country built on consumption and excess. We are inundated with advertisements on television, on the internet, in our e-mail inboxes, on billboards, on the radio, and even over our phones telling us to buy. We replace things out of desire, not due to need. In an unrelenting stream of messages that imply, and sometimes state outright that we can buy happiness, it is no wonder that Americans spend themselves into ridiculous amounts of debt in a futile effort to finally reach the point where they have "enough".
As a result, people are struggling to pay for homes they cannot afford, eating themselves to obesity and disease, dying of completely preventable diseases directly tied to over-consumption, and finding themselves wondering why "having it all" doesn't equate to good feelings. I am firmly convinced that a lot of our supposed mental illness is often a direct result of this.
We're "supposed to be" happy, financially stable, healthy, and free to have fun as often as we like. We believe things should be handed to us. We take so much for granted, and experience suffering and feelings of slight when we go without things that people in some countries have never been able to experience. We have celebrities living in homes costing millions of dollars with more space than any human being could ever possibly need while children starve in the streets of the same cities, and society lifts these selfish, shallow creatures up to god-like status. When reality happens and this fairytale does not, most people handle it - if disappointedly. Others, unable to cope with the disparity between what we're told should happen and what actually does happen, lose it. What 'losing it' means will vary by person, but the results can be pretty awful. Can't we change this?
While evolution has brought us more in sync with our humanity and fellow souls on this planet, our technology and obsession with having stuff is removing us from it. Our competitive culture, the growing disparity between rich and poor, and a lesser degree of obvious interdependence are a destructive combination. Improving the situation in our country isn't going to happen by way of gun control, restricting movie content, or having the condition of childhood medicated out of every kid so they're "perfect" little robots. Nothing improves by taking away rights and crippling free speech. We need to start respecting one another more, especially our children. We need to stop talking and start listening. We need to open our wallets less and open our hearts and minds more. We need to focus on really teaching our children things that are worthwhile instead of cramming information into their heads like containers so they can make schools look good on paper; such practices are meaningless and destructive to the spirit and our society, because no one will care about test scores 100 years from now.
The greatest, most respected people in history were not the kind of people who fit neatly into predetermined little packages of what society wanted of them. They also didn't go shooting up schools and theaters. Einstein, Galileo, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Nicola Tesla, Abraham Lincoln, Isaac Newton, His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Eleanor Roosevelt, Ghandi; none of these people were/are traditional, sit down and obey, go with the flow followers. Encouraging conformity, submission, fear, and obedience is not the answer, for it will stifle potential and cripple society further. Restoring our humanity is the answer, and shifting our focus away from this plastic, money-worshipping culture of greed and selfishness that can only foster envy and bring out the worst in people, that is what we need to do.
I wish to extend my sincerest condolences to those affected by the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado. Peace be with you all.
Mama Bonn - thanks for visiting my blog and commenting on my post concerning the same topic (http://12amusings.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/violence-is-no-fantasy/). Since you disagreed with my perspective of constant exposure to media violence as a potential cause for the uptick in violence in the United States, I visited your blog hoping you had posted your perspective. I was pleased to find this post.
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting theory that there could be a correlation between childhood medication and violence. There is a very definite trend toward medicating children out of their creativity and unique aspects rather than for medical reasons, but I don't know enough about the subject to agree or disagree.
On the other hand, I find your point about the entitlement factor quite valid. I find it interesting and not coincidental that, like me, you point to excessive and harmful media consumption as a major cause of such attitudes. I agree and think that a corresponding lack of exposure to other cultures and perspectives exacerbates this problem. I know personally, my world-view was very broadened by a trip overseas in my late teenage years.
I agree that there is no easy or simple answer to the escalating problem of violence in this country. But I do know that we'd better start making some serious changes to our culture before we self-destruct past the point of no return.
I'm glad you were interested in my viewpoint and visited. As it turns out, our thoughts aren't so different after all. It seems we both hope for the same thing and have similar concerns over certain negative influences. And I agree about exposure to other cultures; I really wish more children (and adults, for that matter) had the opportunity to learn more about other societies and ways of life. We're taught that the way Americans live is The Way, and is superior to all others. I couldn't disagree more. While our freedoms are cool, our media and certain agencies like the FDA are in need of serious reform. Hopefully, enough people will demand change, and the natural result will be things heading in a better, brighter direction for our future.
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