We all knew it would happen again soon, and it did. There was a school shooting today in Maryland. Sure, why wouldn’t there be? This is America. So far this year, we’ve averaged one school shooting per week. This time there are two injured — one critically — and one dead (the gunman).
When I was in high school, my biggest concerns were getting good grades, crushing on a girl one grade above me who was so good looking but hopelessly unobtainable, and wondering if our football team was going to win their big game this year. Bringing a gun to school was unheard of, and shooting fellow students and teachers was literally unthinkable. It was something only a crazy person would do. And I mean crazy as in “padded-room insanity”.
Now it’s a regular thing. A hundred thousand Americans are killed or injured by firearms annually. On top of that, now we have mad bombers. That’s what they used to be called. Now I imagine there’s a more politically correct term. Like, disturbed American. Or, explosive personality. Those sound so much nicer than “lunatic” or “psycho”.
What changed? Why are there so many angry people, so many crazy people in this country? Is it the times? Is it the technology? Is it the saturation violence depicted in games, movies, TV shows, and newscasts? Psychologists say those things don’t cause violent crimes. Then what? Are they putting something in girl scout cookies to make us crazy? Is there something in the water? Why are so many teenagers suicidal?
I don’t get it. I’m glad I’m not a teacher. If I were, I think I would look for a safer job. Bomb disposal technician, maybe.
UPDATE, 22 March 2018: The critically injured high school shooting victim is brain dead and is being removed from life support.
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