Why School Shootings?
February 16th, 2008 by Sean
Yesterday I cam across this website, which lists the school shootings that have occurred in recent history (it starts in 1996). Shockingly there are over 50 incidents listed. My question is, “What is going on here?” Why are students from 13 to 30 coming into their middle school, high school, or college and murdering their classmates? Am I to accept this as “normal?” Has this always been going on or is it just that now because of “sensationalist” media coverage it is being brought to our attention? Can something be done?
Hi Sean,
a few thoughts concerning the matter and also the list on that website you mentioned.
The list seems to include variously motivated murders, several of them are not the typep of “school shootings” where someone went about and at random murdered anyone who just happened to be in his line of fire.
There are incidents mentioned in the list which involved students or teachers, but which were cases of individual envy, jealousy, revenge, etc. … and I would think that there have been other cases in the past of that type of murder, probably as long as there has been envy, jealously, revenge around among people.
As I have followed some of the press after such mass murders (in particular the one which happened here in Germany in 2002), I have often wondered about the possible causes and why such incidents are happening. It seems to me that it is not only a matter of sensationalist press and news being spread globally in our day and time, but that indeed such incidents did not happen (certainly not at such a rate or in such numbers) in days past.
In all the comments and investigations etc, there seems to be a rather odd “empty information space” when it comes to exploring possible reasons … we only read about nobody being able to explain, etc.
I would venture to say that a big reason behind these things is the prevalent TV, movie, electronic games scenario …. but, of course, peoople rather want to blame lack of “gun control” or something else and don’t seem to want to touch on the real issues of how and by whom the hearts of children nowadays are “programmed”
Cheers,
Wolfgang
As a child of the video-game era there is still a significant mental block to actually doing anything I ever did in a video game. I played ‘em all, the racing games, shooting games, boxing games. But I’ve never driven my car like I was in a racing game, or actually shot a real gun (I’m guessing pellet’s at coke can’s don’t count here), or ever punched someone in the face.
The people that are able to do these things without much thought seem to lack the ability to associate with reality. I’d guess they are dissassociated all the time, so playing a video game feels like actually living. And actually living feels just like playing a video game.
only 12 of the 54 or so (my quick count) seems to be out of the united states? I think even with population considered, this is an alarming statistic.
We have much easier access to guns than do those in most other countries. And how we view them culturally is very different. In Finland, a high proportion of the populace owns guns (at least compared to the rest of Europe). But you have to undergo stringent tests to get one:
“Hunting is closely regulated by the Finnish government. A would-be hunter must pass a written test on game biology, legislation, and management before he can purchase a hunting permit. You also must pass a rifle-shooting test and a background check before you can obtain a firearm license. A hunter must also be licensed for the number and type of animals he plans to kill.”
That sort of regulation would be shouted down by the NRA as infringing on the peoples’ right to bear arms. Also:
“Aside from hunting, guns are also part of Finland’s strong military tradition. Young men in Finland tend to be familiar with firearms since almost all of them join the army for compulsory service at some point.”
We seem to want lots of rights in this country without many of the attendant responsibilities. The easy access to guns, plus a culture where young men are in a sort of perpetual adolescence is a deadly combination.
(Just so you understand my perspective, I grew up in NYC in the 60’s and 70s’, sometimes hearing gunshots in my neighborhood. Guns terrify me, and hunting is a completely alien concept. I don’t think I know anyone around here who owns a gun. So obviously I’m biased!)
The Word says, “all who hate me love death”..Has death ever been more “glorified” than in our day? Has the disdain for the things of God been more vehement than today?
One point of note, there was a mention of the latest shooter’s been recently off some medication or other..I know the discontinuation of some anti-depression drugs can cause suicidal tendencies-but I don’t know if there is a connection in this case or not.
As to why so many school shootings? There must be so many
reasons. When God is taken out of the schools, and vile, perverted,
and unclean practices taught in their sex education classes, when
abortions in this country have been in the tens of millions, when
lust is promoted over godliness in entertainment, when divorce
happens more often than families staying together, etc……
But what can a school do?
Jeremiah 22:3
Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgement and righteousness,
and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor:
and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless,
nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.
Q. How much gold can we get out of that vein?
Job did it. (see Chapter 29 of the book of Job)
Moses did it.
Jethro the priest encouraged it.
The deliverers in the book of Judges did it.
Samuel the prophet did it.
The good kings of Israel did it.
Jesus wanted the Pharisees to do it. (to do justice and judgment)
The 7 of Acts 6 did it.
Why don’t we do it?
Suppose a high school principal addressed the students on the first
day of school in the auditorium or gymnasium during their orientation, and announced that he is going to do something about
the matter of oppression, because some have taken it upon themselves to use violence as a means of fixing whatever seems to
ail them.
Suppose he called upon the senior and junior class to choose them
out 7 students from among them who would be willing to plead the
cause of anyone who feels oppressed, whether it be because of
cliques, gangs, unrighteous treatment by a student or teacher, or
whatever his complaint may be that he has not been able to resolve
by going to the offending party himself. ?
Suppose a student is frightened or intimidated by one or more individuals? Where does he go?
Let’s suppose a student body put an open box next to the school
office, that any student or teacher may put in a piece of paper with
their name and the name or names of any others if there is any matter between them that they believe needs to be addressed.
A school counselor could check the box daily, and call in the persons
with the names on the paper. Those people could then talk things over and if they would like to go before the 7 chosen for judgment
(to discern a matter to see what is right, their instructions being to
not falsely accuse, harass, condemn or abuse any person, but only
to discern a matter based on it’s merit, as to whether it is good or bad, fair or unfair, and if any is being oppressed they at the proper
time may make the plea..”PLEASE HAVE MERCY.”)
?
The idea being that God is faithful to his word and that there is an
ancient path that may have been grown over with thorns that may
need to be cleared and walked again, by the grace of God and faith
in the blood of Jesus that cleanses, and justifies us rather than our
sins.
Light reveals and gives us hope. (It’s good to praise God when things seem dark)
Q. When God first moved in the book of Genesis, ……..did he
foreshadow?
Q. Didn’t God give us light in giving us Jesus?
The medicine thing sounds to me like a typical naturalistic explanation of the demonic.
Hi Sean,
I’d say that medicine is not necessarily just “a typical naturalistic explanation of the demonic”, because to some degree, there is medicine available to deal with mental or non-physical problems … Unfortunately, often the treatments as a whole fall short because the cause is not addressed by the medicine nor the medical personnel and the treatment only revolves around “keeping symptoms in check”
Now, which is better: to have a “demonic” person run wild and cause havock? or to have that person medicated and be manageable without further harm to themselves and others?
Cheers,
Wolfgang
Maybe as horrendeous as these acts of violence are we are addressing the wrong problem.
“Often what human beings do is so horrible that we can be excused for thinking that all that matters is stopping it. But this is an evasion of the real horror: The heart from which the terrible actions come.” - Dallas Willard