Why Does the I.V. Tragedy Surprise Us?

I, like all others, am tragically touched by this senseless slaughter of innocent people. I also must address something that should make us take a closer look at the incubator of such deviant behavior. My wife and I were discussing what solutions if any are possible to avert such events.

She said, “We are a culture that embraces violence in TV, movies, papers, news, and creates games for our children to play with that feature killing, shooting, and mayhem. Are you still surprised that our culture creates such people as the young man in Isla Vista and all other schools and locations where such terrible events occur? Then let me add yet more to the possible reason we create such creatures. We — and I mean the human race in general, and yes I recognize there are many good people in our world but I am addressing this demented action — add to the previous activities, which help nurture such sick beings into full fledged killers, an addiction to the adrenaline rush of car racing, sky diving, jumping, football, cage fighting, boxing, and any other activity that creates that rush, more stimulation. We seek what will give it to us like the drug it is. Not all sports, but sports that replicate the Roman gladiators but with big salaries.”

Now if that is not enough reason why we have stimulated the sick minds of a few, which is a few too many, let me add another response from my wife: “This boy proved it in his ‘good-bye speech’ on You Tube. He was shunned buy the cute, ‘in,’ privileged girls. The same people that put all the value of a person on their looks, how thin they are or are not, perfect clothes and hair styles. We praise beauty in our culture far more than we praise intelligence or good-hearted people. If we are to move in the direction of progress as a culture and society, we must stop paying tribute to violence and praising only beauty.”