Cav's Place

I let some time pass, so people might be a little more likely to think things through, but I’m sure you all know what triggered this. Then again, most people are never likely to think such things through. Or they do think, but, when it comes to solutions, to quote from Babylon 5, “That does seem to be the rule, doesn’t it? Analyze the problem, choose whichever strategy makes least sense and then do it.”

Something like this happens, and most people start looking for warning signs and pointing fingers. Most people want simple answers to complicated problems, complexity scares them. They are also looking to blame external influences for the very same reason. Saying that he was a loner and depressed, blaming computer games, movies, music, availability of guns or a particular non-mainstream interest, all these things let people simplify the problem. Fooling themselves into thinking they might understand it makes them less afraid. And there is one more reason for these things to be blamed. When the culprit commits suicide, there is nobody left to blame, nobody left to punish, nobody left to take all that anger out on. So, in comes the scapegoat.
But that’s not the only reason. By putting the blame on outside influences when a stranger does this, they create a way out in case themselves or a loved one will ever do such a thing. “But, mom… They made me do it!” Having a way out sure is handy, isn’t it? “Hey, I agreed with you when you said that what made him do it was that movie he watched, why don’t you find something that influenced me into doing it too, so I can dodge responsibility?” I’m waiting for the day when a gun will be found guilty of a murder…

People refuse to see that, while there may be common traits between some of the shooters, those traits are also found in millions of others who don’t go on a killing spree! The sum of the traits of a known school mass shooter won’t reveal you another one. But, by pointing fingers like that, you create a lot of false positives. And this is actually more likely to make the person you blame resort to violence than whatever it is you think might lead them down that path in the first place.
When you know you’re not going to hurt anybody, or at least not anybody who didn’t intentionally hurt you first, yet others think you will and act around you as they would around a time bomb, you can reach a breaking point. You would still be the main culprit if you end up doing it, of course, nobody can make you do something you absolutely refuse to do, but that doesn’t help anybody. Something that wouldn’t have happened otherwise would still happen, and those around you will share part of the blame for what happened to them.

The point is that a game or a movie can’t make somebody reach a breaking point if they’re not already there. (But this is a topic for another rant.) However, the actions of another person can make this happen… This particular case offered plenty of clues before it happened, but in many others it’s the quiet ones, those without prior record of violence, that resort to such acts. The explanation is just that breaking point I mentioned.
Bullying, intolerance, underestimation, these are the things people should work towards eliminating! These are the ways in which a group can attack an individual, but the individual can’t respond in the same manner. I mean, if the group is intolerant towards the individual, the individual may feel lonely. If the individual is intolerant towards the group, the group couldn’t care less. And this causes tension and anger to build up until that breaking point is reached and disaster strikes.

Control is not the way. Control equals oppression and lost rights. That makes people even angrier, even more likely to lash out. Plus that some might even do such things just to prove that they can, once they’re made challenging enough.
What do you plan to do? Ban violent games? Is it better to force people to take their anger out on a room full of real people instead of on one full of virtual foes? Not to mention taking away people’s right to relax in whatever way they deem fit, thus causing even more stress.
What do you plan to do? Install cameras and other means of control everywhere? How many more do you think will reach that breaking point just because of the stress caused by constant surveillance, constant suspicion? Not to mention that placing such challenges in the way might make some try to overcome them just to prove they can. Anything can be bypassed, the robbers are always a step ahead of the cops, otherwise we wouldn’t need cops anymore, would we?
What do you plan to do? Enforce stricter gun control? Do you not know that a kitchen knife or even bare hands can kill just as well? Not to mention that some will resort to homemade explosive devices if guns will become too hard to obtain, and that stopping people from carrying weapons will only ensure that just the bad guys will have them. Just imagine how many less people would have died this time if at least one other person there had a gun and the guts to use it.
Do all those and what will you get? An angry kid who brings various harmless household substances, most likely edible, to school but leaves them around for a while. Then, when it comes to other substances that might draw attention, he could put them in little bags and swallow them. Then, at some point during the day, he’ll rush to the bathroom. Probably after taking some laxatives to make sure things will come out right, if you’ll pardon the pun. Cameras won’t catch anything as he or she will arrange the substances properly and start the reaction that will obliterate a good chunk of the building.
No guns were used. Not even any obviously dangerous substance. The guards watching the cameras had no reason for suspicion. Yet hundreds of people may die. Control is not the answer. Control just addresses the effect, and does a poor job even at that.

No, nobody has an excuse for doing something like this. When you can’t take it anymore, lash out at those responsible, not at innocents. If you can’t do that, just walk, or run, away. I don’t think that getting “help” in order to increase your coping skills can help, it just delays the inevitable if the situation continues. I also don’t think that trying to conform is the answer at all, people should be allowed to be who they want to be, as long as they don’t step over dead bodies (literally or not) for it. From my point of view, the solution is to know what your breaking point is and not let yourself get there. Just say you can’t take it anymore and bail out while you can still control your actions.
As for what can the rest of us do… Maybe we should start pointing those fingers towards ourselves. Maybe we should take responsibility for our own part in it and try to fix what we can fix. Listen to people more carefully, take them more seriously. Realize that a good idea is good in itself, regardless of the age or credentials of the one expressing it. Be more tolerant. Focus less on what sets us apart and more on what brings us together. Reject power plays. Protect those that are oppressed without just cause. Show understanding and support for those who would rather make their own path instead of continuing on the beaten one. You might even learn something from them, if you pay attention. Let people walk away when they realize they’re one step away from their breaking point. And, though I know the stuck-up morons (which is to say, the vast majority of the human race) will be up in arms about this, let people die when they want to, instead of trying to “save” them. Figuring out the correct cause leads to the solution…

No, even doing this perfectly won’t completely prevent such things from happening in the future. Some are simply too deranged, in a way that makes them a threat to others. Some don’t know what their breaking point is. Some do, but are either too proud, too afraid or simply too stupid to walk away a step before reaching it. But there will always be risks, all we can hope to do is reduce them and spare those that can be spared.