The US has reached a tipping point of sorts with many factors contributing to the endless rage and killings seen in recent times.
On a bright September morning recently, I decided to let my GPS help me wander the back roads within beautiful Connecticut on the way back from a client meeting in a nearby town. As a result, I happened to drive through Newtown, CT and passed by the Sandy Hook elementary school which witnessed the unspeakable tragedy that hurt the collective conscience of humanity and also by the street where the perpetrator lived. When I realized where I was, a chill went down my spine. In another time I might have been in awe of all the grand mansions with sprawling green lawns and endless woods, in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachian trail. But no more so. All I could see was the social isolation caused by the urban sprawl where kids live in large houses with more room than is likely needed and a cry for friendship or anything else for that matter will not be heard ever, by a neighbor, because of the distance both physical and metaphorical in these times of political correctness. Instead kids and youngsters fight isolation by fighting virtual enemies for endless hours where the real and imaginary become one. The gun and the victims in the game blend into the easily available guns at home, and the easy unaware innocent victims.
But my point is not to say that the urban sprawl, the isolation and video games alone are the cause for such events to have occurred. Instead I opine there are many factors all of which are collectively driving the society towards a brink, the latest in case being the Washington Navy Yard incident.
I decided to summarize visually as to what I believe are the driving factors.
There are many factors that are all coming to create this unfortunate tipping points for individuals and especially youngsters where they are imploding under the pressure, self-igniting, and hurting themselves and those around them.
I am quite certain that seasoned politicians who are undoubtedly much wiser than myself likely realize this and perhaps an even more complex set of drivers of this societal illness. And yet unfortunately there does not seem to be any solid action that is being proposed that can stem this rot and take the society back to sanity.
Media folks discussing the recent events share the view that if Newtown could not do this, then no other event can get to a much more serious debate on clearly what is one known factor. Easy access to guns. What should we expect beyond this? What next? How many more lives need to be sacrificed before serious debate begins? And can the decision makers take the entire picture into perspective, rather than hold their narrow views and agendas above the the lives of many innocent victims.
As a mother I want to know that my kids and all our kids in this country are considered deserving of a secure future. As a contributing citizen I have a right to know the answers. Dear politicians, are you listening?
Tipping Points
Newtown, Washington Navy Yard, Atlanta school (thank God that did not pan out! ) are well known. Here are some more recent tragic events.
On a bright September morning recently, I decided to let my GPS help me wander the back roads within beautiful Connecticut on the way back from a client meeting in a nearby town. As a result, I happened to drive through Newtown, CT and passed by the Sandy Hook elementary school which witnessed the unspeakable tragedy that hurt the collective conscience of humanity and also by the street where the perpetrator lived. When I realized where I was, a chill went down my spine. In another time I might have been in awe of all the grand mansions with sprawling green lawns and endless woods, in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachian trail. But no more so. All I could see was the social isolation caused by the urban sprawl where kids live in large houses with more room than is likely needed and a cry for friendship or anything else for that matter will not be heard ever, by a neighbor, because of the distance both physical and metaphorical in these times of political correctness. Instead kids and youngsters fight isolation by fighting virtual enemies for endless hours where the real and imaginary become one. The gun and the victims in the game blend into the easily available guns at home, and the easy unaware innocent victims.
But my point is not to say that the urban sprawl, the isolation and video games alone are the cause for such events to have occurred. Instead I opine there are many factors all of which are collectively driving the society towards a brink, the latest in case being the Washington Navy Yard incident.
I decided to summarize visually as to what I believe are the driving factors.
There are many factors that are all coming to create this unfortunate tipping points for individuals and especially youngsters where they are imploding under the pressure, self-igniting, and hurting themselves and those around them.
I am quite certain that seasoned politicians who are undoubtedly much wiser than myself likely realize this and perhaps an even more complex set of drivers of this societal illness. And yet unfortunately there does not seem to be any solid action that is being proposed that can stem this rot and take the society back to sanity.
Media folks discussing the recent events share the view that if Newtown could not do this, then no other event can get to a much more serious debate on clearly what is one known factor. Easy access to guns. What should we expect beyond this? What next? How many more lives need to be sacrificed before serious debate begins? And can the decision makers take the entire picture into perspective, rather than hold their narrow views and agendas above the the lives of many innocent victims.
As a mother I want to know that my kids and all our kids in this country are considered deserving of a secure future. As a contributing citizen I have a right to know the answers. Dear politicians, are you listening?
Tipping Points
Newtown, Washington Navy Yard, Atlanta school (thank God that did not pan out! ) are well known. Here are some more recent tragic events.
