After the 49th mass shooting in the United States yesterday in Kansas City (and today is just February 15th), I am sorry to simply stipulate to the fact that “this is us” in the United States. We live in a violent country- that is- violence is celebrated in our culture.
Our movies, many songs, books, television shows and streaming favorites, as well as our violent sports like MMA, and even the violent political rhetoric which comes from glib but foolish politicians- all celebrate a culture of violence.
We further understand that legislation about gun control will not be forthcoming- not that it would really matter very much. The question I have is, “Why is violence so prevalent?” I suppose the simple answer is that it sells well in the above-mentioned media outlets. The politicians who spew the hate and violence are given wide coverage, and the message that those politicians spew seems to resonate with an alienated and angry voting population.
The French sociologist Emile Durkheim introduced the concept of anomie in explaining a phenomenon of social breakdown. This can be defined as:
The concept of anomie, in sociology, can be defined as a state of normlessness, disorder, or confusion in a society when the standard norms and values are weak or unclear. This lack of social or ethical standards can lead to disconnection, deviance, and social instability among individuals.
So, this is us. We must first recognize the broken parts of our society before we work on fixing them. We also must understand that political change is not the answer, but it takes personal changes and convictions in the hearts of people. If we nurture hate, it will ultimately end in violence and destruction.
So, for each of us, change must start from within.
Prayer: Lord, help us to change our focus from violence reliance upon you, Amen
Reflections of a Counselor 