Sometimes, I just can't believe the things that I hear from people when a tragic event occurs. I speak of the tragedy that befell Virginia Tech this past Monday. I'm not going to discuss wether or not I think the administration of the school was right or wrong in the actions that they chose to take that morning. What pisses me off the most, more than anything, is when people use a tragedy to promote their political or ideological viewpoint to the masses. The very SAME DAY, I read six articles:
Scientology blaming psychiatric drugs
Dr. Phil blaming Video Games
Debbie Schlussel blaming Muslims
Jack Thompson blaming Video Games
Fred Phelps blaming the war
Student Groups blame Gun Laws
These politicians and people of (limited) power are attempting to use a tragedy that happened within 8 hours to promote their politics.
So I call bullshit.
I'm tired of listening to people argue about what is wrong with America. I'm tired of people who have one tiny viewpoint that they attempt to tie everything to and doing whatever it takes to do so. I just want to grab them by the back of the head and yell, "What the crap are you thinking?!?"
Seriously, psychiatric drugs are not at fault for the shootings. Video games are not at fault. Muslims are not at fault. The war in Iraq is not at fault. Movies are not at fault. The administration of Virginia Tech is not at fault. Rap music is not at fault. Homosexuals are not at fault. Jews are not at fault. Corrupt politicians are not at fault. The Persians are not at fault.
So what can we blame? Well, sometimes things just happen, and there is not a single thing at fault for the events that occur. That's the worst too, because for everything that happens there are people that want to lay the blame on something. It makes us feel better when we have an outlet for the outrage and anger that occurs.
In this case, however, I believe Barack Obama said something I would never expect. For this reason, he will get my vote. Anyway, here is a speech that he gave the day that everything happened:
Obama's Speech (mp3)
In summary of his speech, he places the blame on violence in general. Physical violence, verbal violence, emotional violence and so forth. To quote Obama:
"there's a lot of different forms of violence in our society, and so much of it is rooted in our incapacity to recognize ourselves in each other."
How true. When we lack the ability to see who we are in those around us, we become selfish, self-centered, arrogant, and apathetic. The man who killed those people at Virginia Tech was selfish, had no sense of moral fiber, and did not care about the consequences of the actions that he took that day.
Anyway, this is my plea to all people: Don't place the blame on things that are in no way related to the events that occur. Smokey the Bear didn't blame cigarette companies for forest fires, he laid the fault on each and every person.
"Only you can prevent forest fires."
Only we can truly prevent violence in the society on an individual basis. The responsibility is in our hands.