By: Stephen Sachs
I am sorry for the hiatus I have taken from writing stories over the past little while. That time is over, and again, I am on the warpath, expressing ideas with the thunder which you are all accustomed to. This week, The Editorialpost has decided to delve into that pressing question of school violence. School violence is an issue we are all aware of, and one which unfortunately surfaces after tragedies occur. Once the violent outburst occurs, people stand around dazed, impotent with that notion there was nothing which could have prevented the random act, and yet trying to find answers to avoid similar situations to occur in the future. However, time drags on and the memory fades. Always the tragedy remains, but the impact is diminished. Then, as fast as the issue came about, it recedes into history and archives until the next event brings the whole issue again to the forefront.
My intent here today is to look at the issue as we all have, and try to make sense of it. School shootings are no different than workplace violence, of random killings on trains, or anything else where mass groups are exposed to crazed people. Sure, psychologists have worked up long and perhaps academically viable methods for understanding these events. Yet, continually, these violent and tragic events continue to plague our modern society. Is it possible to root out these happenings? Are guns facilitating such responses? Is it social alienation? Do people just crumble under modern societal pressure and their only release is through random, violent acts? Is there actually an answer to this puzzle, or is it to remain an enigma? Are each of these questions just excuses for senseless and stupid acts?
Why people are so scared and yet fascinated by these events, as we are with mass/serial murderers, is the fact such a random act has been able to elude our radars so to speak. How can an atrocity occur and we miss warning signs or failed to act on them? It is that feeling of powerlessness, much like the idea we could in minutes be involved in a nuclear holocaust, or even how if we knew the signs, whatever happened could have been prevented. School shootings are no different than workplace violence other than the fact children instead of adults, are exposed en masse. Why do these events occur? Students claim to be "outsiders," not fitting into specific peer groups. Some psychologists suggest that television and violence in entertainment as well as music contribute to these events. Others, who are in some cases, less academic, suggest it all starts at home and a need for attention or lack of responsibility on the part of parents and children. Listen, it all boils down to one specific answer- CHANCE.
No one cause facilitates these random acts of violence. Just as no one act brought Hitler to power, just as no one act brought about any form of unanswerable event, these acts are random. Kennedy was not killed by a massive conspiracy, just a random crazy killer. They are a combination of so many factors and elements that we could not possibly begin to understand how someone could act out in such a deviant way. I say deviant in a purposeful way, because whatever liberal ideals you uphold, these acts are deviant from modern society. Still, we are puzzled by these random acts. And you want to know something? There is no answer, no grandiose solution to random acts. Earthquakes occur without warning, volcanos erupt, floods devastate and we have no way to stop it. Some things in life are just beyond our control.
In fact, I challenge anyone to give me a straight and intelligent reason for school violence. Debating this issue in depth with many peers has brought no semblance of answer to me. It is essentially a random occurrence of some factors afterwards that could have tipped off those to what might happen. For those who have studied history, they will know that it is difficult during a certain period to foresee what effects a certain set of circumstances could possibly, by CHANCE, bring about. Perhaps this opinion is post-modernist and without much purpose, but there are some events we all experience that cannot be explained. School violence is one of those violent and traumatic experiences, no less sad, just without rhyme or reason.
