It’s an unfortunate fact of life, but tragedy is often the best way to expose an issue. This issue was no different for students and faculty in Cleveland..
Wednesday, a 14-year-old disgruntled student opened fire after being suspended from school Monday. As the nation mourns, we should take a moment to collectively look in the mirror and see why this, and many tragedies like this, is our own fault.
Sure, we didn’t pull the trigger, nor did we provide the young man with the gun or armor used in the assault but we have done apoor job of eradicating the fule behind the shooting.
The weight of such violence lies on the shoulders of Americans. This nation has always been a gun-slinging social heaven.
Violence is in movies, video games and even cartoons. Exposure to frivolous violence comes at an early age for most people who are born in this country.
Instead of displays of intelligent dialogue that could help alleviate violence, America prefers to encourage violence as a viable means to end conflict. What happened to the notion of walking away from potentially violent situations or the timeless “sticks and stones” notion.
Our own president has instigated a war simply to gain control of a country. Despite what movies, videogames and TV shows say, guns are real and bullets do hurt.
Most of all, violence never produces results. The young man who opened fire is guilty of his actions, but is not solely responsible.
He is simply a product of the American psyche.
Akeem Anderson for the Editorial Board.