with two mass shootings close in time, the question “how did we get here?” comes to mind. one word that is can explain our guilt is the word “convenience.”
we all like “convenience.” with the internet, home and business delivery of items has exploded. i have had employees who have had a single “starbucks” drink delivered to my office how “convenient” life is!
with the two recent shooting, certain facts have come out showing how societal “convenience” plays a role in complicity.
parents, for the sake of “convenience,” rely on school educators to do their jobs in teaching, disciplining and guiding children to get a high school diploma. often, parents or a single parent, is too busy to get involved in their child’s education. school behavior issues, attendance and matriculation are not adequately addressed. one recent shooter allegedly showed up to school is a hazmat uniform. was that moment not a serious enough reason to give pause to what is going on in that child’s mind? one shooter allegedly decapitated a cat’s head. was that not reason to meet with the school to get help? one recent shooter’s educational trajectory was derailed and he was not to graduate. was this a serious reason to give pause and ask what is going on? were there meetings to get this child on the right track? what chances of feeling pride and satisfaction in life would this child have with little achievement in life? was his anger in part due to a public school system and family that let him down? was his achievement to be something that would be a social media sensation?
for parents, is having your children playing violent video games for hours on end about “convenience?” they are cheap and morally empty babysitters.
for parents and businesses, is providing children smart phones is about “convenience?” parents are more than willing to provide cell phones to their children for the purposes of reaching them. these children often do not pay their phone bills and do no chores or work to pay for them. regardless of that, parents will pay the phone bills because it is for their “convenience.” businesses are more than happy to indulge these children with smart phone applications and programs to begin molding them for their roles as future customers and consumers of their products. in many of these shooters, their communications to the world are done via electronic medium. how often do we see text messages and social media as evidence of both crime and intent?
many individuals have used covid-19 as “convenience” to abandon their participation in religious activities and religious ceremonies. where are children supposed to learn ten commandments’ values if they are not in religious school and services? certainly, they will not learn them in public schools.
with “convenience,” our society abandoned the concept of providing opportunities to children to have positive dreams, ambitions and goals about what they wish to achieve in society. children have cruelly been made less second class citizens. what has society done to open up opportunities for youths to participate in meaningful activities? as non-voters, certain cities and school districts treat children like they are diseased chattel that need to be masked at all cost.
in sum, these shooting incidences are not isolated moments. they happen as a result of longstanding neglect for the sake of “convenience.” this blog is dedicated to provided tools, information and inspiration to assist with this problem. to do so, however, takes time and effort. this is the “inconvenient” truth.
be well!!
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The Ten Commandments Project 