The Conversations We Should Have About the Newtown Shooting
I sit here racked, like every other parent in America today, with sadness, anger and fear for the world that our little ones live in.
We're all asking ourselves a lot of questions about how we got here. We're going to have lots of conversations about gun control. I'm seeing lots of comments on Facebook and headlines on various news websites. CNN called for people to share their thoughts about gun control.
I'd suggest we have another conversation.
I took my kids to the movies tonight. Upon exiting the theater, I looked around at all of the video games. Almost every one of them with a gun attached.
Those that did not have guns attached had half naked girls riding motorcycles. The one with half naked girls riding motorcycles specifically had a sign on it: "Suitable for All Ages"
Really.
I know we'd like to say that what we watch and the games we play have little to no impact on the society we live in. I beg to differ:
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The Joker did not arm James Holmes and throw him in the theater, but you can certainly see the resemblance.
Here's the real conversation we should be having as a nation and as families:
"Garbage in, garbage out." What we consume as a nation, as communities and individuals will evidence itself in our lives. We need to clean up what we are taking in.
You are what you eat.
"We need to be willing to accept the level of violence in society that we allow in our entertainment." - Dr. A. Lynn Scoresby
You may not live in a violent neighborhood, but consider the violence you are bringing into your homes whether it be the games that are played or the movies that are watched.
You can bet that I'm calling the manager of that movie theater tomorrow morning, and that I'll be waging my own little battle against that little corner of my neighborhood. It's a very little thing. In a very nice part of town, with not a lot going on. But if you wage a small battle in your neighborhood for something better, small or big, we can all make a difference.
You want do something? Demand more from our nation. Demand more from your community. Demand more from yourself. Demand more for your children.
